Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-01-21

"a villages 10 appropriate money for agri-
cultural fairs az amended by Senate.
The Houso Tuesday killed -
? l6zs relating to s~tenographic report
H. Se4, relating to actions Of libel.
New House bills:-
By the judiciary committee, to amend
statutes relating to fees of tax collectors.
UTILITIES BILL MOVES ON.
The public service commission bill was
taken up Wednesday as a special order
and the FIRST question was on the amend
ment proposed Monday by Mr.. Howe Of
81 Johnsbury, outlined above. Mr.. Bar
Der OF BrRttleboro thought the amend
ment was offered for the purpose Of kill
ing the bill he said the time had come
when Vermont should have a policy OF
regulation and control OF public corpora
tions. "We already regulate and control
national n savings banks, railroads and
insurance companies, but have no control
over express, telegraph and telephone
companies IL we are to control the
former, why not the latter and thus COM
pei reasonable and Just service to the peo-
pIe2"
Mr.. Barber said what we want is a
square deal between these corporations
and the people. The bilt under consider
alton is not, rs has been charged, drawn
10 the interests Of the Bell Telephone
company, OK OF any particular corpora
ton. The amendment proposes to regu-
late all electric power companies, whether
or not they are in the public service, and
such an act would be clearly unconstitu-
tionaI.
Mr.. Barber took up the bill. section by
section, and succinctly pointed out how
we'll guarded is the public on every point.
He said a. things are today we take the
service that Is given Us by the telegraph,
telephone or express companies, pay the
price charged. and our only remedy is to
stop taking such service. Mr.. Barber
spoke for an hour and twenty minutes
and covered the subject very thoroughly.
Nj. Davis of Brighton thought the bill
under confederation gave no protection to
the telephone men Of the state. II
this bill becomes q law the state should
protect thu telephone men from COMPETE
tion.
Mr.. Howe Of st. J~ohnsbury defended
his proposed amendment, which he said
was simply to secure and FIX q fair and
reasonable rate and then secure a fair and
reasonable service from telephone com
panies. lie denied that the amendment
proposed by him was intended for the
purpose Of killing the bill and asked
what more do the dear people Of Yer
mont want than a reasonable service pro-
vided for IN the proposed amendments.
Mr.. Williams OF Newport criticised the
amendment and favored the bill.
On the question OF the adoption OF the
amendment, the vote was yeas 70, nays
140, and the amendment was lost. Mr..
Thompson Of Arlington moved to dismiss
the bill. Opposed by Mr.. Martin oil
Brookiine, DeBoer of Montpelier, Lock
I lin of Richford and favored by Mr.. Dan
iels Of East Montpelier. The House vot-
ed not to dismiss, II to la. An attempt
/. was then made to secure an Adjournment
until evening that the matter might b
I. further discussed, but the members hac
: listened patiently for more than foul
! hours to the discussion OF this bill anC
= they refused to come back for an evening
session. The bill was ordered to a thirC
7 reading.
The Senate passed the bill relating t.
the salaries Of county clerks and II wen
to the governor for his signature.
z A bill was introduced into the Senati
I by Senator Butler providing hat the st
Adams Messenger company, the Tuttl
company Of Rutland and the Burlington
I Free Press association of Burlington shal
be paid for work done by them for th
= state in 1876 under their several contracts
a fair sum after deducting whatever sum
: have been paid to them ON their con
tracts.
N SENATE TAX BILL SENT BACK.
The House Wednesday repudiated nj
terly the bill which passed the Senate th
previous Friday, providing for the aboI
ton Of all Offsets, a fat rate of five mill
on intangibles and for the creation OF
II taxation commission, on the ground this
the act would be unconstitutional inaI
much a. it is a revenue measure and thu
- such measures must originate in Il
House.
- When the bill was reached, Mr.. Ma
tin OF Essex raised This question n IL
troduced q resolution that the bill be n
= turned to the Senate on that geouni
without action being taken on it by Il
House.
~ Mr.. Fish Of vergennes said that q
though this taxation measure had Ion
been before the joint special commits
on taxation for discussion, the conatiti
tionaIity Of the bill had not been consil
+. cred. II it Is a revenue measure origina
ing in the Senate, il is clearly unconsl
tutionsL. IT has been said the tax on /
tangibies Is q revenue measure because
increases the grand list Of the sever
towns. Mr.. Fish was not SURE what &
= Interpretation Of the supreme court wou
a be on this point. As q lawyer he "
bound to say be is in doubt in regard
the constitutionality of the measure. ]
= said, however, he was willing to risk
discuss the bill on its merits and "
ready to sustain the minority repol
which was that the House pass the bill
concurrence.
Mr.. Martin Of Essex said the merits
the bill were not at present under disc'
sion. II the bill. is unconstitutional,
will be a dead letter when We try to e
force it's provisions upon the Poop
This is a serious question. What 20
ton will We leave the state in if we pi
a law that is not constitutionalf n
Martin quoted from the constitution
the state on this point and argued Il
the bill under consideration is reyen
measure pure and simple.
Mr.. Martin OF Brookline called for |
=