Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1911-02-03
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 8, 1911.
THE LEGISLATURE.
What Il Has Done and What IL Has
Not Done.

the best thing it has done is to get
through; for instead of judging each
bill by its merits and treating it accord
ingly, majority of members supported
the expenditure of $150,OOO a year to
build automobile roads; and this whilst
the hand writing on the wall is plainly
enough visible that they have about fin
ished their course upon public roads.
Probably the most important bills
enacted were those connected with
education. First, the Normal school at
Randolph was changed to an agricul-
tural school. Twenty thousand dollars
was appropriated to establish this
school and $40, 900 per year to pay the
running expenses.
A movement was made to build
up a large central normal school at
some city as Rutland and endow it
literally. This it was understood was
pet scheme of the Governor and
would probably have succeeded had not
an evening meeting in the House of
Representatives, which was quite
largely attended, demonstrated that
the normal schools at johnson and
Castleton had not been fairly treated.
AS result the House, and afterwards
the Senate, took the bit in the mouth,
moving to amend the deliberately pre-
pared bill for the establishment of a
central Normal school, by striking out
all after the enacting clause, and insert
ing what contemplated the adoption by
the State of the schools at Castleton
and johnson by purchase of their
buildings and assistance with State
funds. The bill was well drawn, got
at once a two-thirds vote, and was
finally triumphantly passed. The
trade which was made between the
friends of the expensive central school
and the automobile roads for obtain
ing funds, was successful only to the
roads. On the other hand the plebian
schools found themselves in clover,
with future before them as brilliant
as they might choose to make it.
Middlebury College and Burlington
were equally fortunate in obtaining
what they had asked for, and we doubt
not will use the same with good judg-
ment and success.
One of the most exciting episodes in
the Legislature was the contro-
versy between the Boston and Maine
and the Central Vermont or Grand
Trunk railroads, This was direct at
tempt of the Boston and Maine, or per-
haps more accurately, the New York.
New Haven and Hartford, using the
principle of eminent domain, to obtain
the land of the Central Vermont. situ-
ated between Brattleboro and South
Vernon, on which to build a double
track that they said their business
called for. The commandment "Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbours house;
thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
wife, nor his man servant, nor his
maid servant, nor his OK, nor his
ass, nor anything that is his was
apparently forgotten. But as the
public good" was to be subserved
by either, this matter of ownership
seemed fairly decisive. The scheme.
we are sorry to say, was sue
cessfully carried through the House,
the committee of which visited Brattle-
boro and were much influenced by the
reported offer of the Boston and Maine
to expend $3.50, 900 in railroad improve
ments at Brattleboro; but the attempt
came to grief in the Senate, so that the
Boston and Maine retired with only the
eXpensesaof the suit, and certain
amount of experience, for it's labors.
But the most important of all the
bills for the comfort and safety of the
great majority of the people and the
material prosperity of Vermont were
those introduced by Mr.. Battell relating
TO automobiles.
The first was to forbid them using the
HANCOCK pass. This passed the House
by large majority, but was afterwards
killed in the Senate. The result. unless
remedied, is easily loss of million of
dollars to the State of Vermont.
. The following letter sent to the
Senate explains the conditions:
TO THE HONORABLE SENATE:
Whatever regulations are made in
regard to automobiles, it is evident that
they should be excluded from certain
roads.
"ln Switzerland, Norway and Sweden
they are not permitted upon the noun
tain passes, it being recognized that on