The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-07
NO CHANGE
IN THE LAW
House Kills Attempt TO Tam
per With Local Option
AFTER DEBATE YESTERDAY
The Proposal Was to Have State Ii
cense Commissioner to Appoint
Commissioners in the Various
"Yes' Towns.
AFTER DEBATE YESTERDAY

|
State House, Jan. 7.
II is probable that the license bill
will remain about as it is to-day. The
county option bill was killed some time
ago, and the principal measure outside
Of this was the bill providing for a state
commissioner to appoint commissioners
in towns voting for license. This was
threshed out on the floor OF the House
yesterday and was finally laid over until
this morning, when 1t was dismissed in
just eight minutes without any debate.
The vote was 1872 to 35.
The first thing the House did was
to kill the amendment of Mr.. Howe OF
Bennington, striking ont the section of
the proposed bill that made provision
for the employment of so-callH spot
ters. The motion for dismissal was by
Mr.. Pinney of Bridgewater. Unless the
temperance committee makes further re-
port, it is probable that the law with
reference to the appointment OF commits.
sioners by the assistant judges viii re-
main as II Is.
House bill sos, which allows the right
of eminent domain TO individuals to open
up water powers was taken up, and an
opinion from Attorney General Sargent
submitted by Mr.. Fletcher upon the
queetion of the bills constitutionality.
The bill was ordered to lie until this
afternoon in order that MFR. Howe Of
st. Johnsbury might look over the opin-
ion.
The remainder Of the morning was
taken chewing" over the hunters IL
cense bill, which finally passed in an
amended form, The bill originally called
for 81 license fee for resident hunters
It was amended on Wednesday, making
the fee SO cents instead .of one dollar,
and this morning it was changed so that
resident hunter may get license by
paying the town clerk 10 cents for max
| inQ out the same. Mr.. Bacon Of Hart
fordford favored the amendment as pre-
ssnted by Mr.. Hinsdale Of st. George
strongly, on the ground that the pripci-
pal contention for the passage of the bill
was the Identification Of nonresident
hunters. It was contended on Wednes-
day that non-residents get out of paying
their SIS license fee by stating to the
game warden that they were residents
Of some Vermont town. Another slight
amendment was made by Mr.. Otis of
Sutton so that it will not b. possible
to hunt on posted land
An attempt was made to allow resi-
dents who were not naturalized citizens
to hunt under the provision Of resident
hunters, but Mr.. Howe of Bennington
explained that the bill was aimed to
check foreigners from going into the
woods and shooting everything in sight
including song birds. The amendment
was then withdrawn. According to the
provisions of this bill as it passed, nox-
ious animals can be hunted and shot
without a license. An amendment by
Mr.. Leary providing for permanent
licensa not to be renewed each year
was killed.
1t now seems probable that The legis
Iature will adjourn without making any
agreement as to the amount to be paid
the three printers, which has been
matter Of discussion during the greater
part of the session. The House made
an amendment, it will be remembered,
taking the figures of Printing Commits
sioEer Langley az a basis of settlement.
Tho Senate amended by going back to
the original figures recommended by the
committee on claims, Committees of
conference were appointed and have
agreed to disagree, the House refusing
to change its stand. It win be reported
to the House soon, without question,
that an agreement cannot be reached.
Liquor Bill Discussion.
The greater part Of yesterday after
noon was taken up with the license
bill amendment. Mr.. LoclSlin of
Richford, chairman of the temperance
committee, started off by explaining the
bill as it came from the committee and
said that the present system was eonced- |
ed to be good enough in most sections
but this measure had been taken up to
remove the appointing power farther
from the reach Of undesirable politics.
Mr.. Leary then queried Mr. Locklin, |
asking If it were not true that most |
Of the objection to the present system
of appointment of commissioners lay in
the selection of certain men to be COM |
missioners by the assistant judges. He
then proposed his amendment, striking |
out everything after the enacting section
and inserting four sections which pro-
vida for the appointment of the com
missioners by the assistant judges as
under the present system. but compelling
the appointment of non partisan boards,
in town Of less than 5000 inhabitants,
of three commissioners, one of whom /
shall belong to one of the leading parties,
another to the other leading party and /
the third to any party; in towns of
over 5000 inhabitants five commission
ers, two being members of each of the
two leading parties and the fifth to any
party.
Mr.. Lsary's contention was that with
such board the possibility of allowing
certain men to hold the power and de-
liver the goods would be precluded. BY
making the boards composed Of mem
bers of both parties, it would have a
tendency to further remove the liquor
question from politics and political con
troll through the business. He did not
harshly eritiofzt the assistant Judges,
but said that thnf were human, and he 4
believed they would bend to influence
the same as state license commissioner
would. He pointed out also the problem
a commissioner would Be up against in
anr,oiuffrn com mi SINNERS IN n fn1v11