Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-11-04
RECORD OF 4S9 BILLS
Date for Introduction Passed
without Unanimous Consent
Weekly Payment Bill Passed by the House
Yesterday-Work of the Wlndham
County Members.


Montpelier, Nov. A.
The busiest days of the legislature of
1904 are now on deck. The important
measures of the session are getting into
line, the talking has begun in earnest.
and there will be something doing from
now on till the day before Thanksgiving
The decision of the supreme court was a
big relief removing as it did the half
expected necessity for prolonged session
and the making over of an unconstitu-
tional law. The joint committee on tenn
perance have enough on hand without the
imposition of any such task as that. They
have begun the consideration of nearly
20 measures thus far introduced, adding
to or taking from or in some way
changing that act of 1902 known as the
local option law.
When adjournment was had on Tues
day-the last day for the introduction OF
bills except by special consent-120 had
been introduced in the senate and 469 in
the house. This latter figure is just the
same as the lower house reached at the
end of the extra .long session of 1902.
Tuesday was a record breaker in the
house, 1886 bills being introduced there
a limit never reached on any one day
before, so far as we can discover
This large grist turned into the hopper
since last week includes a multitude of
private bills and many others of compare
lively small interest to the general pub
lie. We summarize the more important
of them for The Phoenix readers.
Bills from WIndham County.
Mr. Fits of Brattleboro made the house
a present of seven bills on Monday after
noon One of them seeks to stop the
havoc being made among evergreen trees,
for Christmas purposes, by compelling
the man who sells 20 or more trees less
than six inches at the base to take out a
license and pay $50 therefor. This would
be practically a prohibitive figure for a
license, but that is exactly what the bill
is for-to prohibit the reckless slashng
and cutting that is going on.
Another of Mr.. Fittss bills seeks to
prevent the sale of merchandise in bulk
and compel the taking of an inventory
before selling; another gives the husband
third the personal estate of the de-
ceased wife, after debts and expenses
are paid.
Another provides that the life of a
liquor license shall run until the first day
of May next following its issue; that the
fee for license issued for less than a year
shall be pro rata on the annual basis
and adding legal holidays and fair days
on which no liquor may be sold by licen-
sees.
Another increases the tax on sleeping
car companies to five per cent, on express
companies to eight per cent. and on tele-
graph companies to 6 per cent. of gross
case of the two last named companies
based on pole and wire mileage.
Two other bills in this budget by the
gentleman from Brattleboro touched upon
the powers of states attorneys in prose
cutting by information, and on the opera
tiops of insurance brokers and agents.
Mr.. Ryther of Dover has introduced
a bill asking state relief for that town II
repairing it's highways. Several bills OF
this nature have appeared during the
past week. and the propriety of dipping
into the treasury so deeply for this pur-
pose may again be the subject of earnest
debate at this session it was two year:
ago
Mr. Nutting of Westminster has intro
duced a bill to bring about the stoppins
of newspapers and periodicals when the
subscriptions expire This measure ha!
familiar look. This member has alst
measure in the interest of creamer!
patrons, requiring managers of such in
situations to make definite statements
as to amount of milk, it's analysis, prices
and other facts which it is the right o
the patron to know.
Senator Pierce has introduced a bill
for perpetuating the forests of Vermont
1t exempts from taxation for ten year
all waste or uncultivated land that ma,
be planted with timber or forest tree
under such regulations as shall be issue
by the commissioner of forestry or stat
board of agriculture; no exemption unles
these regulations are completely complies
with.
Mr. Porter of Nottingham has intro
duced a bill to incorporate the village o
Jacksonville.
Mr.. Fits has put in a bill amendin
section four of the charter of the Con
necticut River Power company TIL
amendment gives that corporation add
tional power, and provides for the protec
ton of the Retreats meadows and tn