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



Montpelier, November 18th.
Dear Chillun: when horse at
tached to a carriage runs away he
usually makes good progress. but he
doesn't accomplish much in the way
of results. Last week both houses
worked steadily and their path is
strewn with misfit legislation
knocked in the head. So the Legis-
1ature made good progress and also
accomplished something by prevent
ing a good many things being done.
AS rule only about one bill in if
teen is fit to live, and that only af-
ter it has been trimmed and dressed
up and put in proper shape. Some
times the good might accidentally
suffer with the bad in saving only
every fifteenth bill, but the good ac-
complished by the slaughter would
more than counterbaIance any posi-
Bile injustice. In Vermont legisla-
ton it is better that half dozen
possibly innocent bills should suffer
rather than that one thoroughly bad
one should creep through.
Up to Saturday night 400 bills had
been introduced in the House and
not far from 10 in the Senate. In
Guiding the private bills to which
there is no objection, the 1egaliza-
ton of grand lists and all that, pos
sibly one in eight or ten will get
through finally. And regardless of
the actual intrinsic merits of the
case the fate of bill is very large
ly matter of chance. Scarcely a
bill ever passes but what could have
been overwhelmingly killed by few
we'll chosen words at the right time
and in the right place, and vice YER
sa. 1t all depends upon a momen-
tary impression, a straw, prejudice
or favoritism or a thousand and one
other things of a moment. 1t is
one of the little wheels within the
life wheel of chance.
The license bill will very probab-
ly be in print in these columns by
the time this is, so it is in your
hand. A senatorial member of the
Committee says that the bill report
ed is the strongest and most vital
prohibitory measure ever submitted
by legislative Committee. But as
to that you will have an opportuni-
ty to form an opinion, and must do
so. The Committee has done its
duty and believe done it thorough
ly, conscientiously and we'll. / told
you so. The bill is out in the open
now, and after it has been properly
discussed it will be enacted in about
the same form in which it came from
the Committee. Wait and see.
The bovine tuberculosis crater is
still heaving and at frequent inter
walls emitting clouds of steam and
smoke, but the situation is practic-
ally unchanged from last week.
Sometimes a little fire and mud
escapes from the flames, and nobody
can decide whether it is going to
subside or devastate all the sur
rounding country. The chances are
that compromise bill will finally
be adopted which continues the pres
ent system but which will most like
ly curtail the powers of the commits
sion in ordering the killing of stock
right and left.
For several weeks bill has been |
incubating for the removal of the
capitol building from Montpelier to
Burlington, and it came in the 9TH
err day via Mr.. Warner of Vergennes.
The bill requires Burlington to fur
nish a site and deposit $3.50, 900 in
bonds in the State Treasury as an
evidence of good faith, before any
thing can be done in the matter. |
The bill is in no sense a joke, and |
has a tremendous force behind it |
from all the west side in general as |
we'll as Burlington in particular. |
Just the same, there are so many
conditions, and the proposition is
such an important one that nothing |
can be done hastily or is likely to be
for long time to come. The CAPT.
toll may not always remain at Mont
pelier, but its removal will be the
work of years at least. The west
he So
lington as a site, either. On the |
contrary, quite the opposite. Rut-
land opposes the scheme already.
On the whole. Montpelier may rest
easy for a few years longer.
The agonizing idea of Mr.. Bundy
of st. Johusbury, that all the real
vital interests of the people are fold
ed in his loving arms and depend
entirely on his success in promulgat-
ing and protecting them has actuats
ed him in introducing an omnibus
bill ostensibly designed to lessen
state expenses. This it sets out to
accomplish to the tune of $500, 600 a
year by abolishing a lot of Boards
and Commissions, consolidating 9TH
ers, ''readjusting" salaries and
s1ashing right and left in every di-
rection. The bill contains here and
there a good idea, but generally is
crude, uneven and impractical. 1t
stands no chance whatever of be-
coming a law, of course.
Some member of the House has
discovered that there is a probable
deficit of about $50, 600 somewhere,
ND On ;utrOducaS hill m ra;Sa +ba |