The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-15
NO MORE OFFSETS
+. NEED APPLY At
MONTPELIER
House will Have Nothing More
to Do With Them
ULTIMATUM GIVEN TODAY
Forenoon Taken Up With Discussion
Of Lengthy Rutland City Char
ter and Amendments.

this morning positively refused to con
slider any bill referring to Offsets by
a vote of 1923 to 81.
The Rutland charter, 1873 pages in
size and with 20 amendments, attach
ed has been disposed of by the house
this afternoon.
The House devoted nearly all yes
terday afternoon to the discussion of
the passage of the public service COM
mission bill which was ordered to a
third reading just before adjourn
ment last evening and finally passed
by vote of 40 to so.
When the bill was reached Mr..
Boyce of Waterbury offered an
amendment which was adopted which
prevents the commission from re-
stricting competition or limiting the
number of persons or companies al
lowed TO engage in the business OF
furnishing lights. heat, power or any
other business subject to the proyis-
ions of the bill.
AIR. Howe of st. Johnsbury wanted
Telephone companies specified in the
amendment as well as light, heat and
power service. The amendment was
satisfactory to Mr.. Barber of Brattle-
boro, the author OF the bill.
Mr.. Leary OF Burlington believed
the amendment along the right line
but he said II would be impossible to
compete unless the commission gave
permission TO corporation to go in
to business.
Mr.. Barber of Brattleboro replied
that there Is nothing in the general
law or in the bill under discussion to
prevent anyone coming to the legisla
ture and getting charter to begin
business.
The amendment prevailed and the
bill was further amended on motion
of Mr.. Barber of Brattleboro so that
it shall take effect April l. 1909.
Mr.. Leary of Burlington then propos
ed an amendment making the salary
OF the public service commissioners
$1,000 annually and necessary eypen-
SEES instead of $4,000 as provided for
in the bill This was an increase Of
$500 per year from what the railroad
| commissioners are now receiving.
Mr.. Barber of Brattleboro and Mr..
Williams of Newport opposed the
amendment. BY a vote of ia to 50
the amendment proposed by Mr.. Leary
was adopted
On the question of the passage of
the bill Mr.. Daniels OF East Montpel-
Ter made a characteristic speech in
which he objected especially TO that
feature of the bill that the commission
shall have jurisdiction and control
over all telephone companies. Mr.,
Daniels offered an amendment strik-
ing out the supervision of telephone
| lines
Mr.. Watson OF st. Adams city OBJ
| jected to this amendment on the
ground that telephone lines are among
the principal things the bill seeks to
put under the control of the public ser
vice commission. Mr.. Daniels was
the only one who voted for his amend
ment.
Mr. Ballou of Chester at this point
after the bill had been discussed for
nearly two hours, moved the previous
question which was demanded and by
yea and nay vote of no to 90 the
House passed the bill.
The Senate passed in concurrence
the bill appropriating $4,000 annually
! for the next two years for the use OF
the state fair commission by yea and
nay vote of Is to s.
| The Senate also passed the House
bill increasing the salary of the gov.
ernor from $500 to $500 and allow
ing him $1,000 annually for the expen-
ses of his staff.
An unexpected debate was sprung in
the House yesterday morning when
the bill exempting soldiers and sailors
of the Civil War or their widows from
taxation to the amount of $1,000 when
they own less than $4,000 worth OF
property was reported to the House
adversely by the judiciary committee
Mr. Bacon of Hartford who introduc'
ed the bill spoke earnestly in its sup
port, as did Mr. Brennan of Fairfield
Mr.. Howe of Bennington thought
that neither the state of Vermont OF
the federal government takes very
good care OF the old soldiers and their
widows. They separate husbands and
wife in order that they may get along
and he was heartily in favor of the
bill MIR. Johnson of Woodstock said
only very few veterans of the Civil
war are left and We can never do toe
much for those that remain.
BY yea and nay vote OF los to Vt
the bill was ordered to third reading