Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-01-20
GOVERNOR TRIUblPHS
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with the Passumpsic Telephone COM
pany all led to what is now known
to have been an exaggerated fear.
The bill at first drawn provided that
no telephone company could start in
business where one company was
already established. 1t also provided
That the companies controlled should
hear all the expense connected with
the commission. This naturally
aroused the ire of all independent
companies and led to such storm of
protest and accusation that Mr.. Bar
Der. the author of the bill, drew up
substitute bill eliminating these objec-
tionable features. The substitute bill
however was so cleverly drawn that
there was still suspicion that the
New England company would have
mi advantage in crushing out competi-
tion from the smaller companies.
The farmers meeting of Wednesday
evening disclosed the fact that the
members would strenuously oppose any
measure tending to stifie competition.
On Thursday morning when the bill
came up for discussion in the house
Mr.. Boyce of Waterbury proposed an
amendment prov iding in effect that
nothing in this bill or in existing
statutes should be so construed as to
give this commission the right to
restrict, prevent or interfere with
competition between the several COM
psnies. Under this amendment to
the bill the independent companies
could offer no serious objection to the
bill itself. All suspicion on the part
of the members was removed when
Mr.. Barber gracefully accepted the
amendment and stated that he wished
the bill to be perfectly fair between
all companies concerned and although
he thought the bill was fair one
without an amendment he was glad
to have all doubt removed. The
amendment was adopted and the bill
passed by almost unanimous vote.
This is the only matter now on which
Gov. Prouty's integrity, honesty and
fairness have been questioned and the
splendid endorsement of last week has
given him clean bill Of health in the
matter. Bear in mind that although
the bill had all the earmarks of New
England Telephone measure. the objec
tionable features were eliminated one
oy one until the bill was made accept
able to the independent companies ant
fair to the public. Thus does i
appear that the governor zeal il
behalf of the measure was prompted
by no other motive than to fulfil hi
political promise to the people Of thu
state. which promise was made ever
before he became a director of thu
Passumpsic Telephone company. Sucl
was the happy ending of a matter tina
had waxed warm. that had become ,
personal fight, and which threatened
to divide q party.
It seems to be pretty we'll settled tina
the only tax reform we are to have al
present will be by way of tax commits
sion. The Offset bill which has beer
siumbering for several weeks is deat
and buried beyond recall. 1t wa
called up on Friday and given its fina
knockout. The names. occupations
and Bradstreet's financial rating of thu
members voting against the bill woult
be very interesting reading, and ma.
find time later to compile these yer.
interesting statistics and supplement
them by a brief abstract of eacl
members tax inventory. With all tn
data before US and all of it a matter O
record it will be very easy to plac'
the responsibility for the failure O
the promised tax reform. The cover
nor has urged tax reform the tax com
mission appointed by Governor Procto
studied the matter two years and repor
unanimously for it. the joint commit