Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-10-09
LATE CAPITAL COMMENT.
House Committees Named and Sew
eral Important Bills In.

MONTPELIER, Oct. Z.
The chief interest today eentered in the
House committee appointments. Speaker
Merrifeld kept lonely vigil until 3 O'clock
this morning filing out the list. The
committees are considered to be well ar
ranged with practical men in leading posts
OF duty.
The ehairmanships went as follows:-
Rules and ways and means, Dartt of
Springfield; elections, Ladd of Albnrgh; ;
federal relations, Fitzpatrick of Pittsford; (;
military affairs, Vincent OF Burlington;
Judiciary, McFeeters OF Enosburg; educa-
tion, Hubbard of Lyndon; claims, Bundy
Of ST Johnsbury; railroads, Bailey of
Newb highways, Burton OF Highgate;
banks. Fletcher of Cavendish; manufac
lures, Pearl of Johnson; agriculture, Dean
of Ferrisburg; land taxes, Lincoln of Ira;
grand list, Adams OF Marlboro; general,
Porter of Wilmington; distributing and
public buildings, Sparrow OF East Mont
pelier; states prison, Holdridge OF Iras-
burg; corporations, Stafford OF Morris
town; town lines, Hayward of Tunbridge;
mileage and debentures, Benjamin Of
Woodbury.; insane, Peck of Brandon.
There is always keen rivalry for chair
manships, The speaker has recognized all
factions. A number of the important
places are held by Democrats and Glenn
ent men.
Members from lUlh sttlAuu Allu liAhttS 40
follows:-Fuller of Nershire, elections;
Ellis Of Pittsfield, federal relations; Nor
rill Of Strafford, ways and means; Wiley
OF Sharon, Clahin OF Hancock, Heath Of
Fairlee and Allen of Brooktield, military
affairs: Dewey of Hartford, judiciary;
Pember Of Rochester, education; Soper OF
Randolph and Blanchard of Williams
town, highways; Mattison OF Chelsea,
hanks: Martin OF Corinth, manufactures; /;
gf RrnplF -
field. agriculture; Briggs of Granville,
Neweomb of Thetford, Sheldon Of Stock
bridge, general; Washington OF Hartland,
distributing; Comstock Of West Fairlee,
states prison; Kenball of Norwich, cor
porations; Fish Of Royalton, insane.
Several who have been omitted will find
places on the joint committees, TO be an
nounced later. II is an unwritten law
that every member must get on some COM
mittees. Several OF the committees exist
only for the purpose OF giving places to
members not otherwise provided for.
Their duties are wholly imaginative.
Mr.. Porter OF Wilmington, Democrat
and one Of the strongest men in the House,
introduced bill today that makes a gem
eral increase OF corporation taxes, amount-
ing to about 333go. Such bill passed the
House two years ago and was killed in the
Senate 1t has better chance this year.
An increase of this kind would make possi-
BILE the abolition of the direct state tax,
and there is reason to believe the corpora
tions can stand it.
Thus early, bin is in both houses to
elect representatives by plurality, instead
OF majority, vote. Ii viii have strong
support.
fhe Senate has more bills than the
House. One introduced today by Senator
Russell reflects the sentiments OF cattle
owners in Chittenden county as to how
tuberculosis ought to be dealt with. II
provides for a board OF three yeterinaries
10 handle the business. Cattle coming
into the state must be quarantined. The
owner OF cattle condemned is to receive
full pay for animals killed, appraisal to be
made BY men selected by the owner and
the board.
Senator Greene-with an eye to the Fin.
lev bridge crossing introduced bill CIV
ing the railroad commission power to
condemn railroad crossings more than
ordinarily dangerous and compel rail-
roads to change them.
The new governors staff is made up as
follows.-J. +. Thomson of Rutland, sur
geon- general. f. +. Burgess, Burlington,
q. +. Leland, Springfield, e. w. Ruiter, 81,
Johnsbury, l.. d. Taylor, Brattleboro, J,
q. Norton. colonies.
There is general sorrow at the Capital
at Gen. Grouts death. He had been a
long sufferer with dyspepsia and chronic
stomach trouble, being unable at the last
to take food by the mouth for several
weeks. The funeral is to be at Kirby
Thursday afternoon. A committee viii be
named to represent the legislature, and
many Of the members will attend: