The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-02-11
Tie LaAIalaluha.

AhS otbeloH VI TIC HtuoIdl hobBmOs
ly Of Vermont just closed has been
a remarkable one in certain respects
1t has been the longest and the most
expensive to the state of any on rec
ord. To Offset this, 1t has probably
considered more business, has handl-
ed more measures, important and 9th
erwise, than any of its predecessors.
1t has accomplished much, as the rec
ord will show. Doubtless II has done
some things II ought not to have done
1t has also failed to do some things
it should have done. Until the roll
Is made up and We know from off,
cial quarters the provisions of the
various measures, 1t IS unfair to pro
nounce judgment, either for good or
ill., The record will stand upon the
completed work, not the fragmentary
measures disposed of. At the present
time the outsider has only hazy idea
Of what has been done In all the tur-
moil Of the past several months at
Montpelier. The best he can do now
is to recall a few of the more import
ant acts and consider whether they
have been acted upon wisely.
The most bitter and closely fought
issue Of the session was the attempt
of the Boston & Maine railroad to en-
ter Vermont through Brattleboro by
taking property of its competing line
the Central Vermont, under the right
Of eminent domain; that is, by force
The house stood for the Boston &
Maine and the senate for the Central
I, The two houses could not agree, so
nothing was done-a virtual victory
for the Central, since the rival road
gained no rights. The merits Of the
case are not quite clear, nor are the
facts agreed upon, but 1t would seem
that the senate was not mistaken in
its view that the property of one rail
road should not be handed over to an
other road under such condition as
exist at Brattleboro The active part
taken by railroad agents in promoting
this measure. and some of the meth
DDS used to gain support are regret
able. 1t is certain that the reports,
seemingly well founded, of undue
pressure put upon members, reacted
against the promoters
The legislature virtually abolished
capital punishment by passing the
Amey bill, which gives juries in muir.
der cases the right to qualify their
verdicts. II is very unlikely that q
jury in Vermont will ever take upon
Itself 10 decree the death sentence
when the ordinary penalty is fixed at
life Imprisonment This act, how.
ever, does not apply to the case OF Ell
roy Kent, whom the legislature would
not commute, but whose execution is
postponed by reprieye for another
year.
The happy increase in the appro
priation for permanent highways
amounting to $l50,0OO per year under
the new law. to be matched by an
equal sum voted by the towns, II they
so desire, will give in any event a
working capital that, properly laid
out, should mean a notable better
ment OF our highways. II is so left
that fair proportion Of the amount
will probably be devoted to MAR
thoroughfares. This is wise and pro
gressive legislation.
Teacher training and special in
struction absorbed much attention
superintendent Stone started out
with a radical program and for Z
line the legislature followed his lead
but there came a remarkable turn
about and even the support OF the ad
ministration counted for naugh
thereafter. The net result was the
"a "a klt q hf ~ tnaohn~ trot -,
courses in approved high schools sus
tanned by state aid the translation
OF one OF the state normal schools in
TO an agricultural high school, ant
the permanent establishment of tn,
other two normals as state institu
tons. The outlay OF money called
for by these changes Is very large
Results commensurate Will be de
manded.
The liquor law is left substantial,
as II was. Efforts toward a referen
dun. also to permit women to vote OF
the question OF license, failed. w,
believe this is wise disposition o
the subject for the present.
A very important change In the tax
lation system narrowly escaped &C
complishment The bill framed b.
Tax Commissioner Cushman, provid
ing for a fiat rate Of seven.tenths O
one per cent on intangible persona
property like notes, bonds mortgages
etc. being the same rate that saving
Institutions pay to the state, payabl
to the state. in lieu OF local taxation
the revenues to take the place OF III
state school and state highway taxes
which were to be abolished, passe
both houses but was killed by a lat
hour veto Of the governor. We regre
that this measure could not have ha
earlier and longer consideration. A
Il was Governor Mead acted wisely 1
disappearing II. II can be studio
during the next two years and give
the consideration so important a me,
sure deserves.
Woman suffrage got no distanc
This year. Commonly, one hous
. passes Il up TO the other to kill, bI
this time II was stopped In the frs
| round.
The chief criticism OF the preser
assembly will be its failure to carr
out several OF the important pledg,
n the way Of trustee wage exem
lion, twice promised nothing in III
way OF caucus reform; nothing In n
way OF publicity for campaign expe
ditures. It's employers liability Ia
is weak, probably unconstitution
and unsatisfactory to labor. IL r
jected one OF the most important pr
posals OF amendment to the sta
constitution. The house In all thel