Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-12-13
LEGISLATURE
NEAR THE END
WILL PROBABLY ADJOURN FOR
GOOD NEXT WEEK,

Important Railroad Bills Receive At
tention. Lone Already Law,--eer-
manent School Fund in Prospect
Appropriation Foot un 100000
Weekly Payments a law,--Liahili-
~ Sin KMed.--Game ana Liquor
Laws AT Odds over Cattle Bill
Double Taxation too Deep 10 Solve.
The Vermont legislature put good
deal OF its work behind il last wees Boz
preparation for fnal adjournment, which
10 Is expected viii occur Friday OF this
week,
Railroad legislation Three very import
ant bills affecting railroads were handled
last week, They were all substitute hi b.,
prepared by the railroad committees Of The
senate and House, One OF them, 5, iA1,
was framed as a substitute measure ion the
Chase rate bill, the Moody demurrage bill
and a House dOmurrdge bill Ii passed
both bodies aud became law, II prohibits
the giving of passes, except to certain per
sons connected with railroads. require
the posting of rates of fare and freight
tariffs IN the stations prohibits the ia-
crease Of these rates except by 30 days
rates to all patrons without discrimiua-
ton, prohibits giving Of rebates; Furnishes
railroads for wiiui failure % provide cars
to shippers; prohibits uemIrrage charges
except ailec four days notice of cars ar
rival 90 cogsignee; penalties for the col
lection OF unequal rates, exc. Express,
parlur and sleeping car companies are ms
ysudgd m provisions of this bill.
The other bills came into the House and
are before that body, They relate 10 the
railroad commission aud its powers, and
are based ou the Judge Ross bills Of 1902
re-iutroduced this year, The commission
is reOrgaUized and the present commission
is legislated out OF Office, Plenty OF pawt z
and authority are given TO make the com
mission an effective body in regulating the
conduct OF railroads, The present stat
utes are amended and new sections added,
which greatly widen the scope of the COM
mission. Ii is virtually constituted as
court, The boards orders TO railroads 20
into effect at once, and can only be STAYED,
pending appeal TO the supreme court, by
an order from that court,
Another railroad bill requires them to
place in their stations telephones OF all
local companies III they place any, that
have 800 or more connections on their line
This has passed and is law.
providing for state school fund, the in
come to be used for the benefit OF pubic
schools, has passed the House and is be-
fore the Senate. 1t assemblies the Spanish
war fund, the Huntington fund and the
United States deposit money, or at least
brings the income thereof, into the hands
of state board, who divide it back among
the towns according to the number Of le-
gal schools, less $1,000 which is divided
as the $4,000 reserved from tho state
school tax Is divided, according to the tax
raised, The whole fund will be about Il
100000, and the yearly income about $50
600. The bill introduced by Mr.. Reed Of
BroOkheld, providing for elementary in
struction in agriculture in the public
schools at cost of 5000 a year was
killed IN the Senate. Both houses have
passed the bill permitting towns and in
corporaled districts to consolidate, when
both are willing.
Appropriations The general appropria-
tions bill has appeared in the House. Ii
carries IN all about $500 900 for the sun
port OF the different branches OF govern
ment, the various institutions, the special
appropriations, etc. Expenditures aud re-
celpts bid far to run pretty close for the
next biennial term.
labor bllls-COrporati must nav
their employees wages weekly after June
LIST next The Senate broke all precedent
by passing he bill providing therefor on
Thursday, by vote of 80 to I. The debate
on this bill Wednesday proved Ouite in
terestiug. Among those who SPOKE for
weekly payments were S majors Rowland.
Van Patten, johnson Chase OF Wind
ham. Daley OF Windsor led the ODoasi-
ton. Senator Howland's employers liza
bllity bill was defeated Is to TO- Rowland
ana Chase favored; Johnson and NanPat-
ten opposed.
Sand Bar bridge The Senate passed Mr..
Latham's House bill whereby the state as
sumes the Sand Bar bridge connecting
south Hero island with the maitland at
Milton, and appropriates $1,000 for build
ing culvert through 1t so that small
boats and fish may pass through.
taxing national banks-The House
pissed the Finn bill providing for the
taxation of deposits in national banks
bearing more than go interest. The banks
finally Withdrew opposition. Some amend
ments are likely in the Senate, but the
bill apparently will pass.
Deer damage-The House passed bin
providing for the payment by the state,
on appraisal by the seIectmen, of damage
done to crops and fruit trees by deer,
mere was considerable discussion over
this 0'ei
Game bills-The Senate considered bin
prepared by the joint committee requiring
a small license fee from nonresident
hunters and those residents that are une
naturalized citizens for hunting birds and
small game. Daley, Roberts of Benning.
Ton, Chase of Windham, Paul and Moselev
favored this bill; Rowland and johnson
opposed 1t. The Senate, IL to 10 Kill d an
other Dili OF this committee requiring
reside1t hunters license. Daley and Roh-
erts favored this; Redfeld, Rowland and
johnson opposed. Both bills are to come
up again for reconsideration.
Cattle commission-The Senate and
House are at loggerheRds over the bin re-
forming the cattle commission. The Sem
ate bill gave 60 per cent and the hides tn
owners OF diseased cattle. The Housa