The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-03
LEGISLATIVE COMMENT.
Views of Some of the State Papers on the Work Done
and UndOne By the Legislature
tFrom Montpelier Argus.)

N''~'t "tNtfN f~At~A ~ Ihosl
The man who writes the history Of
the legislature of 1905 should not be-
gin this task this morning with In a
few hours of adjournment If he
does he will see nothing but a series
LOT failures. The legislature has failed
10 pass "a taxation bill, it has failed
to pass trustee process bill and IL
has failed To pass an employers LA
bility act
With these three subjects it was sx-
pected TO do much but therein il has
accomplished absolutely nothing.
1t has been legislature calloused
by abuse, Obliyious to criticism. I'M
affected by praise, unswayed by public
clamor and independent OF thought
and action almost to the extreme.
Spurning the charge of being slant
proved and pumpkin headed" it has
gone about its work and endeavored
to settle in its own good time and its
own good way probably the greatest
number of most important subjects
that ever beset Vermont general as
sembly.
Failure of taxation reform my be
laid to indiscreet generalship and in.
reference outside the committee. I'm
educated by the problems that were
before them in respect to offsets the
house was asked to pass upon a meas
ure about which there were conflict
ing views and many decided opinions
1t is too late now to point out the fact
that had the proper educational pro-
gram been employed the result would
have been different. With the fall of
the adjustment Of offsets two months
ago all hope of taxation reform for
this session was lost, and the gener-
al assembly might as We'll at that time
picked up its playthings and gone
home
Some say the house never had a
lair chance to vote on the tax ques-
ton IN its entirety. Many impossible
amendments We're attached which
llienated members anxious to do some
thing 10 vote against the bill. A
fresh example OF this was clearly dem
onsrated in the closing hours Of the
session
On top Of this default the legisla-
tre has come In for n large slice of
ridicule by increasing its own pay
while in Office. But that matter will
be taken care of by the people at
home in their own way
While il has created commissions il
cannot be said that il has done abso-
utely nothing excepting holding the
longest session--92 days-in the his
tory OF Vermont al The greatest cost
slooO00. az any general assembly I'm
existence in this state lt has done
some good even II it did cost a pile
of money. It's most prominent acts
were the establishment of a public
service commission OF possibly slen-
der power. a bovine tuberculosis law
that Will save the state at least $50
600 a year. the adjustment of the
board OF agriculture and the creation
Of the Office OF commissioner of agri
culture and state forester an automi-
bile law that viii return $4,000 rev
enue TO the state an additional SUI
preme court judge, a return to the ref
cree system, $25, 900 additional appro-
priation to the highways, normal
school commission 10 investigate the
needs Of the state in that direction,
commission to consider the enlarge
ment of the state house, and an anti
toxin law Fish and game legislation
public health and the license law took
up much of the time The act of the
legislature i'm taking from license
towns all fees for liquor licenses has
been characterized as piracy" and
there is considerable question whether
the state viii gain the revenue expect.
ed 10 save the state from "a deficit at
the end Of the biennial term. Al
though criticised as q body the legis
hture had among its number indlv-
idual members Of craftsmanship abil.
ity, although among a body that would
accept no leadership, suspicious of
each other, they were powerless to
make their true value felt. even had
they thought IL worth while.