Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-12-21
Montpelier, Dec. %

of bills introduced lover 700 in the House
alone) for some of the most important
legislation of recent years, and for dis
playing an unparalleled freedom from the
influence of corporations and lobbyists.
Altogether II has proven the strongest
and most progressive Legislature for a
generation. The House has been above
the average In point of ability and has
had among its members some men who
were capable of leadership and willing to
exercise It, so that II has been an eff
Gent working body all the time. But
this leadership has not been bossism
The House could not have been bossed
1t was an Independent, thinking body and
of sufficient breadth to be capable of ac-
cepting leadership No one man can be
named as the leader of the House. The
more prominent members have differed
on important questions, and victory has
perched sometimes in one camp some
times in the other. But the House has
always voted according to it's convictions
after 1t has been convinced. The good
temper and commendable spirit that have
prevailed may have been largely due to
the good feeling existing at the time of
organization, when the minority party de-
clined to make any nomination for
speaker and Mr.. Cheney was given the
unusual honor of an unanimous election.
In spite of the partisan questions that
developed in the heat of last summers
campaign, there has been no politics in
the House; neither parties nor factions
have been recognized nor have they
sought recognition.
The Senate has not been as strong a
body as usual, though considering it as
a whole, IL has contained several men,
bers much above the average in point of
ability and influence. But the good feel
ing that has existed between the two
houses and between the Legislature and
the governor has been the really impor-
tant factor in securing the quality of
work that has been done.
The unusual length of the session has
not been due to any dilatoriness or I'M
willingness to work on the part of the
members, but to the large amount of
important business that required to be
disposed of. There was some consterna-
ton when Auditor Graham ruled that
there was no authority under the law for
paying the members for Saturdays and
Sundays, but the members promptly en-
acted legislation to cover that point.
Some newspapers have criticized this as
graft. The fact is that all the members
have been under expense for those two
days the same as others in each week,
whether actually working or not, and
that many of the members have worked
both Saturday and Sunday for a large
part of the session.
The auditor has been scrutinizng the
law more closely than ever before and
thority for paying the cost of telephones
in public offices at the state house. This
ruling hits him as much as any other ofii-
GER for there is a telephone in the audit
or's office. The explanation of this is that
the statute authorizing expenses OF the
various officials was enacted before the
telephone had come into general use.
Chairman Guy Bailey, of the commit
tee on revision of bills, was voted double
pay by the Legislature and without
doubt deserved 1t, for the service per-
formed by his committee, in putting all
bills into proper shape before their In
PRODUCTION, has not only served to make
the work of the legislature easier, but
has actually reduced the expense.
No other extras were voted 1t was
proposed that the judiciary committee
be paid IS a day, and without doubt they
deserved it. but members of other COM
mittees had done as much work as the
judiciary and II seemed unfair to pay one
committee and not pay all who had zone
extra work. Chairman Hale X. Daring
of the committee absolutely refused o
accept extra pay for himself unless th'
other members were included in the reso
luton so none was offered.
The establishment OF the Office of print
ing commissioner is expected 10 accom-
plish some reform and probably some re
trenchment. The impression has pre-
vailed that the various printing houses
Of the state were arranging their bids 10
the printing so that the work of the stat
was in effect divided among them a
their own price, and that a well informed
competent commissioner might be aole
nv offerine printers in other states al
opportunity to bid and by looking care
fully after the details of the work. I
save the state some money ana 10 nav
the public printing as well done as
present. -
The Vermont Development society ha
cha and YEARLY aDprOpTld
ton of 1920 has been granted. the So
ciety Is we'll Differed. Lieut-Gov u. n
Prouty is president, John II. Senter
Montpelier, vice president, X. W. McSue
of Vergennes, secretary ana treasu ~,
and the executive committee Is Gun
posed of these three officers, with J, =
DeBoer of Montpelier, c. s. Page OF Hyo
Park. H B. Barden OF WalnhsIols
w. NJ. Hatch of STAFFORD and H. Z. Ca ~
of Mortified. 1t is the purpose OF a.
association to collect and disseminate II
formation regarding the resources an
attractions of the state with we"
interesting capitalists from outsloe an ~
keeping Vermont capital at nome lot :.
DEVELOPMENT of the states natural d.
Yantages.. -, mar.
in the matter of appropriations 1t mas h'
been profuse in the matter OF sa N,a.s,
The state fish and game coilIl l,s,.'.
must get along with the same sdiaL ,.
in the past, $lOOO, ana lhe
of state taxes failed to get an increase
salary or allowances. -
The heaviest extra appropriations
the present session have been Tor the ~ ~
provement of the common schools, -
cost for expert supervision ana LOT o eaua
izinR school advantages being siO'VVO' a,
liberal addition has been maoe 70 q
highway fund, and the state priso SOL :,
dustriai school and state hospltai loI =
insane receive allowances TOT iihpiO'
ments or repairs. - enact,
The important legislation was en- lao y
fairly early in the session. the lhcIea n
REPRESENTATION for schools and the eIs 4. = =
of a permanent school fund that 90 ~
tended shall eventually amount - 49, 49,
900 and that is now over n'OOO'VOO, ais
one point of view the most lmP poi % J
matters acted upon by the seherAi
It was a surprise to the state ina s,d !
governor made such strong recoi ~ ~
tons in his message in regard 70 q =
roads. but the measures TO incIea H.',as
tax on those corporations ana era
for the gradual abolishment OF s1-i
Crossings, fixing rates. and reoI l all, ~
the railroad commission passeo VT W., ne
tlcally no opposition. me Meen I,,,t y
ment bin had a stormy passage Dus "
enacted. This was no doubt que ~ 1so -