The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-11-10
CUTS OFF THE FEES
Senate Passes Bill Stopping
Payment To Justices to
Third Reading
GRAND JURORS INCLUDED

Expenditure of $4,000 For Detective
Service TO BE Investigated by Joint
COmmittee-Senate Confirms i'm Ex-
ecutiye Session Appointments Made
by Governor Mead-WOrk of House.
The Senate Thursday morning pro-
we'd itself amenable to public opin-
ion, when that opinion is brought to
its attention, by ordering to third
reading House bill No. II, which pro-
hibits the payment of fees to justices
for hearing cases in towns where a
States attorney resides The bill was
amendment to prohibit the payment of
fees to town grand jurors also and
there was no more trouble with the
measure.
The committee to whom it had been
recommitted reported in favor of the
passageof the bill as it came from
the House. Senator Powell thought
the amendment in regard to grand
jurors ought to be inserted. He ex-
planned that the Burlington city granG
juror had drawn 81 500 in fees, while
the salary of the States attorney was
only 1500.
Then, too. he said, many petty cases
We're brought for the sake of fees
when the States attorney would ad-
/ wise parties to go home and settle
the dispute among themselves. The
uselessness of trying these cases was
shown by the number of them in
which a nolle prosequi was entered
when they reached county court. The
fact that $4,000 or more would be
saved to the State was a strong ar
gument in favor of the bill and the
Senate ordered it to third reading
without a dissenting voice,
! Another effort at economy was
made Thursday. The Senate adopt
ed a joint resolution providing for
committee of two Senators and three
Representatives to investigate the
need for the expenditure and the man
ner of expenditure of $4,000 for de-
tective service in the last biennial
term. The resolution was sent over
to the House late in the afternoon
and was promptly adopted.
Speaking briefly on the resolution
Amey of Brighton, who has been
States attorney Of Essex county, said
ne was satisfied money had been
wrongly spent. that incompetent and
improper men had been empl yed
and that the money of the State had
been wasted. The expense was not
alone in the payment for detective
service, but in the Development that
followed the employment Of such SER
vice and the trial of cases based on
such work. He believed the State
might save from 100000 to $4,000 a
year by exercising proper control ov-
er that matter.
Dut i, economy controlled in these
two matters it did not when the bill
relating to fur-bcaring animals came
up. Members were willing to spend
the money Of the State to hear them-
selves talk
Woodruff of Burke moved to strike
cut section .. which makes a close
time on foxes and skunks from Sept.
- to Oct -, and in supporting his
motion he grew eloquent, quoting
Scott before he had finished Colonel
Billings Of Woodstock explained that
the committee thought it wise to re-
tain this provision because furs were
worth so much more after the later
date. and the Senate shifted back and
forth for more than an hour and ev-
entually the bill was passed.
The Senate in executive session,
confirmed the appointments sent in by
the Governor on Wednesday, which
were announced exclusively in the
Journal Thursday morning. These
are the appointments;
J. e. Cushman of Burlington, COM
missioner of State taxes.
G. w Gates of Franklin, highway
commissioner
f. C. Williams of Newport, book
commissioner
G. Foster of Putney supervisor
of insane
C. S. Caverly of Rutland, member
of State board of health