Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-11-07
OF LEGISLATIONIS
TOWARD STATE DEVELOPMENT
Many Appropriation Bills and Measures of Pro-
gressive Character Are Found among First
Months Work of General Assembly.

House and another a bit less radical in
In the hands of the revision committee.
Nine measures affecting public service
companies. majority Of which ara
understood to have originated with tho
public service commission, have been
introduced.
Fifteen bills relating TO courts and
procedural changes have been introduced
thus far One of these would allow
amendment of pleadings even in matters
Of substance at any stage of a civil trial.
Another would require a two years in
tcrval between the times when the same
man could sit upon jury. Another Of
these bills provides for "A shift of tho
burden OF proof of contrhutory neei-
tence so that the defendant will be forced
to prove the existence of II.
BILLS AFFECTING LABOR.
An employers liability bill has been
Introduced and "A bill efnbodying the mora
advanced workman's compensation prin.
ciples is said 10 BE- on the way. Among
other legislation beneficial to tho labor.
or are the bills limiting the hours OF labor
for women and children introduced into
the Senate and House by Senator
mower anu MT ffoWltN, anu the law eX-
cmpting wages from trustee process,
which has ALREADY been mentioned. \ bill
providing that no person may be en-
ployed engineer unless he has
served three years as fireman. and that
no person can be employed as a conductor
until he has had three years of service as
a brakeman, is said to be of labor union
origin.
Several bills affecting marriage and
married people have been introduced. Ona
of these OT 35) gives the married woman
the right to convey by her sole deed real
estate conveyed TO her exclusive Of her
husbands marital rights Another OF
these bills. or. 90, requires the posting
Of marriage certificates for at least five
days before license Is issued.
A number Of health bills have been
introduced including one demanding
medical inspection in the schools. Eight
school bills are already in evidence
Fish and game take up so much time
in the session and SO much space in the
bill books that II has often been sug-
gested that a special body Of lawmak-
ers be chosen to devote their whole time
to legislation of this kind. This years
quota of fish and game bills thus far
is 10, but these will be almost If not en-
trely eclipsed by the omnibus bill, the
, codification OF all the game and fish
legislation which the commissioner is
said to have in store for this Legisla-
ture.
LIQUOR LEGISLATION.
Considerable interest is likely to at.
tach 10 liquor legislation. Two important
bills under this head are the Senate
bill changing the present law so that
the license commissioners shall ha APP
! pointed by the boards of civil authority
in the several towns instead of by tho
assistant Judges. and the State option
! bill. 1t is rumored that a bill TO make a
: liquor seller Ineligible for public office
is being prepared. and an inn keepers
license bill. under which hotel keepers
can sell liquor irrespective of the eX-
pressed wishes of the voters. is soon to
be introduced.
Several important bills relating to tho
punishment of crime have been intro
duoed. Only one bill to abolish capital
punishment has thus far been brought
before the Legislature. There have.
however. been three bills introduced TO
substitute electrocution for hanging.
Really advanced legislation for the stert-
lization OF certain criminals and defec-
tives IL soon to be urged
| There are certainly whole departments
of legislation being held IN readiness to
/ be introduced at the opportune moment.
| But If quality OF legislation introduced
counts for anything the record of the
present session has thus far been ex-
I cellent. There have been practically no
freak measures. and Very few trivial and
/ unnecessary ones And while the sub
/ iects proposed have been broad and
exalted. the methods of handling them
have in most cases been practical. Both
/ houses have shown excellent temper and
tho capacity 70 work together both as
individuals and as groups 1t may ue
due to the political shaking up which tht
country has this year undergone. or II
may be the times or simply the merit
of the men themselves. but the fact rc.
mains that from the Governor down thf
| incumbents of the state House bid fan
to establish a new record of efficiency