Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-11-07
IS
BEHIND ON WORK
inexperienced Members Often
Duplicate Measures Passed
Upon at Previous Sessions.

Montpelier. Nov. At Is apparent
to anyone who looks over the legisla-
tive field that the work Of this session
10 behind that Of two or four years
ago. There have been 100 bills intro
ducei in the House and 70 In the Sen
ate, a total OF 260. 80 that in the mat
ter of Introduction alone the General
Assembly Is about n week behind.
or course. the introduction OF bills
Is no real measure Of Legislative nc
conplishment. but every bill that is
introduced must take the usual course
and at the minimum take up n certain
amount Of time OF the committee and
the two houses. Whether or not de-
serving any attention, II must have its
due consideration.
The number of unwise AMI unneces
sary bills introduced at each session
may be due in some measure to TIL,
Vermont system of representation. yet
IT has often been noted that a vas.
number OF such measures is introduced
In the National House. The trouble is
due rather to the fact that 30 large
a number of new members are sent
here at each biennial term. There
are 25 or 30 bills brought in at each
session covering in some manner MAJ d.
tiers that were threshed out and dis
posed of at the previous session. But
the average new member has not fol-
Lowell the course of Legislation in pre-
vious sessions and does not know that
the matter has been passed upon. So
! he joyously presents his bill and II
goes through the usual routine OF re
ference consideration and discussion
and in the end the matter rests where
It was when the new member came 10
| Montpelier
II the desrability of sending experienced
men to the General Assembly could be
realized In the remote towns, the work
Of the Legislature might be greatly ex-
pcd!ted without any statutory enactmen,
or constitutional amendment
The difference between the senate anC
tire flousc thus far illustrates tn,
dosira bilty OF sending experienced men
More than half the members of the Senate
have had legislative experience The work
in that body gees on smoothly because
Tho nlemhcrr understand the routine oi
legislative work and have knowledge o
what has been considered by preytou.
bodies
Rut few state officers remain here fol
1.-THE election tomorrow and hardly ;
member can be seen on the streets. Th'
ballot box in the State House will he
opencd in the morning under the direction
Of tho secretary Of state but the humble
Of votes cas-; appears likely to be les
than usual. Under the act permitting vot
ing at the state House It appears tina
:: oh act hal M hcr nd ,
his home town as we'll
The special act providing for votin'
r at the State House states that nothing
in the act shall interfere with the RICH
of a voter to vote In the town where h
, resides II does not require him to cleo
, whether he will vote In Montpelier o
j., clsew here. While there is n provision l.
, the general law against voting in NOR
than one place and while n broad In
depreciation OF the special statute nigh
prevent 1t. It is the fact that the spcc!a
act. passed for a special purpose an
i. specific time. permits that possibility c
2 double voting.
7 II Is becoming necessary that somethin
, be done for the protection and presel
walton OF the statue of Ethan ALE
on the State House portico. The actio
OF the weather is gradually injurng tha
a nne piece of work. while It's exposure
. vandalism has resulted In some broke
= fingers which have been replaced in a Yer
, ina rtistic manner. 1t has been propose
that some sort OF glass case or coverin
be devised which will protect the statt
while not interfering with anyone's vie
of H. a paraffine coating, 1t is believed
'. | world not be sufficient protection.