Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-03-19
LEGISLATIVE LETTER
Montpelier, March Is.

air and so far out of sight that we
can't tell whether there is land or
water under us. Along the middle
of the past week a select bunch of
what are known in the language of
the street as wise guys sprung the
happy thought on the outfit that eff
we worked hard" adjournment
might be had somewhere about the
26th! Under all the circumstances,
this was about as impetuous and err
ratio a proposition as could we'll be
conceived of. OF course an adjourn
ment motion is always in order, but
if an adjournment is had at any
date this month the leaders must
simply cry havoc, unloose the dogs of
war and throw out and overheard
whatever happens to be undisposed
of when the specified date arrives.
AS plain matter of fact, not more
thon one-half of the work of the ses-
sion is yet concluded. In fact, nine
tenths of the really important con-
structive legislation is yet ahead.
Two or three measures to which
there was an UNANIMOUS public de-
mand and no opposition have been
worked through, but in view of mas
SEES iahead these don't count. Of
course equal suffrag e was disposed
of in an unexpectedly brief time, as
was the prohibition referendum bill,
but these were only brief beginning
to the lot of measures cut out-in
mind at the beginning of the ses-
sion. In respect to the prospect of
possibility of a fairly speedy final ad-
journment, too,'the general assembly
has to work against the con tinual
habit Of representation and post
ponement. 1t never does anything
to-day if it can possibly be sent over
to tomorrow or last week. Every
time a bill comes up for third read
ing and passage changing the license
number on a dogs collar or allowing
pickerel ten inches long in Foggy
Bottom Pond to be shot with a twelve
bore shotgun, some statesman with
the shining hale of deathless immor-
tally on his brow pulls himself slow
ly to his feet and moves that "the
bill be ordered to lie and made
special order@@for next Thursday at
ten o'clock and thirty minutes!"
Not only this, but bills are recon-
mitted to the committees for further
action, new bills from committees
are continually coming in, and SEEM
ingly for every step in advance that
either House makes it fall back two.
Every little while the gentleman of
and from Proctor will rise in the
vertable semblance of his venerated
ancestor and with a long list of ap-
preparations asked for will issue a
solemn warning as to the future con-
dition of the treasury after SUI attract
ing a half million dollars from twen-
ty thousand and none to carry! Long
and continued groans from the back
seats and audible enquiries as to
whittier are we drifting! A day or
two after Mr.. Proctor will again sit
in grave council with the committee
chairman, resulting in another array
Of staggering figures and-there you
are! When insinuated at the be-
ginning that this legislature was up
in the air, it really didn't begin to
tell the tale. 1t is simply out of
sight.
Doing and then undoing the same
thing stands in the way of making
real Roadway to large extent. AS
an illustration: During the week
just past a considerable amount of
time was spent in the discussion of
an elaborate House bill designed to
obviate or control the depositing of
sawdust and mill refuse in brooks
and streams. Seemingly finally
and in spite of all arguments to the
contrary--the bill was ordered to a
third reading by a good majority.
The next day when it came up for
passage it was killed almost unani-
mously.
A family fight is now on among
the members from Bennington
county as to the proposition to abol-
ish the twin shire system of the
county and instead of making large
and regular tax levies to repair and
keep in order the county buildings
at both Manchester and Bennington
to erect a creditable and permanent
outfit Of buildings at-preferably-
Arlington, as being about the geo.
graphical centre of the county. All
of the members of the House are
favorable to this idea except the
members from Bennington and Man
chseter, naturally, and the member
from Woodford, and it looks as if
something of the kind would GER
tainly be done at this session.
The bill passed by the House add
ing habitual drunkenness to the pres
ent legal causes for divorce was killed
by the Senate, unfortunately, and
the courts will be obliged to continue
to stretch a point by regarding Gin
tolerabIe severity, which it certain
ly is in theory if not in fact.
The boys at the Industrial School
at Vergennes have an unusually fine
band, numbering twenty pieces, and
| attpmnts are heinp made tn secure