The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1911-01-05
BENNINGTON C0tNTN's REPRE-.
sFNT4TIyEs ~ MONTPELIER
4 Go.e-to-Hsnd View b, the Jour.
nai's special Correspondent al
the Capitol.

u
I Us lADoFs on January ~, 1903 u
anetHp likely thar this can be done u
no nsw questions " moment are
Y presented for consideration Ons
of the chief reasons for the extra
ordinarily eng session Of two
I yeafs ago WAS the time spent over
the TAXATION problem and the pre-
sent legislature seems % be dtEir-
Gus OF avoiding. II possible aay
1 extensive inquiry into this con-
I pick matter Indeed the better iH-
Z formed among the membeis realize
/ that am Important ctacg gcs that
might b. mad at lhiH line would
/ be based n'.0n theory alone andthis
was the chief reason for the "as-
sage OF the Law giving the state tax
commissioners additional powers.
Chairman Fletcher Of the ways and
means committee. which drew up
the bin hopes that after the law
has been 10 force couple Of years
Il VIII afford basis upon which
some intelligent changes may be
made Ia the taxation laws Of the
state. While the value OF the re-
! ports OF the various taxation com
missions that have wrestled with
the problem are recognized IL ~
I thought that these commissions
did not have the authority nor the
/ dine 10 collect sufficient data upon
which nn intelligent revision OF the
taxation laws could be made and
any radical change that might be
made at this time is regarded as
step IA the dark SO, while there
Is no lack of theorists who are
ready and willing to advance their
ideas In the shape OF bills, IL Is
likely they will receive scant consid
GRAFTON and that for the next two
years the taxation laws of the stat,
will remain much as they are.
One OF the big problems remain
Ing for solution IL thatof dlreci
primary law. The House committee
on internal affairs. which has
had the bills relating to this mat
ter under consideration, has report
ed what II calls simple bill that
viii 20 far towards supplying the
demand for such a law and still
avoid the complexities OF some OF
the measures proposed Ihis u
another OF the laws the Republican
party Is pledged by IT'S PLATFORM 70
enact, but In view Of the scant at
tention already paid TO party pied.
ges by the Senate this is no assur-
ance that such alaw Will be enacted
The demand for 1t comes mainly
from the larger places In the state
and the members from the smaller
towns are inclined TO look askant
at anything that may disturb then
control of political affairs In theli
respective baliwicks. Neither Is
il expected that the corporation In
fluence that has seemed so strong
in the Senate will look with favor
upon a primary law. Thus far the
efficient lobby that has been main
tained here this session has ap
parently made no move In this DIR
ection. perhaps because Its time has
been pretty fully occupied with 9th
er matters and perhpas because y
ia not considered necessary, II If
pretty certain, however, II there
seems 10 be any show for the en-
actment OF such law the lobby
win be found lined up against II.
Legislation affecting the present
license law Is giving the friends Of
the existing statute considerable
uneaslness. The joint committee
on temperance is regarded as
very uncertain proposition and those
who favor the present law would |
not be surprised II the committee
reported favorably some kind OF |
prohibition measure. Certain II Il
that Sept. Ferguson and believer |
In prohibition have been very az
tive before the committee whllt |
those who favor a license law seem
10 have been proceeding on the
assumption that no radical changes
would be recommended. Whlle u
Is not probable that any prohibition
law could be passed at this session
n favorable recommendation 10 |
such measure would mean muci
harder fight TO defeat II. Tnus
far the most radical change that
has been proposed, at least openly
ia what Is known as the innkeep |
ers license. This will undoubtedly
be reported adversely by the com
mlttee and II It were not II wouic
be opposed on thefloor by MEMBER
favorable to the license law who
fear the effect II might have upoh
the license question In general.
The normal school fight Is moi
over and will not be until the bill
IN establish central normal schoo
Is either passed or defeated. Th'
OF this bill is almost es
sentIal TO the plan worked out y
Gov. Mead and Supt. Stone which
has thus far gone along yery
smoothly. There will be more OF
fight made on this bill, however
and II will require all the influence
the Governor can rally to Its sup
port TO get Il through. Such poo
showing was made at the public
earring. or rather not showing ai
ali that the friends OF the present
normals gained much support Not
a word was uttered In favor OF the
bill although the state superinten
dent OF education was present. lhal
was given some yerl
moments under the
QucHIlOHlNk VI iHtSf EHN IVY I
the bin and his inability or unwiil
jngners 10 reply 10 the accusations
dlsgust,d many who were present
The few admissions he did MAKE
were SO palpably far nom the
,ru,h that IL would have been bette.
had he followed what was apparent
ly his first inclination and staic
away from the hearing altogether
In the present state OF feeling Il
wifi be dffienh TO pass any central
,,ormal school bill that does not
cuptsin Some provision for takipE
care OF the schools at Johnson hnd
Castieton for at least reasonable
time. To do different Il u feii
would be doing grave injustice to
thnse institutions that have done
such good work for the state " th'
nast aud which weregisen 20 believe
by The legislative action Of two
years ago that their existence was
>ssured for some time 10 come u
was the intention to railroad MI
central normal school bill through
,oa follow II up BY bill abolish.
'ng Inc sehools aicastieton ahn
Johnson, but this has been aband
med As Il was clearly seen that u
would not work.
r.