The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-12-20
.SOLONS COST
STATE $4,000
Formal Adjournment Of Yer
mont Legislature To-day
WORK DONE LAST NIGHT
Session Lasted n Days and 472 New
Laws Were Added to Public Stat
utes-Scenes Of the Closing
Hours.

Montpelier, Dec. 20.--A record break
ing session Of the general assembly Of
Vermont was closed at eight o'clock this
morning with all due solemnity, but
with few members present, the work
having all been completed at Ii 80
o'clock last night. The session was the
longest ever known in this state, the
members having assembled on the first
week Of October and having sat since
that date with the exception OF the week
Of Thanksgiving, when recess was talk
en-. The legislators get pay for 7e days,
while special committees which sat dur
/ ing the recess, were paid for seven more
days II cost the state $1,000 to run
the legislature something over $1,000
day. This amount does not, of course.
take into consideration the appropfia-
tions, which, thanks to one or two mem.
bers, notably Representative Eli II. Por-
ter OF Wilmington, were kept down to
the average.
Former figures on the number Of pro.
posed laws were put way in THE hanls-
ground this session Al total of s74
were introduced, Of which the House
presented 7O4 A little more than hall
Eof them found their way to the statute
books. To be more accurate, the laws
of the commonwealth were repIenished
lby 472 as the result of the session.
These new laws cover a wide range
The most important relate Ia autonao.
bile legislation. weekly payment Of
wages BY corporations, regulating rail-
road rates, creating new board OF rail-
road commissioners with increased pow
ers, permanent school fund. grouping of
school superintendent Increase of cor
poration taxes, reorganization Of the FL.
dietary, new powers to state highway
commission, taxation Of interest bearing
deposits In national banks and last but
mot least the investigation Of the ac.
counts Of the old board Of railroad com.
mission. Among the things which the
legislature failed to do. the solving OF
the taxation problem stands out promi
nently. Two Of the oid-timers, munici
pal suffrage for women and ahoIishment
OF capital punishment, also fell BY the
wayside. as did the attempt 10 free the
toll bridges across the Connecticut river
~ 4
Their day of unusual activity past
Vermont's official family silently stole
away from The capital city today, al.
though some 81 the legislators had tax
en Il upon themselves to leave before
their duties were done. The state House
bore deserted look, with no one bnt
late lcayers hustling around TO get their
affairs IN shape. Governor Proctor will
remain to finish up the minor details OF
his business He has had strenuous
few days.
The Closing Hours.
The closing hours Of the legislature
We're not marked by the usual confu.
sion, during which bills are recklessIy
passed OF uthlessly slaughtered. Prac.
tically everything had been cleared up
during the early part Of the day YES
lterday, leaving the automobile legisla.
ton TO the last Tile disagreement Of
the House and Senate on this matter
enabled the conference committee To
draft 3 measure which Is generally con.
eeded to be fair IL puts the respon.
sibility on the driver OF the automobile
for Careless or negligent" driving. and
that IS determined by rate OF speed
equal to ten miles in cities and towns
and 20 miles outside; fine for first Of
fense is $50 or ten days, with costs Of
prosecution, and for each of three sub.
sequent olienses, the maximum Is 5000;
secretary of state may suspend on re.
woke licenses; registration fee i So foi
machines Of 20-horse power or less and
/ 81 for those above that; nonresident.
need not pay registration OF license when
residing in states or countries which
give reciprocal liberties No opposition
developed in either branch and there
were no opposing yotes.
While the members We're wait.
4 in for the committee Of confer.
ence to draft this measure, they
amused themselves by various
means. For an hour a chorus of fifty
OF more male voice gave concert Of
the popular repertoire. Then thev'd
have mock session or two. during
which the poet laureatesn Ropresen,
tativc Nichols OF Richmond and Chaflet
Of Enosburg crowned one with
/ the rim Of pasteboard box and the 9TH
cr with a huge straw hat. Each was
set up on the marble top of the center
I table and then required to reclte his
own competitions, while his auditor.
chcered yociferously. That amusement
worn out, they would require Represen-
tative Ed Finn Of Springfield to recite
poetry or relate personal exerienees
1 Then il would be "fhree cheers fol
Kicker OF Groton." OF anyone who hap
pcned to catch the eye of the merry
makers. Paper pellets, pamphlets ant
other handy weapons hurtled through
the air. to fll the interim Of the lack
of entertainment.
Then the conference committee re-
ported and their report was adopted by
each branch; the governor messaged IL
la few approved bills, and the session
Of 1906 was thing OF the past but fol
1.-THE gloomy dissolution Of the two bod
les this morning.
Senate Forms Association.
Friendships were ecmented and pleas
liant acquaintance were pledged TO b,
continued, TO further this end, til,
Senate formed an association iust a
the House had previously done. fh,
i officers Of the Senate association are
President, Lieutenant Governor Gcorg,
II. proutyi vice president, Senator CHASE