The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-11-10

should pay the same fine for violation
of the law as ANYBODY else and that
when a man becomes an habitual drunk
ard he may be treated for his unoon-
trolsble desire for liquor One other
point on which Mr.. Senter was deter
mined was that any measure to oom-
pei minors to disclose where they got
their liquor would not work for they
disclose on the mar that didn't sell
the liquor"
Charles j. Russell of Burlington
spoke on the question. He thought
the law would be strengthened by the
appointment of three license commits
| sionres for a county by the Governor.
He believed a minor or habitual
drunkard should be compelled to dis
| close where he got his liquor. He
| said the law as drawn up intended to
protect the miuor. He said he be-
be abolished and that no combination
of first and second Glasses should be
allowed. He thought that druggists
were more competent to judge to
| whom to sell in bottle form and that
their license should be improved so
| that they could do it. Horace e..
Graham, State auditor, made q few
| suggestions first that the commission
ers be elected as at present rather
| than appointed second that States
| attorney and grand jurors only should
| sign search warrants; third, that spe-
cification as to whether the town or
State pays for examination OF liquors
made at the State laboratory be made
in the law fourth, that license fees
| shall be first paid into the State treas
ury; and that in the settlement of
| fines and costs the State should take
| all the fines and costs and pay the bill,
or the town take care of the matter.
On this last question considerable
ditficulty had arisen. The section now
| provides that "all costs incurred in
prosecuting under this act shall in the
! frat instance be paid from the town
treasury, and all costs recovered shall
be paid to the town treasurer. If the
costs paid out shall exceed the amour
received in any town, the State treas
| urer shall remit to the town treasurer
the total amount Of such de-
fcit." Mr.. Graham did NOT believe
the several town clerks should be
made the creditors as they had differ
ent methods of doing business and it
was very hard to keep things straight.
Either the State should take all the
fines and costs and pay the bills, or the
town should take all the money and
dispose of it as they wished. Then
there would be somebody to go to to
pass upon to the questions.
Emmett McFeeters of Enosburg
spoke against the compulsion OF mi
nors to disclose where they got their
liuuor as he was convinced from ex-
p%erience that many who were Innocent
of the unlawful sale of liquors would
be sent to Rutlaud because somebody
disclosed on them falsely.
j.. 9. Sherburne of Pomfert believed
that the saloon keeper was responsible
for a good deal of trouble and that at
tention should be paid to him as well
as to the drunkard and to whom he
sells.
W.. W. Miles of Barton speaking
with reference to the revival of certain
sections of the prohibitory law, urged
that they be adapted to the present
law.
Mr.. Rapgood of Peru wanted to
abolish the first class licenses alto
gether and run a second class license
under direction of the town.
Willard r. Root of Brattleboro, a
member of the State board of pharma-
cy, had several good suggestions to
make with regard to the betterment
of the fifth class licenses. He want
ed, for Que thing, provision made SO
that a practicing physician could OBJ.
tain liquor without any papers OF any
kind as emergency cases often called
for haste in procuring liquor for slim
ulants.
Mr.. Fits of Brattleboro thought
the saloons should be closed on legal
holidays and days when agricultural
companies were holding fairs in the
town, and cited incidents in his own
town to show the necessity for such
legislation.
Rev. Guy @. Lamson had several
good suggestions to offer; one that
the fee for second class licenses ought
to be raised to from $500 to 81. 200 II
year; that all gambling devices and
music should be barred out of the sa-
loon and that minors should be COM
PEELED to disclose.