Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-12-13
Legislative Investigating Commit
tee Finds G.. T. Howard Has
Been Grating"
SHOULD Be PROSECUTED
Fuller c. Smiths Accounts straight
but lie violated Intent of the Law
Ill. S. Bingham Given n Glenn
Bili--Fish AMI Game Laws
Should DC Amended.

Montpelier, Dec. 1.-THE principal event
of interest was the reading in the two
houses Of the Legislature this morning Of
the report Of the Joint special committee
appointed before the recess, to investigate
I tho accounts OF State boards In antici-
patton OF ths report many spectators
were present. 1t was received in silence
/ In both houses and in the House q joint
resolution, introduced by Mr.. Dewart 'of
St Adams, commencing the committee
for It's conscientious and impartial work
was unanimously adopted. Tho full text
of this report follows:
To the Honorable Senate and House Of
Representatives:
Your committee appointed under a
Joint resolution, copy of which is at
tached hereto, beg leave to report con-
corning the accounts of the several
commissions examined as follows:
FISH AND GAME
under him II county wardens and asa
deputy wardens, whose duties are de-
fined by law. The county wardens arc
all on a per diem basis, but the deputy
wardens are paid by moiety of the
| uIltS l!npbStu, ufIcsS AieN perform
some specific service, under the direc-
ton of the FISH and game commissioner
or a county warden. when they arc
paid by said officials Their bills for
services are rendered to the Ash and
game commissioner, and upon his ap-
prevail, the state auditor no matter
how Illegal they MAJ be, must draw
an order therefor. While in the hands
I-r
capability and honesty Is demonstrated
by the evidence before us, no harm has
come: yet this power in the hands of g
dishonest or Incompetent Official woult
work great injury to the State. W.
therefore recommend the passage OF
the accompanying bill.
CATTLE COMMISSION.
| We deemed 1t unwise to investigate
the cattle commission because the sub
ject matter thereof is now pending II
the courts.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS
From the accounts OF said commission
ers allowed and paid by the auditor. from
testimony taken and from the commits
s.oners' report itself, we find that the ex
pense of the commission to the State Il
out OF all proportion to its usefulness un
der the law as it now Is. While supreme
court decisions have diminished its as
sumed or supposed powers, its cost ha
constantly increased. The auditors book
show the total cost thereof for the tw
years ending June /. 1902 to have becl
S7.d51.01, for the like period ending Jun
|. 1904, the cost to the State was 81, 245. q
and during the two years ending June
1906, it's cost to the State was Sl2, oGS Il
These several totals include the amount
paid for witness and officers fees, print
Ing of report stenographer, many mno
Incidental expenses and the per diem an
personal expenses Of the commissioners
pom this point of increased expense jus
tice to the commissioners demands tina
we call attention to the fact that the ac
of 1902 seems TO confer additional dutie
upon the commission without material
increasing it's power. We further nm
that the number of public investigation
held during the two years ending Jun
, /, 1902, was q while for the like period end
ing June l. 1906 the number was 5S Thes
public invest cations are necessarily NOR
: expensive than a private Inquiry by a
individual commissioner. This however
, Is a matter left wholly within the discre
ton Of the commissioners, except in tn
, case of accidents where death has result
? ed.