St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-11-21
OUR LEGISLATIVE LETTER.
(From our Montpelier Correspondent
moan r,xArroN

| RAILROAD TAXATION.
| Governor Proctor won another victory
when the House on Friday unanimously
passed Representative Porter's bill in
creasing the tax on railroads about
$4,000. Although he is a director in a
large railroad corporation the Governor
believes that the railroads of Vermont
have been highly favored in the matter
of taxation and the bill in question is
one of his pet measures. If the bill be-
comes a law, and this is practically con-
ceeded, the railroads will be obliged to
bear extra taxation burdens about as
| follows: Central Vermont, SIG, 214.13;
Rutland railroad $12, 1884; Connect
cut and Passumpsic Rivers railroad,
$9,9S1.97; Vermont Valley Railroad,
81, 1OS.O3; Atlantic & St. Lawrence
Railroad, 2,432.09; Montreal and At
lantic Railroad $1,22272; Montpelier
and Wells River 1868. II; Barre Railroad,
$S70.91; St. Johnsbury and Lake Cham
plain Railroad, $316.41. Other steam
and electric roads will be required to
add varying amounts to their tax bills
some of the smaller ones being the Hard
wick and Woodbury. road with an esti-
mated increase of $2.SS and the Upper
Coos railroad $3.50.
A GRANITE CONTROVERSY.
The granite producing sections of the
state are deeply interested in bill now
before the Legislature, the purpose and
title of which is ito prevent fraud in the
sale of granite" The bill originated
with quarry owners and dealers at
Barre, who claim that inferior STONE
quarried in other sections of the state is
being sold as Barre granite. They con-
tend that Barre granite has been made
famous at an expenditure of much time
and money and that theproducers should
be protected from imposition The bill
provides that all granite sold shall be
labeled to indicate where it was quarried
and this provision is being opposed by
quarry owners other than in Barre.
Producers of the Bethel and Woodbury.
granite say they have no desire to sell
their output for other than it really is
and suggest that Barre producers should
adopt trade mark and prosecute in
case of Infringement. Another stand is
taken by quarry owners in Calais which
quarries are about ten miles from Barre
hill. They claim their quarries are on
the same vein as those in Barre, that the
stone produced in both places is identical
and therefore one is as much Barre
granite as the other The Calais men
also state that part of the so-called
Barre quarries are in Williamstown.
Ryegate interests are also opposed to the
bill.
HIGHWAY LEGISLATION
There is much interest taken in Repre-
sentative Carr's bill providing state aid
to towns desiring to construct perma-
nent highways. The bill appropriates
$50, 900 and provides that any town
voting to raise money for highway pur
poses above the amount already required
by law, shall receive from the state an
equal amount to be expended in a man
ner and upon suchro as are approved
by the state highway commissioner. No
part of this appropriation shall be ap-
portioned to any town unless at least
500 is raised by said town and in no
case shall the amount paid to any, one
town in any year exceed $500. County
supervision is provided for. Incorporated
villages cannot share in the cash divi-
sion but they NAV have the services of
an expert in road construction to the
amount of $500 in a biennial term.
Hon. c. W. Gates, state highway COM
missioner, is behind the measure, and il
enacted into law it will be the first step
in the direction OF constructing perma-
nent main highways. 1t is improbable
that the $50, 900 will be saved by reduc-
ing state expenses as proposed by Perez.
cal w, Clement, but the amount can be
paid from the corporation tax according
to present prospects. The bill passed the
House on Friday.
FLoTsAM AND JETsAM.
Governor Proctor has reappointed
Mrs. Martha Tyler Buckham, of Burling-
ton, as member of the board of library
commissioners for term Of five years.
An echo of the contested Burlington
election case, in which Joseph Aud
unsuccessfully contested the right Of
Representative Grafton to a seat in the
house, was heard on Friday. Representa-
tive Alexander of Georgia, chairman O
the committee on election, rose to {
question of personal privilege and called
attention to an editorial in. the Burling
ton News, Mr.. Auld's newspaper, which
he alleged, accused the members of tn
committee of lack of integrity. Heclaim
ed the case had been handled impartially
and resented the alleged charge. Quit,
a lively debate followed in which an un
successful attempt was made to have the
editorial in question read by the clerk
Mr.. Alexander promised some further
remarks upon the same topic.
Representative Jackson of Barre city
has introduced bill making the chang.
ING of a nhvsiciau's nrescr;ntiop Co.. s: