The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-10-06
THE LEGISLATURES TASK
Things That the General Assembly
Must Pass Upon This Fall.

Wednesday, the legislature OF
1908 will convene at Montpelier, and
the session will face the opportunity
for much important work, aside from
that classlfable as routine. The state
campaign was fought on questions In.
yolving the continuance of progress
sive policies in legislation and It is
up to the men elected on those ques'
tons to make good, says the Morris
vile Messenger.
Some of the questions TO which the
people expect that their representa-,
tives will give all needed thought aud
attention are as follows:
Further provision for Improvement
in public schools; highway improve
ment more systematic and more gen
eral; enlarged powers for the rail-
road commission or the conversion of
that commission into one covering all
public utilities, telegraph, telephone
and express companies as well as
railroads; the establishment of dis.
trict court system for petty cases in
place Of the present procedure before
Justices OF the peace; tax reform.
OF these questions probably the
two last named will demand the care
full consideration of Legislators to a
greater extent than any Of the others
Indeed, the questions OF school and
highway improvement are dependent
upon little more than what they will
require in the way Of financial sup
port, and as to the extension OF prop
er state supervision over such public
realities as are not now SO included
conditions do not indicate that any
obstructiOnism on that score can
complicate the question.
AS to a disturbance of the ancient
justice Of the peace proceedings, how
ever, and the supplanting Of It by any
form OF district court opposition may
be looked for Such a change will
not only be menaced by the so-called
conservative spirit supposed to ami.
mate Vermonters, but not unlikely II
will have personal relation to many
members Of the legislature who wear
around home the J. p ermlne. It is
to be hoped that neither conserva-
tism nor the curtailment of personal
privilege will prevail against such a
movement. Both Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island, some years ago, made
the change and on no account would
either state 90 back to It's old justice
Of the peace methods
AS to tax reform, that question is
easily the biggest one that the incom
ing legislation is likely to consider.
The special commission that has in
vestigated the subject has made an
exhaustive and highly significant re-
port and that report will aid the law
making body in understanding some
Of the faults in present practices, TO
say the least Presumably, however.
that the legislature will act up 10 the
commissions recommendation is too
much 10 be expected In discussing
this tax matter. one OF the leading
| lawyers of Vermont recently said to
the writer that in his opinion the first
proper step IN tax reform Legislation
should be the giving to listers suftl-
! Client powers OF a court that they may
summon witnesses and examine
under oath for information required
by law in the tax inventories. This
lawyer believes that such a provision
lived up to and with competent men
in the listers office, abuses embraced
in tax lodging would fail as near
the minimum as is possible without
much legislation in addition TO that
now applicable and lacking only In a
better enforcement Whatever. the
legislature does with tax reform, II
should be so handled by those In
charge Of It. that class distinctions
do not arise on account OF II TO com
plicate or retard other needed legis
lation