Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1909-01-22
ON THE HOME STRETCH
Legislature Getting Ready for
Adjournment
House Members Voted to Raise Their
own Pay-5aeon Tax Commission Bill
Passed-s2o,ooo for New Normal School
Building.


own Pay-5aeon Tax Commission Bill
Passed-s2o,ooo for New Normal school
Building.
Montpelier, Jan. 10.
When the House met Monday morn
ing there were LOG members in their seats
and the only vote that was counted dur
ing the day showed Ill members voting.
Proceedings opened with consideration of
Senate bill No. 1S, making a special open
season for trout fishing In Windham and
Windsor counties. This was amended by
dropping Windsor county, and was then
debated for nearly an hour, the net re-
suit Of the matter being that the bill was
ordered to lie until amendments could be
prepared. In the afternoon Mr.. Boyce OF
Waterbury offered amendments which
make the open season for the entire state
from April Is TO August 1, and these we're
adopted. The only appeal from the de-
cision of the chair known for years was
taken Monday morning, with Fish of
Vergennes In the chair. The House was
discussing one Of the license commission
bills and Hitchcock of Pittsford moved as
an amendment the amendment he had
previously offered to another bill, provid-
ing for the election of county license
commissioners. Martin of Essex believed
that this was out of order under rule IA,
which says that the same subject cannot
be twice considered by the House. The
chair ruled that the amendment was in
order and Mr. Martin took an appeal
The House sustained the chair 81 to 46,
but 1t then proceeded to slaughter the
| amendment.
Speaker Cheney gave notice on Monday
that rule ~, which forbids a member to
speak twice on the same subject would
hereafter be rigidly enforced. joint re-
pItfff ~
port and adopted by the House providing
| that no new bills should be introduced
| after Tuesday except by unanimous con-
sent Under the rule committee bills
| could be introduced at any time, and II
a member could get committee to father
| his bill he had no trouble with it,
The state license commission bill intro
| duced by Howe of Bennington was report
! ed Monday by the temperance committee
| with proposals of amendment which were
| adopted. These only amend minor fea-
lures Of the present law. They raise the
maximum fee for a second class license
| to $4,000, place the fee for wholesale IL
censes at 5000 and require that commits
sioners shall only grant licenses to places
in the principal village of a town, or If
| there is no village as near the centre
| of population as may be. This is about
all the legislation that is to be expected
on the liquor question.
repairs on the state fish hatchery at
Roxbury went through the House with
out a struggle Monday afternoon, but
trouble is looked for over the bill to
abolish the hatchery. 1t is claimed by
some that the hatchery is useless and
| unnecessary, that for two years the NOR
tality among the fry has been so great
that few have been distributed in the
waters of the state, and that all the trout
| fry desired can be secured from the Uni
ted States hatcheries. Commissioner
Thomas points out that many brook
trout have been killed off by the severe
drouth and that the waters of the state
require as plentiful restocking as possible
The fact that we have one trout hatchery
in the state operated by the government
and that another is being erected does
not guarantee an unlimited supply OF
trout fry to Vermont Trout fry and eggs
can be transported long distances and
Vermont has no more claim on the trout
fry Matched at st. Johnsbury than has
any other state The hatchery at Rox-
bury is badly in need of repairs If it is
to continue its operations, and If 1t should
be abandoned the property would revert
to the heirs of the donor. They would
be glad to secure it again, for there is
money to be made in operating private
fish hatchery.
After adjournment Monday Afternoon
the House proposed to form a social or
ganlzaton, which VIII organize biennia
reunions Fletcher of Cavendsh wa.
made chairman of the meeting. J. L
Bacon of Hartford was elected president
F. c. Williams of Newport vice president
M. J. Leary of Burlington secretary w
R. Locklin of Richford treasurer Thu
executive committee is composed of F. L
Fish of Vergennes, F. e. Howe of Ben
nington, H. S. Dole of Danville, Aller
I Martin of Essex, C. B. French of Concord
C. d. Watson of st. Adams, Giles Har
rington of Grand Isle, T. c. Cheney o.
Morrisville, L. M. Seaver of Williams
town, G. A. Drew of Barton, q. s. Kins
ley of Rutland chairman, w. ]. Royce o
Waterbury, H G.. Barber of Brattleboro
A. M. Fletcher of Cavendish.
Early in the session attention was
called in this correspondence to the larg,
appropriations asked for, aSGregatini
something more than half million. Mr.
Fletcher chairman of the ways anC
means committee, took occasion on Sat
urday to point out to the House the sit
uation in which the state was now placed
There was a revenue to be expected, un
der usual conditions, which would permit
special appropriations of $175 900, Will,
special appropriations amounting to NOR
than $685. 900 had already been made, no
including the ventilation Of the stat
{ house, which win cost from $4,000 t,
900 more.