News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-02-03
FROM THE STATE CAPITOL
M MONTPELIER, Vt, |
Feb. LIST. 1915. !

sunday, between one week DdTu WOI
? and the beginning of another. In Writ
, ally only four working days last wee
l both houses turned off very conside
5 able amount of business, and the outloo
for the week now beginning is promisn
ofequally good results, if not better.
was thought that possibly quorum a
least of the popular branch" might Sc
their way clear to remain and put in
few hours Saturday, but the thought wa
vain one. AS early as Friday noon her
and there a member could be seen wit
his grip headed towards the station, ant
at the afternoonsession hardly a hundred
members of the House were in their seats
Legislatively speaking, it was seen tina
the jig was up for the week, and afte
short sessions of both houses adjourn
ment was had to Monday afternoon a
three o'clock on the part of the Hous'
and 7.3O on the part of the Senate ano
the:bunch vanished in a mad rush for tn,
trains
The Speaker saw early that it was use
less to try to hold the House here into
Saturday, and so contented himself with
urday he would expect every man to be
on his job Very likely, if he can prevent
it, there will be no more adjourning over
| Saturday AS a matter Of fact there was
no serious need of Saturday session
the work being very well cleaned up. II
there had been work enough in sight to
warrant, it very probably the outfit
would have remained and attended to it.
So, the interests of the state have not
suffered at all thus far by any inatten-
ton of the legislature to business.
Barring little difficulty at times in ex-
pressing his thoughts fuently and clearly
Mr.. Weeks is certainly making an excel
lent presiding officer of the House. He
has perfect control of his boys" and is
a big success as the head of large, and
at times disposed to he unruly, school.
Frequently, when too much noise is mani
fest on the floor his gavel will fall with a
slam which at once brings quiet and
order and there is no attempt to stab a
pin into the fellow in front or throw
paper wads when his eye is on them. All
in all Judge Weeks is a strict sticlker for
the "order" which he often calls for, and
a hard working and forceful producer OF
results in the days work.
The largest result of last weeks work
was the putting through under suspen'
sion of the rules Friday of the immense
bill designed to make the statutes har-
monize to date with the recent constitu-
ton, and the work OF preparing it was a
tremendous one By an abridgement OF
the customary procedure the senate dis
posed of it speedily, and under the skillfu |
guidance of chairman Wilson of Chelsea
it went through the House at Fridays
forenoon session. This extraordinary
speed was necessitated by the tact that
the bill must beco ne law to day, the
date on which many official terms begin
Considerable time will likely be devoted
this week to the matter of the acceptance
of the Vail gift-the formulation of and
action on a committee report-the gen.
eral corporation act and the taxation
question. These and lot of other rou-
tine matters, besides the great educa-
tiopal bill and the attempt to agree on
primary law. These are the subjects in
sight for immediate action, but anything
is likely to eventuate. So, there can be
no prediction of the order of business.
Besides these, the lump sum salary bill
comes up tomorrow, and after some
backing and filling is likely ogo through
to the tune of $3.50 for the session To-
morrow there will be hearing on the
bill to compel the heating of street cars,
Wednesday on lighting stations and high
way crossings, and Thursday night a
public hearing will be given by the tenn
perance measures.
Asto bills providing for primary law.
Senator Rob Simonds' bill-the 'edcook"
bill oftwo years ago-will pass the senate,
and the bill of Russell of Kirby, enacting
the present New Hampshire law, will
likely pass the house. Then will come
conference and compromise. 1t may be
accepted that a satisfactory primary
voting bill OF some sort willbecome law
at this session.
The bill of Jones of Shrewsbury to wipe
the Encouragement off the slate will
probably pass the House, but the senti-
ment of majority of the senareis at this
time opposed to such action. The bill to
abolish the law allowing the supreme
court to furnish the governor with opin-
ions will probably pass the House as it
already has the Senate, and the latter
body thinks that if this is done the Gov
ernor should have some source of legal
authority to fall back on.
HearingsIhave been had on the bills to
compel lights on horse-drawn vehicles
travelling at night, and that compelling
creameries to furnish bonds and submit
to other drastic regulations. Both are