Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-01-29
AWMILLCRINDINC
Adjournment Long Way Off, Some
Predict Session after March Meeting.
Senate Amends Tax Bill

by the Vermont legislature in the past
six days and some of the more pessi-
mistic predict an adjournment for
March meetings. This is not the mind
of the majority however and it is ex-
pected the last of February will see
the close of the 1928 legislature.
The taxation question is receiving
some further attention. The senate
has taken the ''flat rate" bill given
them by the house. made numerous
amendments and passed it by vote
satisfaction over the bill as passed
however and a rocky road lies before
it. 1t has been ordered to lie by the
house and be printed because it is so
full Of amendments and these amend
ments will be considered by the house
later.
One of the am endm ents proposed by
Mr.. Barber provided that tangible
personal property should be considered
a part of the grand list in the raising
of a special tax to meet the expense
caused by flood, conf1agration or any
unusual cont ngency. Mr.. Blanchard
of our county opposed this, believing
that intangible property as we'll should
be taxed at the local rate for such pur-
poses. Mr.. Laird pointed out that the
purpose of the bill was to bring out
intangible property by imposing law
rate, but that if it were to be burdened
as Mr.. Blanchard suggested, it would
not come out. or would be held only by
banks and investment companies and
not by individuals. Mr.. McCuen also
opposed the amendment but the
amendment was adopted. Both Mr..
Blanchard and Mr.. Davis voted against
it.
The bill relating to the sale and dis
tribution of electric energy was again
taken up but Senator Blanchard of
special order as Interstate Commerce
Commissioner Prouty was greatly in
terested in the bill and wished to be
heard.
The house had adopted the constitu.
tional amendment giving the COVER
nor's veto more strength. The house
! bill relative to the spread of certain
| infectious diseases was discussed and no
opposition has appeared, the bill being
discussed with great frankness. The
bill calling for state board of arbitra-
tion and cancellation has been passed
by the house.
Governor Fletcher has granted a re.
prieve until January. 1914, to Arthur
Bosworth. The prisoner was sentenced
to be executed this month. and the
! law provided that an execution cannot
take place until the first of January,
after the adjournment of intervening
session of the legislature, so such a
reprieve was necessary.
The senate has passed bill restor
ing the penalty of capital punishment
to the law instead of giving the matter
of the death penalty into the hands Of
| the jury as in the past two years.
! On Jan. 22 splencid portrait of
Col. Albert Clark, native Of Vermont
man and editor, was unveiled in Rep.
resentatives' hall. Speeches paying
| tribute to him were made.
Gov. Fletcher broke his long silence
regarding appointments of state
officials Thursday afternoon when he
announced the following choices for
the ensuing two years term. For
state bank commissioner, F. c. Will
| liams of Newport; term expires Dec.
81. 1914 For member of the state
board of health. F. 7. Kidder of Wood
stock; term expires Dec. 81, 1918.
For state highway commissioner, c..
w. Gates of Franklin; term expires
Dec. 81, 1914. For board of visitors
to Norwich university, E. H. Edgerton
of Rochester. L. G. Kingsley of Rut-
land, F. J. Butterfield of Derby and
H. w. Bailey Of Rutland; term ex-
pires Dec 81. 1914. When the ap-
pointments were received the Senate
motion of Senator Batchelder the rules
were suspended and the nominations
were unanimously confirmed.
Another proposal for amendment to
the constitution of Vermont has passed
both house and senate and will be
voted upon by the people in 1874 and if
the people vote in favor Q lit the
amendment will become p of the
organic law. This is the. proposal
which calls for the election of state
and county officers in November as
other states now do instead of il
September. There was little opposi
ton.
The house and senate have agreed t.
appropriate So. 600 for the electrocutior
equipment for the death chamber il
i. the state prison at Windsor, substitu
ting electrocution for hanging in Yer
, mont. The law is so amended tina
I the penalty of death shall not tax,
I place until 80 days following adj journ
ment of the legislature. At the pres
: ent time the law is so interpreted t.
mean that the execution cannot tai,
' place until after January l followili,
t the adjournment of session of tn
e legislature, and for that reason som
:. criminals have had to be resentence
e as it will probably have to be done i
d the case of Arthur Bosworth. Tn
e house and senate differed on tn
amount of the appropriation. the ser
8 ate asked for $4,000 and the hous
It 81, 500. and they compromised on So, 00t
: The income tax amendment to tn
y United States constitution was discu!
= sed but has not been disposed Of M
} Cook of Lyndon is chief sponsor fl
IS the amendment.
r. The bill calling for the sterilizatic
4 of imbeciles and criminals was passe
J. by the house last week, only 80 vote
f being cast against the measure Mo-
a of the Orleans county men voted fl
. the measure