St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-11-25
Thanksgiving Recess.
Many Bills Passed or Killed. The Slate
Well Cleaned and Members all Home
for Thanksgiving. Will RecOnven
Next Monday.

Next Monday.
The Legislature of 1908 is doing it's
work well, even if it is not establishing a
record for speed. The past week has
seen real progress and more than a
hundred measures have been killed or
boosted along toward final passage.
Many have passed both branches and
have been signed by the Governor. A
perfect food of private bills amending
some charter, or giving pay to some one,
or Incorporating some new company
have been passed and the slate has been
pretty nearly cleaned up. After the re-
cess everybody will devote their time to
discussion of the tax problems, offsets,
purity of elections, educational questions
and the larger appropriations.
The entire week has not been devoted
to private bills of no generalimportance.
The deer BILL about which there has been
so much talk and so much sentiment, has
finally passed the Senate and will be a
law This bill passed the House early in
the session, but has been held up in the
Senate to await the result of the open
season of 1908. The passage Of the bill
now gives only one yearin which to give
it trial before the next legislature
meets. The results of next years open
season will determine the wisdom of the
bill. The bill as passed permits the
shooting of one deer, either buck or doe,
between sunrise and sunset during the
last full week in October. The bill was
in jeopardy in the Senate. The night
before the bill came up for passage the
members had been to the fish and game
banquet and heard President Evarts
speak in opposition to the bill and many
had gone home feeling that the bill
would surely be killed. The bill came up
while Senator Finn was in the chair and
after a spirited discussion a vote was
taken and it was found to be tie,
whereupon Senator Finn who was per-
sonally opposed to the passage of the
measure voted in its favor and the bill
was passed. The Senator had been
counted among those opposed to the
passage, but be explained his action by
saying that although he was personally
opposed to it, he knew that his constitu.
ents wanted it
Another important measure to pass
both branches is the one establishing a
state Board of Education. The Board
consists of the Governor. Superintendent
Of Education and three members to be
appointed by the Governor. This board
has complete control over the Normal
schools of the state and over such
normal-industrial schools as NAV be
established. Members of the Board are
to be paid So per day and necessary ex.
penses. The bill creating an agricultural
commissioner and abolishing the present
board of the three members has passed
the House and there seems to be no dis
position to kill it in the Senate. One
senator said that if it suited the farmers
it ought to suit the Senate and that
probably means that the Senate will
offer no opposition. This is not the
original bill that was presented to the
House by Mr.. Hitchcock, but is a com
mittec bill compromising matters by
combining the agricultural bill with the
forestry bill. 1t appropriates $4,000
for the purpose of promoting agriculture
and forestry and for the purpose Of
advertising the attractions of the state.
A child labor law has passed both houses
providing that no person under sixteen
years of age shall be employed at rail-
reading, mining, manufacturing, or
delivering messages unless such child has
a certificate showing the completion of
certain school work provided by law
The town superintendent, district super
intendent, or prudential committee are
given power to investigate. This up to
date is the total of the really important
legislation.
Practically every member of this legis.
lature does his own thinking in his own
way and at his own convenience.
People have wondered, criticised and
praised at the conduct of the legislature
of 1908, but the fact remains that it is a
delberative body that will act wisely
in due time, There are ightsin the name
of temperance, fights over the compulsory
test for cattle, fights for more ard better
schools and highways, fights over the
question of taxation and offset, in fact
there is a fight over practically every
important measure before the Assembly
at this tune. Not one OF these fights has
progressed far enough for anyone to fore.
see the outcome The present body is
an honest one and its watchword seems
to be to right rather than rapid. This
was splenddly illustrated last week by
the action of the Senate in regard to the
Trustee bill. The bill is of great i'm.
portance in more ways than one. The
republican party have promised it in
their platform. The people at large are
of different opinions in regard to the