The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-01-26
Legislative Mill Has Not
Yet Begun It's
Grinding
RESULTS EXPECTED
FROM THIS WEEK ON
Only Committee Bills After Next Mon
day-Property Included i'll Proposed
Vail Gift to Be Visited Hearing on
Ware Court Bill.
Especial to The Reformer.)


MONIPELlER, Jan &c.
The second day of the fourth week
of the session opened as usual at 10
o clock this morning. The Vermont
Legislative hopper is now filled to the
brim, but as yet little grist has C.
suited, although the committees are
hard at work and this week s session
is likely to see many important meas
ures disposed of.
At the opening of the morning ses-
sion Speaker Weeks called attention
to rule Al, which provides that no bill
except such as shall be reported By &
Feb. l, except by unanimous consent
A joint resolution was introduced
this morning by Mr.. Smith of Barre
providing for a special committee TO
consist of five senators and 10 repro
sentatives TO investigate the offer IF
Theodore \. Vail OF Lyndon to give
to the state the Lyndon agricultural
school and Speedwell farm. The com
mittee is to visit the school and farm
and report.
A joint resolution providing for IN
vestigation of secret control of news
papers in the state was adopted on the
part of the house today.
The house, having answered the rid
1le ''when is a cord of stove wood
not a eord,' turned its attention this
morning to settling the question IF
''When is gallon of syrup not a gal
lon, - and if Mr.. Putnam of Middle
sex has his way it win be when the
aforesaid gallon does not weigh IL
pounds nd measure 221 cubic inches.
! Mr.. Wilson Of Chelsea has intro
duced an act relating to taxation OF
sleeping, parlor, dining and other ear
companies. 1t amends the act of 1912
by changing it to read " other com
panies instead of similar com
panies.' Mr.. McClarv Of Windsor has
one giving the seleetmen power in Ger
tain cases to lay out temporary roads
Mr.. Caswen of Derby is sponsor for a
tax bill allowing offsets for debts ow-
ing.
There was public ting after
adjournment today to discuss various
salary bills. \ gootly number Of mem
bers were on hand and the discussion
was lively. J. Rolfe Searleo Of st
IJohnsburv, secretary Of the kepubli
can state committee, was present tC
bring to the members attention the
fact that the platform on which they
were elected declared for a lump sal
y.
TO the future of the Republican party
that the pledge be fulfilled and ex
pressed the belief that the people OF
the state would be satisfied with
lump salary of $500. He also pointed
out that the Democratic and Progress
sive platforms also promised a luml
salary. After listening to argument
pro and con Senator Powell, VIII,
thinks the legislature can do its wor'
, in go days although he does not favo
such a legal menace, declared that a
he interpreted it the passage of a bill
: limiting the salary to $500, with pc
Z diem of ST in case the session shoul
/ be less than IS days in length. woul
/ be most likely to meet general accept
. ance. Senator Powell told how, up +
+ a comparatively few years ago. tn
+ legislators completed its work in 4
e to 30 days at a salary of So da
: and turned ont good work. Then cam
e a time when the legislators though
$ they had to settle every minute deta
G of life by legislation and the session
+ began to string out until most e,
o cessive length has been attained II
: was in favor of a $3.50 salary hut w'
4 willing to compromise on $500 If pr
:, vision was made that not moro tha
or 81 was drawn in case the session w;
q shorter than IS days. He said the sta
q. expected economy and the best way
IA convince the state of the legislature
a sincerity would be to begin on Il
- members themselves. Mr.. Ware
Townshend thought 5000 lump 81
was about right. No definite actit
was taken by the committee at th
time.
Very little work was done in t
senate One bill was introduced, thr
n bills were ordered to third readi1
and six house bills were referred.
The house reconvened at 3 p m. "
m terdav with a GOOD attendance a
ell was in session a little over an no,
la The first business transacted was I
lp- administration Of the oath OF Office
nd member of the house TO hyle
/. Brown of Lunenburg. After this cal
M the introduction of about the usl
26. number of bills among them one
it'll MIR. Chalmers of Rutland city relatl
ID to liquor licenses and which wol
ars make the sale of cigars as well
m liquor subject to its provisions.
at The bill recently introduced by
mt Perry of Brattlebofo to enable
viii Brattleboro graded school district
,de issue bonds to the amount OF $25,l
3it ---
/rar+;,,od IN poua \