The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-15
DEBATE ON CATTLE
BILL ON IN THE
HOUSE TODAY
Suspected Herds May Be Test
ed Without Consent
THE LOCKLIN LIQUOR BILL
Places Further Restrictions Upon Hol-
ders Of Second Glass Licenses
Passed by House.

Montpelier, Dec 15.-The bill re-
iating to the cattle commissioner and
defining his powers and duties which
was made special order In the House
yesterday afternoon was, by common
consent, ordered to a third reading
and the debate on the bill is taking
place today. Among these changes
are that the state cattle commissioner
may test suspected cattle without the
consent of the owner; the state cattle
commissioner may dispose of the car
eases Of diseased animals at slaughter
house where there is an inspector in
stead of burning or burying them as
the law now provides; payment for
diseased cattle shall not be made UNI
less the barns in which they have been
kept have been thoroughly fumigated
the appropriation for cattle killed in
any one year shall not exceed $4,000,
the amount received from the bodies
sold to slaughter houses excepted the
75 per cent Of appraised value for cat
tie killed is retained.
The debate in the house yesterday
on the bills to change the laws in re-
lation to the taxation Of the railroads
was one of the most interesting of the
session The bills making the pro
posed changes were introduced by
Mr.. Howe Of st. Johnsbury. The first
House bill 1853, increases the tax on
railroads from SS.06 on the thousand
to $3.50 on the thousand and makes
the computation on the appraised
value. The second repeal the section
giving the railroad the option to pay
taxes on the gross earnings. Both OF
these bills came to the House on ad-
verse reports from the committee on
railroads,
Mr.. Howe Of ST. Johnsbury in
quired of some member of the rail
road commission If it were not true
that the report Of the tax commits
sioner on taxation rates showed that
the railroads were paying less than
one.half the average rate of taxa
ton on property in the state. Mr..
Williams of Newport explained that
the committee had nothing to show
whether railroads we're paying their
Just part of the taxation or not and
he thought the bill should have been
referred to the taxation committee.
He did say. however, that the corpor-
ations were taxed to meet the state
expenses and that the committee re-
ported It unfavorahly as they did not
have evidence that there was need
Of a higher rate Mr.. Howe Of St
Johnsbury stated that the report OF
the commissioner Of taxes showed
that the average rate in the state
was Sl6.70 on the thousand and that
the rate the railroads were paying
was $S.06. Mr.. Tilden OF Mortified
believed the bill should pass and
that there was no good reason why
the railroads should not pay the
same rates on thousand dollars
worth Of property as anybody else
Mr. Davis of Springfield called atten-
ttn to the fact that the committee
on ways aud means had notified the
House that they must go light on APP
propriations. He didn't believe Il
was right to threaten the state with
direct tax and let the railroads so
at half price. House bill 35i also
passed there being but few dis
sentlng votes in comparison with
those voting for the measure.
House bill lO7 was passed 60 to 81.
This bill came in in an amended form
from the temperance committee. II
Is Mr.. Locklln's bill. Mr. Howe OF
Bennington stated that Il Is hard
bill on the holders of second class IT,
censes and that It means practically
that they can do little business out
OF their own town. Somebody sug'
gested that Mr.. Locklin was absent
and that It would be a good plan to
take up the bill when he was present
but Mr.. Howe OF ST. Johnsbury sug'
gested that the speaker had warned
the members that the bills would be
taken up on Monday in their order
whether the authors were present or
not.
The bill reads as follows
Section /. No llcensee OF the sec
ond or seventh class shall know.
ingly sell intoxicating liquor for the