Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-12-07
ON THE HOME STRETCH
Legislature Working Hard for Ad.
journment Before Christmas
Sessions VIII Be Held Saturday and
Monday-state VIII Need s1,4s3 900 for
Expenses Next Two Years.

Montpelier, Vt. Dec. 8, 1906
Assembling after the Thanksgiving va
cation the members OF the legislature
manifest determination properly to per-
form what duties lie before them without
regard to the time that may be required
While many of the members desire to go
back to their homes as early as possible
and while II Is an actual expense to some
of the hardest worked members TO re-
main here, the feeling among them gener-
ally appears to be I'm favor of staying
until their work is done. Two weeks Is
the usual length OF an adjourned session
and Speaker Cheney thinks that period
will suffice, but some OF the experienced
members believe they will do well to take
final adjournment for Christmas. New
matters are stu coming up and the act
ual work includes more than the bills
that had been introduced in the two
houses before the members scattered for
their homes. For instance. the accident
at Vefgennes last Saturday, I'm which
three lives were lost and a large number
of people were injured has raised the
question of whether railroad companies
should be allowed to heat their cars with
stoves. The present law gives the rail-
road commissioners power over the rail-
roads In the matter of heating cars, ex-
cept on mixed trains. The train that was
wrecked at VerRennes was a mixed. II
is probable that the three women from
Bristol who were roasted In the wreckage
might have been saved II the cars had
not taken FIRE Immediately after they
We're thrown over the bank. The matter
has already been brought to the atten-
ton OF the House in the form OF n bill
introduced by Mr.. Finn OF Springfield
which gives the railroad commissioners
complete authority in the matter
Gov Proctor. Lieut.-Gov Prouty.
Speaker Cheney, Mr.. Porter OF Whining
ton and Senator Stafford OF Iamoille
visited the state hospital for the insane
at Waterbury Tuesday The two latter
are members OF the special committee in
vestigating the accounts OF the various
commissions and Mr. Porter has Just been
appointed a member OF the board of trus-
! tees of the hospital. In the absence OF
the lieutenant governor Senator Van
Patten, president pro TEN. occupied the
chair In the Senate and Mr.. Darling OF
! Chelsea welded the gavel In the House
Complaints that have come from Wind
| ham county OF damage done TO young
| trees by deer had some influence with
| House members. for on Tuesday they or
| dered to a third reading the bill pro-
yiding compensation for such damage.
! This Is confined to damage done by deer
| however, and the reference to the cedar
birds was stricken out after lively dis
| cussion.
After holding the matter in abeyance
| since early In the session the Senate or
| hfItu AHt employers HaDllltV Oil to n
| third reading Senator Chase made a
| lucid explanation of the provisions OF the
| measure and the Nergennes wreck doubt
less had something TO do with the favor
able action taken. though the vote was
| close.
1t does not appear that any amend
ments TO the excise law are likely to be
made. There is feeling among friends
| OF the law that IL Is working fairly well
| now and that while some changes are
desirable II might be unwise to open the
entire question. The bill OF Mr. Hayden
| OF Jericho. which undertook to interfere
| with the granting of licenses in licensed
towns close TO the border OF mo" towns
was promptly killed In the House. as was
| the "Ant-Saloon league BILL" so called
! advocated by G. ]. Ferguson OF Burling-
ton. superintendent OF the league. which
disfranehised man for five years and
| subjected him to long term Of imprison-
ment for giving or receiving a drink OF
liquor as an inducement for "a vote
The impression prevails that this legis-
lature has done enough for the schools
or the state and the measure providing
for instruction in elementary agriculture
was quickly killed. Mason S. Stone state
superintendent OF education. is much in
terested in having elementary agriculture
taught In the schools, but has not urged
Il as a compulsory measure
There was a long debate in the House
| va ANSNaN bh AllN blii kEduAluk Il
for another bank In Mortified and the
bill was finally passed, the need OF in
creased banking facilities having been
SHOWN.
The Vermont Development associat ton
charter was passed by the House without
dissenting vote and will probably be
acted on promptly by the Senate. The
officers OF this association are heartily
interested in the development OF Vermont
and intend to do some effective work In
bringing its resources to the attention of
the outside world
An important measure is that introduced
by Mr.. Bailey OF Essex to punish state
officers for neglected duty. 1t imposes a
penalty of $1,000 on any officer who will
fully refuses to perform the duty imposed
on him by law. 1t is well known, per-
haps better known to newspaper men
trying to get information than to the
public In general, that many state coun-
~ and town officials are lax in the per-
formance of their duties. Election re-
turns have been badly delayed by the
failure OF town clerks to perform their
duty and the secretary OF state has had
hard work sometimes TO secure proper
returns of elections from some town.