Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-02-20
Legislature Should Be Able to
Settle Question This Week
and Adjourn.
OTHERWISE A REFERENDUM
Failure to Do One or Other OF
These Things Will Show a
Lack of Trust in the
People.

Nontpelier. Feb. 17.-Ciovernor FictCh-
er in a special message this evening urged
the Legislature to either come to some
agreement on the taxation question or
refer the matter to the people. The mes
sage is brief and to the point. stating his
opinion that there is no good reason for
prolonsing the session beyond tho present
wecl, ana that 70 the legislature itself
falls to pa S. a tx law and refuses to
submit three cardinal propositions to the
people. It will be tantamount to showing
q lack OF trust IN the people The mes
cage is as follows:
"Montpeller, Feb. II, 1'@.
'sro the Honorable Senate and House OF
Representatives,:
Gentlemen: ! can 500 no valid rea-
son why this Legislature should remain
in session longer than the present week
I trust the Senate and House will report
some agreement on the tax question. But
should this he impossible, | believe 1t to
be your duty TO submit the three car
dinal propositions: First. the adjustment
Of offsets: second, 'he Eat or preferential
IA tc carving with it the abolition OF OIL
sets; third the exemption OF money
loaned within the state al iiv" per cent.
to the people in the form of 3, f'ltr'h-
dun for their final action.
During tho last 10 years croat dcal
of time and money has been expended in
an endeavor 70 settle the tax question
Up to this time no tangible r"sdl has
been produced other than to bring the
issue so squarcly before the pcopl" that
they ought to be able TO determine iust
what change, if any, they wish To make
in our present law. Therefore, II You do
not pass a new law, your failure to sub
nit the propositions YOU have been dis
cussing would be tantamount to show
ing a lack of trust in the people.
"ALLEN NJ FLETCHER. Governor
AS means of eXpcdltns business the
Senate voted on motion of Mr.. Barber.
to repeal rule 20, which requires a hours
to elapsc between the inst ard third
reading of a bill and an nominations by
the Governor.
In the House n bill providing for a
direct state tax of 10 cents, which will
amount to more than $290O0N. was intro
duced by the committee on ways anc
means. Mr.. Martin Of Bennington asked
an explanation of the budget and on hi
motion the committee on ways and mean!
was requested to furnish the House will
Information regarding the expected in
core Of the State from all sources o
the next two years
Mr.. McFeeters introduced n bill IN
the Senate authorizing Burlington t,
issue bonds for the erection of a cit,
hall
Another bill was introduced by Mr.
Chaffee, authorizing the Sullivan
county railroad to construct q lin,
through the towns of Windsor. Hart
lana ana Hartford. This is "A li-mil,
strip between Windsor and Whit.
River Junction which has been {
source of trouble for some time anc
the bill permits construction between
the line of the Central Vermont anC
the connecticut river and as an al
tentative 1t may he decided to con
Btruct part of the line on the New
Hampshire side
The governor has signed the bill
carrying appropriations for the Uni.
versity of Vermont, Middlebury Col.
lege and Norwich University.