Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-02-19
LEGISLATIVE LETTER
Montpelier. Feb. Is, 1915

We are yet alive and doing fairly
well, tho with a livelier pulse and
slightly liner eased temperature. AS
the days have passed the water has
at last filled the pond and is now
flowing over the dam, carrying with
it all sorts of floodwood from the ac-
emulation above, fairly good, hope
lessly bad and everything in grade
from No. l to culls. Numbers of
sheep are being separated from the
goats every day, according to the
Judgment of the peoples jury, tho
there is much more than suspicion
that some of the goats are being
saved with the sheep.
Since the presentation of Individual
bills to the revision committee was
automatically stopped by the rule a
week ago the committee found itself
loaded to the muzzle with measures
at the expiration of the time limit,
and has ever since been placing the
finishing touches on them and I'M
unloading batch of them every day
on the two houses. At the close of
business last Saturday night around
twenty more bills yet remained to
be sent in, and these will go in today
and at the beginning of the day s
work tomorrow morning the desks
will be cleared for the first time since
the session began. Thereafter the
committee will handle only commit
tee bills, of which there will be quite
a number, barring possibly a personal
bill that may get in by unanimous
consent. 1t is thought, however,
that these will be few and far be-
tween. AS one objection will knock
them out, there are few who would
dare take the chance of running the
gauntlet. Scatter the present ac-
emulation of individual bills in the
hands of the committee are disposed
of any more legislation will be on
committee bills. Nevertheless, there
are yet large number in the hands
of the various committees, and it
will take some little time to get
these cleaned up.
AS usual, the Senate adjourned
after brief session Friday after
noon-just long enough to pass the
equal suffrage bill-until the GUS
tomary 7.30 Monday evening. The
House held a good number more
than a quorum Saturday forenoon,
and worked off a large quantity of
business. Among this latter was a
bill fixing the compensation of the
clerk of the House and his assist.
ants-the first at $l2 per diem for
the session and the latter at $40 per
day. This looks like large cOmpen.
sation, but when we stop to consider
and realize that the clerk of tie
House is the handspring and motive
power of the whole outfit, with all
} the responsibility for keeping the
wheels moving and for absolutely
correct results, it is far from ex-
cessive. By few raps on his type.
writer or commissions he could plunge
Vermont into chaos for the next
quarter century, from a statutory
point of view, and therefore he is
deservsng of the pay of an expert
and of a thoroughly reliable ofticia
in very large corporation. 1t costs
the state around a thousand dollars
per day to pay the members and $24
per day to keep them busy and make
their labors productive of some
thing. Not so bad. All this by way
of real explanation of the actual re.
lationship of the clerical force to the
House. They are the House, and fol
the time being stands between Yer
mont and anarchy.
No necessity for any more worry
about the official" educational bill
1t is as extinct as the diplodocus, The
dodo or the snow of year ago. L
is as dead as hay, and as far from
t h possibility of resurrection
Another general public hearing will
be had Tuesday evening, but it will
only serve to afford a time and plac,
for eulogizing the late deceased
Whether it will be given forma
burial, or thrown into the backyard
or ignored entirely is not yet decid
ed, but another bill--possibly as
sort of compromise or as a rea
homemade Verm mt products o.
the way and will soon show up.
is asserted by those who shoul
know that this is the real thing a
meeting the states educational NE
cessities at this time, and very likel
it will be put into a form to falrl
satisfy most everybody and final
be enacted. The public hearing o
the Normal school issue-havin
nothing especially to do with tn
! late educational bill-will come Fri
: day evening to discuss the right
: and wrongs of these institutions, an
Johnson and Castleton and all tn
country around about them will b
on hand to look after matters i
i that line.
:. The passage of the equal suffrag
IS bill by the Senate Friday afternoo
L 4 1 i 4 1 L II