St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-01-13
The legislature.
First Week of POStprandial Session
Results in Death of the Employ
erS Liability Act. Senate Passes
New Tax Measures.

A'SW 4 IA NASaOAt Ne
r. The members of the legislative sessi
.. of 190S9 have returned from their ty
weeks rest and seem disposed to retu
to their work with a determination
a accomplish something before final a
8 journment. The day of final adiour
% ment, however, has not been consider
seriously as yet and cannot be until Il
= utility bill, the tax laws and several fl:
t and game laws have been attended to.
$ The principal event of the week hs
:, been in regard to the tax laws I'll
b large committee appointed a few weel
ago by Speaker Cheney had nothing b.
! fore it in practical working form upo
which they could submit a report to tn
House In order that the matter NIGH
come before them in some form the TIA
commission bill which had been intro
duced in the Senate was reported to tn
Senate for its action thereon. The mat
ter was very ably presented by Senator
Finn for the Joint committee on taxa
ton. This bill which provided for a tax
commission was amended by adding to
it the substance of the House Bill abol-
ishing offsets and the House Bill creating
a five mill tax on intangibles. After
these three bills had been combined in one
the amended bill passed the Senate by an
almost unanimous vote, only four SEN
ators voting against it. The bill as
passed by the Senate was then sent to
the House and was at once referred to
the committee which was appointed by
the Speaker. This committee can now
consider this amended bill and make
such report or recommendations as it
sees fit. The whole matter is before
them in tangible form and the fate of the
promised tax reform is in their hands,
After the offset bill had been killed in the
House many of the members said they
would have voted for it if they had been
assured that the other two bills would
also pass. They did not wish to abolish
offsets unless they knew they were to get
the benefit of the reduced rate of interest
promised by the so-called intangible bill.
II the bills had been combined in one they
would probably have passed the House
at the time the offset bill was killed.
Some of the opponents of the bill claim
the Senate should not have amended
their own bill by taking the subject
matter of House bills; but it must be
that it was the only way
I he bills could be combined. The Senate
had to amend by taking House bills or
the House would have to amend by
taking Senate bill If the three bills
were to be Joined in one, this was the
most logical way of doing it. 1t is
probable the House will amend the bill
in some particulars, and one of the
proposed is that of ex-
GLIDING mortgages from the list of in
tangibles if the mortgage bears more
than five per cent. interest. That is, if a
mortgage bears more than five per cent.
interest it will be taxed at the local tax
rate. If it bears only five per cent. it
will simply pay the small tax of five
mills. Under this law a five per cent.
mortgage will net as much or more than
a six per cent. one under the present law
and the mortgagor will save one per
cent. on his interest rate. The members
say they would vote for the offset bill if
they knew the interest rate would be
reduced. This amendment would guar
antee the reduction.
The hunters license bill has passed the
House after being amended in several
particulars. The Senate passed the bill
some weeks ago providing for license
fee of one dollar. The House amended
it by reducing it to ten cents. The
friends of the bill urged that it was
necessary to have some form of regis
tration for every hunter who goes into
the woods. Non-residents come into the
state to hunt and avoid paving the nom
resident license of SIS, by claiming they
are from other towns in the state. Be-
tore proof to the contrary can be pro-
cured they have finished their hunt and
left the state. They also thought the
hunters ought to pay the expense of
running the fish and game department
The House thought it we'll to have all
hunters registered but did not believe
state revenues should be raised by a tax
on hunters The 10 cents is paid to the
town clerk to defray expenses.
An attempt was made on Thursday to
resurrect the employers liability act.
which was quickly smothered. The vote
killing the bill was decisive, and thus the
party promise was laid away to rest
An act for the protection of physicians
and surgeons has passed both houses.
1t shuts out the "quacks" and allows
Christian Scientists to practice their
faith, provided they do not advertise to
know anything about medicine. The
Senate enjoyed good fight on the bill to
prevent the pollution of the waters of
lake Bomoseen, but the bill was finally
killed.
The committee on corporations has
sent in a substitute bill for the
Barber bill, commonly called the Utility
Bill Some of the most glazing in.
justices in it have been kept out of the
new bill There is strong anti-Ne
England telephone feeling in the House
and every particle Of suspicion will have
to be removed before the bill can pass
1t will probably be fought out Wednes
day.
There was good scrap" Saturda,
forenoon on the question of adjournntt
until Monday evening. A resolutioI,