The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-30
BRATTLEBoRo VS.. ST. JoHNsBURy
In the Fight For New Federal Building
Now Going On,

In the Fight For New Federal Building
Now Going On.
Washington, ID. G., Jan. 30.--For long
months previous to last session Congress
was struggling with IAN act to eodify
revise and amend the laws relating to
the judiciary" and only during the late
extra session was it finally enacted in
more or less permanent shape. April
27 last an amendment to this code was
introduced by Senator Dillingham;, read
ing as follows:
HThe state of Vermont shall consti-
tute one judicial district, to be known
as the district of Vermont Terms of
the district court shall be held at Bur-
lington on the fourth Tuesday of Feb
ruary. at Windsor on the third Tues
day in May, at Rutland on the first
| Tuesday in October and at Brattleboro
on the third Tuesday in December. In
each year one of the stated terms of
the district court may, when adjourned,
be adjourned to meet at Montpelier and
one at Newport
This bill passed the Senate July s
last and now has just passed the House.
Previous to it's passage by the House
it was slightly amended so that no
rent could be charged the government
Tor rooms in which 10 hold the court at
Brattleboro, or any incidental expense
be incurred. This amendment was at
once coneurred in by the Senate on mo.
ton of Senator Dillingham;, and the bill
Is now law.
II is proper to expect that this Sec
ton of the code, amended as above, will
have a direct bearing on the completion
of the new government building at Brat
tleboro. The bill TO accomplish this pur-
pose was introduced in the House jan
uary Q Of this year, by Representative
Piumley and reads as follows:
"That to enable the secretary of the
treasury of the United States to erect,
complete and furnish the postofice and
courthouse building at Brattleboro, state
OF Vermont, provided for in existing
legislation, the limit of cost heretofore
fixed by Congress therefore be, and the
same is hereby, increased in and by the
sum OF fifty thousand dollars; and the
secretary OF the treasury is hereby au
thorized to enter into contract for the
erection and completion of said building
within the limit of cost herein estab-
lished."
The Democratic ma iority in the House
is now engaged in fractricidal strug-
gle within its own lines as TO whether
an omnibus public buildings bill shall
be permitted to pass at this session.
The committee on public buildings and
grounds, a committee in some respects
subordinate TO the general appropria-
tions committee, has wholly disregard
ed the mandate of the appropriations
chairman and other leaders who have
issued the ukcase that there shall be
no public buildings bin at this session,
and has voted solidly and unanimously
in favor of reporting such bill. The
Democratic leaders are fighting the
scheme strenuously on the ground of
economy in public expenditures for po-
litieal effect, but as very many members
have vital personal interests involved in
the passage of such a bill it is doubtful
if general political expediency can over
ride the personal interests of the mem
Eers, combined with the material well
fare of their districts.
Therefore, if the wing Of the democ.
racy in the House which advocates an om-
nihus public buildings bill at this ses-
sion wins out, very probably the item
for the completion of the Brattleboro
public building will be included. If not,
the bill is probably lost for this session
Brattleboro, therefore, is interested in
the present Democratic schism in the
House fifty thousand dollars worth. OF
course the money will come in time, in
any event, but time is money in this
matter. As to whether there is to be
such bill or not will probably be de-
eided at the deferred Democratic House
caucus the present week.
A rule procedure in the way of an
"unwrtten law allows only one bill of |
this kind for district in session. and |
a member is exceedingly influential in
the right quarters to secure one for his |
district even then. This fact would |
seem to indefinitely defer any action |
on the bill for a public building at st.
as badly as one is needed /
there. Towns where terms of the dis |
trict court are held are preferred in
the public buildings distribution. and an
for the completion of a
building counts as an original appropria.
ton.