St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-10-19
IS WILLING TO SERVE ALL BUT TWOFOR PAGE.
Democrat Presented His Name For
Reelection as United States
Senator Elections Tomorrow

Yesterday the two houses of the
legislature voted for United States
senator to succeed Carroll S. Page.
Howard Shaw of Stowe, a democrat,
presented his name in the house
with the expectation his election
would be made unanimous. He did
get every vote in the senate but in
the house Woodruff of Burke voted
for d. J. Foster and Hunt of New
Haven voted for Charles A. Prouty.
The two houses meet in joint session
today at noon to declare the vote
and Senator Page will address them.
Tomorrow there will be a joint
session to elect the judges of the
supreme and superior courts, a
state superintendent of education and
three trustees of the University of
Vermont. 1t is expected there will
be no opposition to the judges and
Superintendent Mason S. Stone will
be reelected.
The revision committee is now or
ganized and busy and bills are be-
ing introduced faster than last week.
Several important measures have
been presented, among them one
yesterday on weights and measures.
Up to date deer bills have been the
most plenty but as soon as the re-
vision committee can get the more
important bills ready they will be
presented.
Important Bills introduced.
An important bill was introduced
by Mr.. Fletcher of Cayendish COM
bining the departments of agricul-
ture and forestry under one head.
The bill abolishes the present de-
partment of agriculture and provides
for the establishment of new COM
mission of forestry and agriculture,
the members of the board to be ap-
pointed by the governor. The bill
calls for an appropriation of $40, 900
to meet the expenses of the new COM
mission from December /. of the
present year to July 80, 1911. In
future years the appropriations shall
be $4,000 annually divided between
the departments of forestry and agri-
culture as the members of the new
board may direct.
Mr. Miller of Bethel has introduc-
ed a bill prohibiting the marriage of
divorced persons within three years
after the granting of the decree un-
less one of the parties should die
within that period of time.
Mr.. Sternberg OF Stannard has in
1921 of the public statutes. (Pro-
hibits the hunting or taking of deer
between 5 p. m. and a. m. Referred
to joint committee on game and
fisheries.
Mr.. Maun of St. Albans City intro
duced bill to amena section 6231 of
the public statutes relating to fees
of justices of the peace. Prohibits
fees to justices in criminal cases
heard in towns where there is muni-
cipal or city court, unless the Judge
of such court certifies that he was
disqualified or unable to hear said
cause. Referred to the committee on
state and court expenses.
Mr.. Billings of Woodstock intro
duced a bill to amend section GA of
the public statutes relating to the
superintendent of education This
officer to be appointed by the govern
or instead of being elected. Referred
to the committee on education.
An employers liability bill has
been introduced J in the Senate by
Senator Gordon of Washington. The
bill changes what little existing law
the state has on the subject, in sew
era1 important points. 1t abolishes
the fellow servant doctrine and
changes that statute of contributory
negligence, whereby an employe is
now estopped from recovering dam
ages, SO that he may recover in case
of his negligence in the proportion to
which his negligence bears to that of
the employer. The rule of evidence
is changed so that the matter of con-
tributOry negligence and assump-
ton is a matter of defense. The
burden of proof on these points now
rests on the plaintiff.
The present law is changed so that
if an accident occurs which is the re-
suit of the violation by the employer
of any statute providing for the safe
ty of the employe, there can be no
defense of contributory negligence
The amount of recovery in the case
of an accident resulting in death is
placed at $4,000 on the first verdict,
with no limit on the amount of a
second verdict. This was done to dis
courage litigation on appeals.
The bill provides that no action
shall be brought unless within two
years of the time of the accident or
in case of death or mental incapacity
within two years of the appointment
of an administrator. The law is
along the line of the federal statute
and goes to the same extent.
The Farmers Club.
One hundred and fifty farmers met
last week and decided to continue
the Farmers Legislative association.
Of1cers were elected as follows:
President, II. Lee Hatch of Straf-
ford; vice president, DR.. E. A. Bur-
bank of Cabot; secretary, Pearl
Shaw of Stowe, legislative commit