News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-11-19
development of the asbestos mines in
that section.

There wasn't any slip in the plans
ofthe joint committee on temperance
this time. Their decision was reach
ed late Wednesday night and two
bills are now before the Legislature
on majority and minority reports.
Bv the close vote of 10 to II, the
high license local option measure
constructed by the subcommittee of
five out of material selected from the
several bills by the whole committee,
is reported favorably. The thirteen
endorsers of this are Senators Rus
sell of Chittenden, Downer of Wind
.sor, Sibley of Washington, Nelson of
Rutland and Tracy of Grand Isle and
Representatives Ellis of Fair Haven,
Fletcher of Cavendish, Douglas of
Williston, Howe of Readsboro, Vim
cent of Orwell, Conland of Brattle-
boro, O'SulIivan of St. Adams city,
Pape of Barre-seven Republicans
and six Democrats.
The minority of II report favora-
bly, the Battell bill, "a license measure
without the saloon" and which elm
mates the element of private gain
and provides for state control of the
liquor business. The report is signed
by Senators Emery OF. Orange, Annis
of Orleans, Walbridge of Essex and
Spencer of Windham, and Represent
atives Battell of Middlebury, Bailey
of Newbury, Fish of Royalton, Dartt
of Springfield, Divon of Hardwick
Vail of Pomfret Seaver of Barton
and Randall of Wolcott-all Republi-
cans.
The closeness of the vote in COM
mittee has stirred up much excite
ment. The fight is now on in ear
nest, and if anything will prevent
final adjournment at Thanksgiving
time, it will be the intensity of this
contest over the liquor legislation.
The prohibition element in the
committee, accepting what it regard
ed as the least of two evils, swung
into line for the Battell bill and the
entire minority were agreed on the
desirability of also reporting the So
called Ross bill as an amendment of
the present prohibitory law, with a
view to giving the people an oppor-
tunity to decide between that and
whatever other bill might be submit
ted. The majority, however, did not
favor this move, and refrained from
voting on it. The evenness of the di-
vision in committee is type of what
may be expected in the House at
least. The bills will hardly come up
for debate before the middle of the
week; and then-well, we shall see!
THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
Thirty-fve speeches were made in
the House, within an hours time,
when the public health bill was taken
up on the question of third reading,
and eight or ten more when it came
mp for passage; and by the time the
multitude of amendments had been
red-inked by the clerks the billlooked
like veritable "crazy quilt. The
compulsory vaccination clause was
knocked out; provision was made
for appointment of local health Off
GERS by joint action of the State
board and town or village or city
authorities, and arbitrary power in
the matter of improved plumbing is
taxed from the health officer, who is
to act in that regard in combination
with municipal officials. An attempt
to exempt country churches and
schools from the penalty imposed for
neglect of sanitary conditions in and
about the buildings was defeated after
some vigorous comment in denuncia-
ton of the peanut" policy that
would make life any less worth saw
ing in the country than in the city.
WEEKLY PAYMENTS.
The vote of174 to 8 shows very
conclusively how the House regards
the weekly payment system And
speaking of talking, there was quite
a flow Of eloquence in the twenty
three speeches made when this sub
ject came up in the House-only three
or four out of the twenty-three being
in opposition to the bill. Nobody |
had any idea that the House needed
bracing up to this extent, in fact.
that body was ready to pass the bill
without debate; but when Mr.. Rider
of Bristol spoke briefly against the
measure it started a discussion that
lasted three-quarters of an hour A
feature of it was the threat by Mr..
Lawrence of Rutland City that If the
legislature didn't pass the bill this
year, his party Che was the one sue
cessful candidate Of the labor party
would come out in force two years |
from now and make things hum in |
heinterest of the workingman. The
latter got a whole pailfull of
sympathy during the discussion,
while the corpOratiOnS were touched |