St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-10-19
Montpelier Gossip.

Especial Correspondence of the CALIFORNIAN
Montpelier, Oct. 1S.-A creditable
amount of business had been transacted
by the general assembly when it adj
journed for cover Sunday" last Friday
forenoon. Seventy-five bills had been in
PRODUCED in the house and two passed,
while the senate had received 20 and
ordered three to third reading. Some
of the "old familiar" bills have appeared
during the past week-bilIs that have
come up and gone down at each succeed
ing session for several biennial terms
with entertaining persistency-bills SO
well known that it would be discour te-
Gus not to greet them cordially and give
them one more chance. They will be
duly recognized by the CALIFORNIAN read
ers as they are introduced into this series
of letters.
LIQUOR LEGISLATION.
The early introduction of several bills
amending the local option law indicated
that the joint standing committee on
temperance will have something to do at
this session, and the committee as made
up is strong and safe one-namely:
Senator Slack of Caledonia, Fletcher of
Windsor, Fowler of Bennington and Lord
of Washington counties, and Messrs.
Graves of Bennington, Grout OF Derby.
Dartt of Springfield, O'Sullivan of St.
Adams City, Agan of Ludlow, Crane of
81 hrs6
Mr.. Fletcher and Mr.. O'Sullivan were
members of this committee in 1902; Mr..
Agan will be remembered as Clements
running mate on the state ticket that
year. Aside from the bill mentioned in
our last letter, two others bearing on
the license law have been presented-one
repeating the anti-treating clause, and
the other providing for popular cleo
tion of commissioners and the granting
of ffth.class licenses by them instead of
by the selectmen.
If the supreme court should declare any
part of the existing law unconstitutional
on the ground of discrimination in favor
of local makers of cider and native wines
as many persons half expect it will
the way will be opened for some marked
changes, and there will be something
doing" over here, in earnest.
WORK FOR A SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
Mr.. Smith of Sheffield is the Caledonia
county member of special committee
to deliberate over the caucus bills intro
duced in the house. This committee of
fourteen is expected to give the impor-
tant subject of caucus reform all the
attention it needs, and it will have
considerable Sitting to do before it
can bring this matter up in comprehen-
sive and lucid form for final disposition.
The other members of this committee are
Messrs. Lewis of Troy, Proctor of Proc
tor, Downer of Sharon, O'Sullivan of st.
Adams, Fits of Brattleboro, Waite of
Hyde Park, Archibald of Manchester,
Billiard of Burlington, Norton of YER
gennes, Laid of Alburgh, Mansur of
Brighton, Bickford of Bradford, Bailey
OF Barre town.
Caucus bills continue to arrive. Among
them is one by Senator Slack, providing
for the use of the check list at caucuses
when five per cent of The voters ask for
it. Every voter, in early spring, is to
have opportunity to sign a certificate
declaring his intention to act and vote
with this Or that party at the coming
election. From the certificates the check
list is to be prepared, and nobody whose
name is not on the list will be permitted
to vote at the primaries. Voters of the
respective parties are to be grouped
separately on the check list. Ample
opportunity is to be given for correc-
tions prior to the day of election.
AUTO LEGISLATION.
Some of the legislators are after the
autos. One bill limits the speed to ten
miles per hour in villages and fifteen out
side; wants the chauffeur licensed and the
machine registered and given distin-
gushing mark, and provides that no ma
chimes unregistered can be operated in
this state after the first of May next
Another bill shuts out from the public
highways all machines or vehicles ope-
rated by other than muscular power, be-
tween the hour of noon and midnight
Iext thereafter. Substantial fines are
provided in both bills for vol tors of the
law. If this latter measure should by
any miscnance become law the auto
mobile people would look upon Vermont
as 1.-THE land of the midnight rum"
A GLANCEA AT OTHER BILLS.
A bill in which the State Federation Of
Women's Clubs is interested has been in
| PRODUCED by Mr.. Fits of Brattleboro.
| 1t prohibits the employment in mills or
| factories, of children under IL, in any ca
pacity; and of children under Is years
during sessions of school. It permits the
employment OF children 16 years old after
| they have had 26 weeks of schooling.
A bill to equalize taxation extends tic
holders of real estate the same right tic
offset for debts owing as holders of per
| sonal property now have.
Another bill prohibits towns, cities an6