Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-11-19
Most Important Measure This
Session in Some Respects
Introduced.
RECOMMENDED BY GOVERNOR
II Provides for n Public Service COM
mission which Shall Include the
Rnilrond Comniis
stions Shall rny the OIL
cials' Salaries


,ess of great Importance was transacted
Saturday forenoon in either branch Of tn,
legislature, and although short sessions
we're held. disposition was made of con
iderable routine business and % bill.
Introduced In the House arc now In tho
lands Of the printer. The Senate ad
journed Saturday forenoon until Monday
afternoon but the House viii 70 In at tn,
usual time tomorrow morning. At that
time the revision committee will have al
least 10 more bills ready for Introduction
In the House
Senator Orvls Of Bennington introduced
bill IN the Senate saturday morning
raising the salary of the Judges of the
supreme court from 5000 ana expenses
TO 5000. The salary of the superior
court Judges is left in this hill where IL
now is at 5000.
The Senate passed In concurrence the
teint resolution adopted Friday in the
House authorizing commission to in
vest,gate the condition Of the state hos
rital for the insane at Waterbury
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
The most important bill introduced In
the House Saturday was by Mr.. Barber
Of Rrattlehoro which creates a public
service commission In place Of the State
board Of railroad commissioners. the
same to have supervision OF express
companies. gas and electric light plants.
telephone and telegraph lines This bill
provides for a commission Of three mem
bers who shall employ a clerk ut a
salary TO he fixed by the commission and
approved by the Governor. The salary OF
the chairman ~ the commission is fixed
AZ $500 and ~ the other commissioners
at $500 annually
Mr.. Martin of ESSEX introduced n bill
fixing the registration fees for all auto
mobiles and motor vehicles 1t makes the
fee so for vehicles Of five or more horse
power and Is graduated up 10 s55 for ma
chimes Of Atty or more horse power.
Mr.. Bean OF Wheelock would have a
larger sum Of money to expend for high
way purposes and introduced bill maxi
Ing the state highway tax eight cents
on a dollar Of the grand list. instead Of
Ave cents as at present.
The bill introduced from the committee
on military affairs provides that three
commissioned officers of the Vermont
National Guard shall, in future be placed
,n the Governors staff.
WOULD DOUBLE SMALL SALARY.
The toint committee on State and court
expenses realizes the ridiculously small
salary, $500 per year, paid the sergeant
at-lrms and introduced bill Saturday
making the salary of that Official 81. 900
and necessary expenses.
The principal event OF the coming week
outside the State House is the annual
meeting and banquet OF the State Fish
and Game League. The annual meeting
will be held Wednesday evening in the
Pavilion parors, followed by a banquet
At the armory for which elaborate prep
Hratons are being made.
The Legislature of 1901 Is arranging for
q banquet Thursday evening, and that
same evening In Representatives. hall
James H. Mcdonald, State highway com
missioner OF Connecticut, will give an
address
1t Is expected adjournment WIN be
taken next Friday over Thanksgiving
week. without pay
Among the important public hearings
scheduled for this week the first is Mon
day evening when the joint special com
mittee on taxation will give another
hearing on the bill to abolish offsets and
others in its hands. Tuesday the Joint
committee on temperance will give q
hearing in Representatives hall on sew
eral bills now in the hands Of that COM
mittee amending the present license law.
DIGEST OF IMPORTANT BILL
The public service commission bill. IN
PRODUCED into the House Saturday morn
Ing BY Mr.. Barber of Brattleboro, the
most important measure in some respects
introduced this session. is purely an ad-
m!niStration measure and was recon-
mended by Gov. George II. Prouty in his
Inaugural address. one marked feature
Of the bill Is that it provides for the ex-
penses OF the commission, including sal
iries, being levied on the companies over
which 1t has supervision, the same to be
ipportioned according to gross earnings
with the State
In other words the salaries OF the com
missloners will be paid by the corpora
tons. tho same as that OF the bank COM
missioners Is now paid by the savings
banks.
The bill gives the commissioners au-
thority to examine all books, accounts,
and papers OF any express company,
telegraph or telephone company. gas or
electric light plant within the State, and