The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-11-14

tire W0OiH ulppStlNe SySUtd1s
case in point. The salary OF the
chairman is made $4,000 per year and
the two other members $500 instead
of So per diem as now, and the es-
pecia1lY neat provision is contained
that the railroads are taxed to make
up the salaries! They are compelled
to hire men for whom neither they
nor the people of Vermont have the
slightest use, and are assessed to pay
them exorbitant salaries! l admit
that this tendency toward brainless
anarchy in Vermont legislation is
repugnant to my ideas of justice.
The bills concocted by Judge Ross
for the revision of the railroad COM
mission were killed without plea
for mercy from anybody, but the
railroad commission itself is said to
have a hot card up it's sleeve in the
shape of a Committee bill which is
guaranteed to help things wonder
fully. The general understanding
is that Judge Ross will be left Oft
the next board, and that only one OF
the present members. Bingham OF
Bennington, will be retained. One
of the two new men is likely to be
Bailey of Newbury, while the Gov
ernor is said to be looking for the
right kind of a lawyer, satisfactory
to every body, for chairman of the
board.
A compulsory arbitration bill.
prepared by Hon. L. E. Pelton of
Highgate, the oldest practising law
yer in the state, has much merit.
1t provides for board of three who
shall have power to compel the at
tendance and subsection of both EN-
ployee and employer, and whose
findings shall be final and unappea1-
able. This wouldn't be bad idea,
either in or out of Vermont, but that
is no argument in its favor here.
The bill to incorporate the city
and town of st. Johnsbury is going
through with neatness and dispatch,
also the compromise electric bill.
In union there is strength. and in
harmony there is success; same old
story.
Another charter wants a road
from Waterbury to st. Adams, or
more properly, St. Adams to Water
bury. This seems to be a step in
the right direction, doesn't it?
The House voted overwhelmingly
to abolish the six inch limit in the
trout law and close the season Aug.
18th. 1t has also agreed to the Sem
ate bill allowing women to hold the
Office of Town Treasurer and killed
the bill requiring engineers of por-
table engines to pass examination
and secure a license. In the list of
killed is also the bill to make town
superintendent of schools appoint
able by the selectmen, the bill to
compel land owners to cut and burn
flowers, weeds, shrubs and bushes
along the side of the highways.
This latter was an utterly senseless
and impractical scheme for desolat-
ing the highways and destroying
their beauty.
In accordance with a resolution
adopted two years ago the state has
at last received the originals of the
Surveyor Generals papers, and
these are now located in the office of
the Secretary of State. There are
some eight or ten large volumes in
all in which the original maps, plots
and surveys drafted on white silk,
are carefully pasted. The work is
beautifully done and every line, fig
ure and letter is as clear cut and dis
tint as when they were made. The
handwriting is beautifully neat and
distinct. The surveys include ev-
cry town and hamlet in the state as
they existed in those days, during
the administration of John Adams
and Governor Tichenor. These ear
ly surveys in such fine order are an
invaluable and priceless treasure to
the state.
The compulsory vaccination bill
of DIR. Peck was not allowed to COM
pulse to any great extent. The
COuDu1Sory mart xvaS ar,1Dttta ted nv |
amendment, and the remainder will
be disposed of this week. The bill
regulating the speed and operation
of automobiles will very likely be-
come law. l wish could say the
same of the bill of the gentleman
from Georgia prohibiting the manu-
facture, importation, exposure or
sale of cigarettes inside the state.
They make idiots of children and
make grown men look and act like
idiots.
The W. c. T. U. has again gross
ly insulted the General Assembly by |
appointing a day of prayer for it, as
if it was under sentence of death, in
quarantine from some infectious |
disease or mentally or morally inca
pable of doing the right thing ex-
cept by direct interposition of Di-
vine Providence. In fact, these
women officially assume that the
is so confirmed in evil
ways that only prayer can affect it.
Isn't this sort of meddlesome bosh
and nonsense becoming tiresome,
even if no attention is paid to the
insult to the character of the Legis-