Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-12-21
LEGISLATURE RESTS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

were present The Hotel Mems asso-
citation of Vermont was represented by
counsel and made a good showing for
the association, but the results or sue
cess of the innkeepers' efforts remains
in doubt. There is strong feeling
that something might well be done to
encourage the building and maintain
ing of more good hotels in Vermont
and it is possible that some sort of a
license may be granted. It is a safe
bet however that no bill will be passed
which will permit hotel to have a
license without vote of the town. It
anything is done there will probably
be a chance for towns to vote sepa
rately as to whether the town will
grantits hotel a restricted inn keepers
license The gathering of the hotel
men consisted Of such men as Jerome
Hale of Wells River, MIR. Hapgood OF
Newport, Mr.. Rowen Of Barton, Mr.
Healey of ST. Johnsbury, Mr.. Kelley
of Richford and others whose hotels
rank among the best in the state.
Their plea is not for license which
permits them to do liquor business,
but one which permits them to furnish
reasonable and restricted accommOda-
tions to the actual bona fide guests.
On Wednesday evening there was
long and hotly contested hearing on
the granting of charter to the Fiji
teen Mile Power company which pro-
poses to erect several million dollars
plant near Waterford on the Connect
cut River. This is contested by the
Vandyke interests and it is indeed a
refreshing sight to see two great and
powerful interests at war here. 1t is an
unusual thing for great company to
be here asking for the right of eminent
domain as against some poor farmer
whose meadow is about to be flooded,
but in this case it is hard to pick out
the under dog. The Chase and Har-
mon company, who built the great dam
at Brattleboro, wish to erect a similar
plant at Waterford and furnish power
for st. Johnsbury and in fact for the
whole of Northern Vermont. They
estimate that they will produce n, 600
horse power and that every bit of it if
necessary may be used in Northern
Vermont. They also are willing to
come under the power of the Public
Service Commission as to rates and
service. If the charter is granted
. things will brighten up in Northern
D Vermont as they have already in Brat
tlehoro.
The weights and measures bill has
been waited back and forth between
the house and senate several times
this week and has now been passed,
signed by the governor and commits
sion has been elected. The bill went
to the governor in imperfect shape
but the governor signed it upon a
promise that the slight clerical error
would be remediei when the legislature
meets again early in January. The
bill had been in the bands of the gov
= ernor but few hours when it was fol-
| = o.1,,H
joint assembly to elect commission
err. The legislature acted with undue
haste in this matter, as the governor
might we'll have vetoed the bill be-
cause of the apparent defect, but the
governor kindly signed the bill and the
resolution at the same time so that the
legislature could go on with its cleo
ton. Six candidates presented them
selves for the position and four bal
lots were necessary before the winner
q was declared. The lucky man is Hugh
Henry. Jr., Of Chester. MIR. Henry is
at present the executive clerk in the
governors office and it is pretty gen.
orally believed that he would have been
appointed to the position if the ap-
pointment had been left to the govern
OR as was intended in the original BILL
The only difference has been that it
the governor had appointed and his
election has cost the state more than
$1,000. Other candidates for the posi-
ton were Carl Fletcher of SWanton,
&c. E. Hamblet of Barton, A. J. Croft
of Enosburg. Mr.. Mason of Pawlet, a
member of the house and Senator Nor
ton of Chittenden county. EX-Sena-
tor Croft and Mr.. Hambiet both made
good showings considering tn ir handi-
cap. Mr.. Croft ran his campaign by
proxy and Mr.. Hamblet reached here
but q few hours before the election. The
field had been thoroughly canvassed
and while they both polled respectable
votes they were practically out Of the
running. Mr.. Fletcher is a popular
member of the press gang at the state
house but like the Legislature of 1905
the one of 1910 has not much use fol
newspaper men.
T The central normal school bill was
given a public hearing on Wednesday
evening and before the hearing was
over quite bit of dirty linen had beer
hung out 20 dry. The normal schools
were represented in force and The
things they said about present condi
tionS in the department of education
must have had its effect upon the arg,
number of members present. | nav,
been criticised some because reported
that there was a fight On between tn,
the normal schools and superintendent
of education, but | thought at the tins
that was reporting the facts. Nov
we know it. And we may as well re
port now that as far as the norma
schools are concerned the fight is il
the open. There was no gum sho
work about the attitude of the norma
schools last week and their manner in
Gicates that they are after the seal
of the present superintendent of edu
cation. Unless the department of ed
ucation changes it's tactics somebod
will lose their scalp. Everybody els
knew weeks ago that there was
scheme to abolish the present school
q and establish one central school, bu
Mr.. Stone stated at this public hear
ing that he did not know of any sue
pIoe end denied that he know AM thin