Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-12-16


change was made also in the penal clause.
| This bill was introduced by a Windham
county member, Mr. Campbell of Rock
ingham, who wins out with n law that
neither the men who run the machines
nor the drivers of horses can seriously
object to as unreasonable. The auto
mobile must now be numbered and reg
istered and the operator licensed. and
must not be run too fast within the ter
ritory named in the bill
Moving for School Fund.
One bill introduced by the committee on
education and passed by both houses on
Friday involves an important move-the
creation OF a permanent school fund II
provides that the governor shall appoint
six commissioners to investigate the sub
ject and outline n plan for establishing
such n fund In the meantime the war
claims fund Of $40. 900, recently paid
over to the state by the national govern
ment, shall be held intact to form part
OF that fund, which shall be invested and
the income distributed among the towns
In such way as to euualze school adj
vantages. The passage of this bill is re-
garded as one of the most important acts
of the session.
A Mary Rogers Resolution.
Notwithstanding its heavy vote against
the Communication OF Mary Rogers's death
sentence, the sympathies OF the house
were sufficiently appealed to on Friday to
bring about the adoption of a joint reso-
luton providing for inquiry into her men,
tai and physical condition, with a view
to determining whether her crime was In
any degree the outcome of that condition.
But at midnight the senate killed the
resolution, and. so far as can be seen, the
law in her case must take its course
Poor Plurality.
About 4.S0 on Saturday morning the bill
providing for plurality election OF rep
resentatiye on the third ballot. which had
been passed by the house some weeks
previous. came back from the senate with
proposals Of amendment making plurality
count on the first ballot. The house said
mo- In a loud voice, and this vote was
its last tribute OF regard for the sem
ate that had amended and tinkered with
more house bills than any senate that
preceded 1t. So plurality waits two
years.
Piek-Ups.
Several bills providing for relief for
towns overburdened by debt and taxes
and unable to keep their roads up were
dealt with on Friday. In most cases the
relief was granted to the extent of either
$500 or $1,000. on condition that each town
so helped should raise as much more. the
whole to be put into permanent road
work.
The senators gave Lieut. Gov Stearns
beautiful cut glass punch bowl on Fri
day night, and presented their blind chap
lain. Rev NJ. w. Farman, with a purse
OF s1S7.
The misunderstanding between Gov.
Bell and the senate was not cleared up
before final adjournment, the latter branch
insisting on its rejection OF l.. \. Cobb
as Inspector OF finance II also declined
favorable consideration OF a. w. Foote
Of Cornwall as n trustee OF the Vermont
! Asylum for the Insane. so Gov. Bell sub
stituted the name OF d. d. Burditt OF
Pittsford. n member OF the senate, whose
confirmation was promptly attended to.
/ There are those who contend that the
state has now no inspector of finance.
but that seems to be up to the governor
and the attorney general
because he thought them Objectionable,
Gov. Bell refrained from signing two
bills-one OF them providing for en-
blems on ballots, and the other provid-
I ing for the establishment of sewers in
towns, cities and villages whenever such
a course was deemed necessary for the
protection OF the public health
Among the important measures passed
! upon at the present session Of the legis-
/ lature in which Senator Pierce was es-
pecially active and interested were those
! relnting to forestry and highway legis-
| lation. the repeal of bounties on noxious
animals, revision of the fish and game
| laws. creation of the Office of attorney
general. appropriation for the Morrill,
Agricultural hall. and securing the pas
sage of the present automobile law. OF
, the IL bills he introduced nine have be-
comes laws, as follows: An act to en-
courage the planting and perpetuating
of our forests: an act for the better pro-
/ lection OF highways; an act to establish
\ n fish and game commissioner and game
wardens and to appropriate a sum Of
money for the protection OF fish and
game; an act relating to the open season
for hunting deer: an act to protect the
burial lot of William French at West
minister; an act to incorporate the Aus
! tine sanitarium: an act to incorporate
! The Hemlocks hospital of Brattleboro:
an act to amend an act to incorporate
and establish Norwich university; an act
in addition to an act to incorporate the
village of Brattleboro.
An important work, especially for their
constituents, was performed by Senator
| Ware and Representative Willard, both
residents of Townshend whereby they
saved from $3.50 to $500 annually on the
tax bill of their town. The law which
was passed in 1902 Disseminated against
towns in which academies are situated
on the drawing back of money from the
state for schools II affected IL towns in
cludlng ToWnshend, but nobody appeared
before the educational committee to make
protest except Mr. Ware and Mr. Will
ard. They did not meet with much en-
| couragement at first, but they persisted.
and informed the committee that unless
change was made they would fight to
| the last ditch. AS a result of their re-
peated efforts the discriminating clause
was cut out, and Townshend and ten
other towns are thereby the gamers
WIndham countys Share.
The Windham county delegation in SEN
ate and house have been busy during
the session and have contributed mater
tally toward the introduction and enact
ment OF important measures. Senator
Pierce's work Is reviewed elsewhere.
Senator Ware has not essayed the in
PRODUCTION OF bills. but has done good
work on committees and served the in
terests of the state and Windham county
on every possible occasion.
All the bills of local interest to Brattle-
boro, introduced by Mr.. Fits, have pass
ed. These include the much debated
street railway grade crossing bill, a step
preliminary TO the electric road to Hins-
dale; the bill amending the charter of
the Connecticut River Power company,
measure of special concern to Brattleboro
people; the bill Incorporating the Northern
Mutual Fire Insurance company, whose
principal office is to be at Brattleboro:
and the bill amending the charter OF the
Chestnut Hill Reservoir company, a step
toward enlarged water supply for Brat
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