The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-02-06
FRANK E. HOWE. Editor and Pub
THE NEW LAWS

The Banner today prints brief
abstract of all the bills enacted into
law by the legislature at its recent
session 1t is the longest and most
important list of laws ever enacted
by the Vermont Legislature at one
session. While not all the things
that could be desired have been
brought about the legislation as a
whole is the most progressive that
has been produced in this state in
more than one generation.
Undoubtedly some plumbers have
been made which will be discovered
later and there are some things which
not all the people will approve but
all legislation is matter OF COM
promise and majority rules in the leg
islature just as it does in town meet
ing and there are few questions that
do not have two sides. Taken as a
whole however, that the record is a
good one will not be denied by any
body familiar with legislation work.
In addition to these nearly 500 bills
Ienacted into law there were nearly as
many more which failed of passage
Some of these took as much or more
time than others which were passed
oh a Il, faIyar Inf Dnncfhnrn-
ton that all of these things had to
be gone over carefully, it is, in our
humble opinion, arrant nonsence to
say that the session took too much
time. Rather one or two weeks more
time should have been taken and the
haste of the last week avoided. So
good and unimpeachable man as
Hon. Justus Dartt of Springfield, who
has had frequent experience in the
legislature beginning thirty-eight years
ago, in 1872 says that there was five
times as much work done as by the
sessions of twenty years ago and
more than double what there was
even ten years ago. With this il
mind not too much stock should be
taken in the criticism of men who
know nothing of legislative work, az
It now is, about the length of the SEES
sion.
Never before was so little time
given to trivial matters, never before
we're there so few foolish bills intro
duced and rarely has there been
session with so little friction between
the members or between the TIVE
houses as at the session just closed
Tho appropriations are consider
able but will bear investigation. Tit
principal new ones are: $4,000 I
year more for roads; $4,000 to hell
found an institution to care for dc
| fective children; $4,000 to try to in
Ilprove our normal schools, $4,000 u
Ilbuild a hospital and other needel
L OullulnsS at Nhe oeoeV AAN"SN' q"
| school. about $4,000 to help poo
| towns with their highways an
| bridges; $4,000 for much needed ac
| ditions at the state insane hospital
| $4,000 for the state fair and $500
| more to aid other agricultural fairs
llsiO.O00 a yead for II teacher trainin
courses to help improve the smalle
| schools Of the state; $4,000 Yea
more for the soldiers home and $3.50
year to aid veterans outside tn
home; $4,000 to establish agriculm
al high school at Randolph; S1SC
! additional for Middlebury colleg
= 1000 per year more to be expende
= Dy state board of agriculture.
A little money has been wasted Il
= things not really necessary but pro
ably as little as at any session Of al
legislature.
We regret a few failures. II
House killed the primary election bI
and the Senate refused to allow Il
state to decide for itself wheather
wanted the time lock taken of q
constitution. The Senate also refu
ed to pass the bills to compel canc
dates to make a sworn statement
expenses and the antilobby bill ate
these bills had passed the Hous
On the whole though we believe Il
state has gotten better service al
more for It's money than from al
previous legislature within the mel
DRY OF the present generation.
II