News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-03-31
FROM THE STATE CAPITOL
Closing Days at the Capitol. -Busi-
ness Moving Along Rapidly
MONTPELIER, Vt.,l
March 30, 1915. I
Dear Editor:-

here in the continual uproar and hurly-
burly of legislation and attempts at legis.
lation and the buzzing and plotting and
scheming OF interests for and against
everything on the calendar and lots of
things which can't get there and wouldn't
last long if they could, and on the other
hand the weeks seem long to those who
are anxiously waiting for the time when
home interests and affairs can receive a
little attention, when the grass is spring.
ing fresh and green on the farm and the
steam of the boiling sap clouds the old
camp out in the woods. With the
arrival of the sugar season and the COM
ing of the birds the legislature has be-
come weary of the daily fretful arguing
over picayune trihes and its eyes are fixed
on the great out. of-doors.
In respect to the accomplishment of
many large things the legislature has
very little to show for the week justeuded
but it has kept pegging away at one
thing and another, and has a pretty good
harvest good, bad and indifferent mat
tiers finally threshed out and disposed of.
OF prime Importance in the list of matters
disposed OF were the various regular APP
preparation bills which were taken care
of in the House Tuesday last, but these
aggregating some over million dollars
went through quickly and without de-
bate These were the regular bills for
the carrying on of the state government,
and realizing that the committee has
pared them down to the lowest possible
point the House put them through with
out argument. as a case of must"
The bill appropriation So, 900 each for
the state fair and the various smaller
fairs caused some trouble and finally
went to conference on the disagreeing
votes of the two houses, and throughout
the week the scheme hung by hair. The
conference report finally come into the
House Saturday for action, and by
reason of the appropriation for the state
| fair having been raised from SIS 900 to
$1,000 the House killed the report and
with it the bill, No sooner had it done
this, however, and realized the conse.
quences to all the smaller fairs than it
rescinded its vote and at the last moment
passed it.
One OF the incidents of the week was
the bitter editorial attack made on the
member from Brandon-Mr. Atwcll. we'll
known in Lamoille county-by the Rut-
land Herald. For few hours the gen.
eral indignation of the members indicated
severe action toward the Herald, but
after cooling down little the feeling
subsidized with a resolution of respect and
esteem for the Brandon member. This
was unanimously passed by the House
and copy sent to the Brandon Union
for publication-which that paper. had
the exceeding bad taste to ignore. AS
matter OF fact, MIR. Atwell is an honest, |
effective and esteemed member, fully as |
much credit to his town as his town is to i
him.
AS l write-Monday mornng-nearly |
all the measures of the first consequence |
have either gone clear through or have
passed one house or the other with good |
prospects. The primary bill which passed
the House with its operation in town and |
county politics cut out will go through |
the Senate with an amendment putting
back into the bill and including in its
operation the counties. This will be
splitting the difference with the House
which willundoubtedly accept the amend
ment and let it become a law. In this
form it will cover everything except town
elections. The Senate will retain the ref
erendum provision.
The workmen's compensation law,
which has passed the Senate, has not vet
been brought to the attention of the
House. When it is. the chances are that
the House will kill it as not accomplish
ing the object desired, and yet, it may
permit it to go through in its present in
nocuous form. 1t depends on how it
happens to feel at that moment
The bill apprOpriating $65, 900 for the
purchase and support of a state school
or detected and feeble minded children is
a law with the governors signature.
The bill to add $4,000 to the regular
appropriation for the departments of
agriculture and forestry was later cut
down to $4,000 and with this addition
the bill was passed. This addition is for
the purpose of establishing an agent in
Boston or some other large city to act as
agent for farmers of Vermont in market
ing and selling their products. In this ;
way and by watching the markets every
day the best prices can be obtained and
can be run in at the right [
time and disposed of at the highest mar ,
ket price. 1t will also be great help in
teaching producers the proper methods
of manufacture and production so as to t
obtain the best prices, and also scientific
Instruction as to how to pack aud ship ]
IL