The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-09
PROPERTY TAX ON
RAILROADS IS
VOTED
Senate Passed Bill to That
Effect Today
ShERIFFS TO HAVE SALARIES
Strenuous Effort Made to Adjourn to
Monday Evening But Motion is
Lost on Tie Vote

Montpelier Jan. 9.-The House is
in session this afternoon although an
attempt was made to adjourn at noon
TO Monday evening. There was
spirited debate over a motion to sus-
pend business for a day and half
but an attempt to secure a vote re-
yealed the fact that there was no
quorum present The members who
were in the corridors and cloak rooms
preparing to fit on the noon train
were "rustled" into their seats only
to find that there were n who want
ed to quit and n who wanted to work
The speaker declined the mo3p?
The speaker declared the milton lost
and kept the lawmakers on their job.
The bill TO pay the different county
sherilfs a salary instead of the fee
compensation which is now in force
was passed by the house today.
The Burlington city charter bill
the longest introduced this session, a
pamphlet of 16S pages, came into he
house today from the committee with
81 amendments. 1t required an hour
TO dispose of and pass the bill
The Senate today passed the bill
providing for the raising of taxes on
the physical valuation of the railroad
property in the state.
The Senate yesterday afternoon
took the initiative and without wait
ing for action from the Joint special
committee on taxation that is still at
work, II passed with only four dissent
ing votes the Finn taxation bill af-
| ter 1t had been amended by adding
the provisions Of House bills $50 and
BOG which provide for the adjustment
OF all offsets, a tax of five mills on
intangibles and the creation of tax
alton commission. The Senate cham
Der was crowded during the hour that
this measure was debated. 1t was en-
| gineered by Senator Finn who was
| supported by Senators Kidder. Butler
Donaway and others The opposition
was led by Senator Cory of Washing
ton. The four senators who voted
against 1t were Senators Cory Bliss
Kennedy and Lewis OF Lamoille.
lively debate was on for an hour
or more in the House Yesterday after.
noon over the plurality election bill
introduced early in the session by Mr.
Cook of Dandy.
Mr. Croft of Berkshire moved an
amendment making the election fol-
representatives to the General Assem-
bly, by plurality vote on the second
ballot. Mr. Cook of Dandy opposed
this amendment. He objected to the
voters being held all day at the polls
TO elect a representative. He said n
this amendment is adopted. WORKING
men who vote before they go to theil
work have no voice in the election Of
representative, but the men who hans
around for cigar are the ones who
finally make up what is called a ma
iOrity.
Mr.. Croft of Berkshire said al
though he was in favor of a majorit,
vote he offered the amendment as
substitute. Mr. Fish of Vergenne.
said the constitution of Vermont rec
ognizes a majority only and that II /.
unwise to attempt to pass this bill
until such time as the constitution o
the state can be changed Mr.. FISH
also believed the will OF the peopl,
is best expressed by the present sys
ten. The amendment was defeated
Mr.. Kinsley of Rutland city salt
that as a mass meeting of the voters
of that city held recently, he was in
structed to favor this bill. The sen
timent in that city is strongly in favo
of a plurality election The bill wa
also favored by Mr.. Fletcher of Cav
endish.
Mr. De3oer of Montpelier opposed
the bill in the interests of clean pol
; itics. He said majorties represen
the popular will. The only argumen
in favor of this bill is that It will say,
somebody's vote or somebody's tim
but that is the price the voter pay
for his citizenship. The subsantia
vote against the third reading OF tn
bill showed the sentiment OF tn
house to be very strongly against It..
The bill establishing branch o
the state laboratory of hygiene at 81
lohnsbury was ordered to thiru
reading after 1t had been debated 70
an hour. II was favored by MIR. How
P Of St. Johnsbury, Mr.. Balch of Luner
burgh and others, and was Oppose
: by Mr. DeBoer OF Montpelier on tn
ground that the state board of healtl
is opposed to establishing such
branch.
The bill introduced by Mr.. Tilden O
Barre City providing for the election
+ by towns and cities of license con
missioners came up during the after
= noon with an adverse report from tn
Joint committee on temperance. MI
+ Hitchcock of Pittsford offered a
amendment which provides for tn
e election OF three county license con
missioners and the bill was ordere
/ to lie until the proposed amendmen
can be printed
e A substitute bill for the public uti
ity bill Il is expected will be introdu,
r ed into the House today by Mr.. Ba
Der Of Brattlcboro. The matter {
e creating or organizing new compal
les to engage In fields already occl
!. pied by public utilities is eliminate
from the substitute bill as is the Sc
l. ton which provides for payment I
members OF the board by the corpor
lions served and they are 20 be pa
from the state treasury in the san
manner as the members of the boal
lie of railroad commissioners are no
paid. The substitute bill differs fro
- the original In these particulars onl
- The Senate committee on approp
- ations gave a hearing last evening
y the bill which has passed the Hou
au,rnuvtnttnp QkO0O annually for ~