News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1911-02-01

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met an untimely death at the hands of
Governor Mead Early in the week a
bill was introduced in the Senate placing
a tax of seven.tenths of one per cent. tax
on all intangibles and exempting them
from all other taxes. The bill passed the
Senate by vote of IT to IL and was
sent to the House. 1t was then decided
that such a bill must originate in the
House of Representatives and the bill was
returned to the Senate. The Ways and
Means Committee then introduced copy
OF the bill in the House as matter of
courtesy without recommendation. The
members were ready for it and although
it lacked the sanction of the Ways and
Means Committee there were many
champions on the floor in its behalf
The bill was passed by a vote of 90 to
ca and it developed that the required
quorum of two-thirds of the members
was not present. A cali of the House re.
suited and a few delinquent members
were brought in and the bill was again
passed by an even larger majority. 1t is
needless to say that JOY reigned supreme
for fe W minutes The bill then went to
the Senate and was passed by safe ma
jority. The opponents of the bill seeing
their favored privileges slipping away
from them then made their last desperate
effort and beseiged the Governor to veto
the bill Be it said in excuse of the Gov.
ernors action that it was after midnight
and that for a week he had been deprived
of rest and that flood of bills had been
pouring in upon him in the closing hours
of the session.
The friends of the bill were largely
farmers and members from the rural
towns and were not equal to the task ci
overcoming the pressure brought to bear
by the bankers and high fnanciers and
their hope became blasted by the veto,
They did however show their resentment
by voting 76 to 60 to pass the measure |
over the veto. This did not constitute a !
constitutional quorum for the purpose !!
and the measure was lost. Thus /, meas |
ure which had three times been passed |
by the House and twice by the Senate |
was lost through fanced grievances din.
ned into the tired ears of the Governor by |
the opponents Of high finance and special |
privilege Thus was the hope OF the rural |
and agricultural interests blasted within !
an hour from the date OF victory. Thus
do the Saving Banks of this state retain !,
their right to exact a toll from the man
who borrows.
The defeat OF this measure in this way
has left its sting in the hearts of men who
care more for the agricultural interests
than they do for the upbuilding of fnan-
cial ccnters, especially when that up I
building is done at the expense of the
agricultural towns. That this veto has |
left sting is shown by the fact that the
best friends Gov. Mead has had in this
Legislature voted to pass the bill over
his veto Of many vetos during The SEES
sion, not until now has a single vote been
cast against them; but now men Il.>
Hatch otStraffOrd, Bronson of Hardwick
Stone of Walingtord and Others who
have fought for the so called adminstra-
ton measures to the last ditch were
willing to go on record as over riding the
veto. Men who were a moment before
almost wild in their JOY that they had at
last Wrenched themselves loose from the
grasp of the Savings Banks were dis
heartened by the blow, a blow which had
fallen upon them because of fear that the
state might lose pittance OF its revenue
"A tacit admission that the man who
bOrrOwS is the man who is today paving
the revenues of this state. This was
in which Gov. Mead might have
~ 4 ii, | .
rank and file of the people. 1t was his
opportunity to mark an epoch i'll the
fight for tax reform and he turned it
down.
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
- All restrictions have been removed as
to the amount of deposits in the savings
banks The 1000 limit has been taken
off and now the sky is the limit.
The usual presents were made all
round the most noticeable being gold s
watches for the Lieut.. Gov, Speaker
Howe, Clerk Plumley. and goodly sums
OF money to the Chaplains.
The closing scenes of the Legislature
showed plainly the strain which has
been upon the members; gray haired men a
actually became boys again as the strain
"ttS iNlISN VI tluH llIblAlSOd III ttll
Of hilarhy, singing, dancing and throw
ng spit balls like school boys. On the |
other hand, when it was announced that j
the tax reform bill had been lost by a q
veto, several strong men sat in their
seats with tears in their eyes.
1t is hard proposition for a man who
S frequently spoken of as our next gov.
,rnor to be member of the House. 1t is '
still harder for him to make political
assets from any of his actions In the +
.wo great fights of the session Mr.. Fetch '
r was found with the majority in the
abroad fight and with the majority in
he intangible tax fight. He stated on f
he floor of the House that he voted for
he Boston and Maine bill because an i'm f
partial committee had spent weeks in an v
and had reported almost
in its favor. On the tax 7
measure his position is of great impor- /
ance to the people, especially when the d
present Governor has vetoed it and the
oming Governor might veto it. In view r
If the interest taken in tax reform by the 8