Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-04-07
LEGISLATURE ADJOURNED
Session One Month Shorter than That
of 1912. Much Important Work
Accomplished.

After an almost all night session
Friday, the legislature adjourned at 10
o'clock Saturday morning. going on
record as having accomplished more
work than any legislature in ten years
in the same length of time. 1t also
showed what there can be done for
state business cleaning-up in 80 days.
Among the. big measures enacted
were, changing the terms of justices
of supreme court and an eugenic
marriage law. which was the big one of
the session.
An appropriation for needed room
at the statehouse went through with
big majority and without any tags
bill accepted defeat although it went
along to the house in company with
prohibition which will be submitted to
the people before becoming law.
A general corporation law is another
of the big acts of the season and the
revision of the statutes, while not
taking any amount of time, is one of
the big measures which will go down
| in history of the state. Attempts were
made along drastic lines to change
court procedure and while some
changes were made, yet in the main
there was but little done. Municipal
courts were given more authority
which, it is claimed. will improve condi-
tions considerably in the court proce-
dure.
The joint special committee to which
was referred the joint resolution to
investigate the necessity of additional
rooms or building have submitted a
report which is briefly-That the lack
of room at present, is a serious inter
| ference with the economical conduct of
the states business. That the Office
of the secretary of state is a room
about Is feet square and it is impossl-
bic to conduct the business of that office
in this room, aside from the secretary.
there are six clerks in that Office and
it has been found necessary to fence Off
part of the hallway to get anywhere
/ near adequate room. That the secre-
tary has no private room or office
whereby he may consult in private
with persons having business with
that department. That the state
| library has all of its available space
filled and thousands of volumes are
stored away in a manner not available.
while the state is receiving thousands
of books and pamphlets that cannot be
hshelved. The remarks appertaining to
| the secretary of states Office apply
equally to the treasurer's office except
there are not so many clerks therein,
| but the room is, if nything, more con-
gested and the treasurer is compelled
to hold consultations in the Railways.
The state auditors Office has three
| clerks beside the auditor in a room
about Is feet square and any person
having private business with the
auditor is conducted to a vault, which
is the only room available. The COM
mittee rooms-there are about IS COM
mittees during session of the legis-
lature and only six or seven rooms are
available for their use. The committee
believe and report that the lack Of
committee rooms is one of the chief
causes of lengthening out the sessions
of the legislature. In the Vermont
Historical society's room, many of the
almost priceless pamphlets are stored
in old shoe boxes and in case of fire
would be forever lost to the state.
The sessions of the supreme court are
held in small room in the west-end
wing which is reflection on the state,
the consultations of the judges being
held in private rooms in the hotels.
The chief storage room. wherein all
valuable records of the auditor are kept
is in the cellar and state papers are
piled in boxes in the middle of the floor.
The committee recommended the
passage of an act authorizing the
appointment by the governor of a
commission for the preparation of
CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR