News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-02-10

VIII be sufficiently supported to carry VI
through is doubted. In the matter o
some sort of enlargement of the capito
building to answer the very pressing anc
urgent need OF more room there is an
overwhelming sentiment that something
OF the kind should and must be done at
once, and legislation to that effect is ap'
parently assured. The congested con
dition of the building in respect to lack
OF rooms for committee meetings and ior
t he decent conduct of the states routine
business is generally acknowledged to be
a crying shame. Except for the assumed
moral obligation to repeal the charging
act OF two years ago, as per referendum,
that act would be allowed to stand. As
it is, about the same thing will in all
probability be authorized.
Among those bills of some consequence
whose fates are not yet finally decided
are those providing for an agent in
Boston TO handle the agricultural prod.
ucts of the state, and the bill aboishing
the office OF attorney general, though DO tn
may be disposed of before this is in print
In the matter of locating an agricul
tural agent in some market city to whom
consignments of farm produce might be
shipped. the error of the supporters of
the m, assure was in asking for so large an
appropriation that it shocked the legis-
! lature.
The board of agriculture and forestry
has a presumably permanent fund of
| $4,000 for its purposes. and when it
| to demand ten thousand more for this
experiment it was too much of straw
for the committees back.
AS to the Attorney General, while all
have the utmost respect for the present
incumbent, there is feeling that the ex-
pense does not justify the Office, and that
it is in a large measure unnecessary.
Probably the sentiment of the House is
in favor of aholishing the office, but the
Senate will stick for it, with the excuse
that if the Governor is no longer allowed
to consult the Supreme Court he should
have somebody as legal counsel. Each
bill is now waiting on the other, but
very likely they will come to head this
week.
All the varied and infinite bills to adj
just and revamp and regulate the tax
laws are now being held by the commit
tee, with the later intention of embracing
them-or their main features of value-jn
oue omnibus bill which it is hoped nigh
prove Acceptable. But there are as many |
different minds upon this subject as there
are members, nearly and when such a |
bill is reported look out for bowls of
discord and frantic attempts TO amend" /
Right here may be a good place to
speak OF the result of the bill to provide |
for lump sum" compensation for the
members. There is very general senti-
ment that four dollars per diem is salts.
factory. and the writer will say that if a
member is not worth that to the state be
should be placed in hypnotic trance and
headed up in a barrel till corn planting
time A few obviously are not, but as
whole this is no more than fair and just
compensation. The attempt to rush the
assembly into foreclosing itself into ac-
ceptng a lump sum for the sesson-re-
CARELESS of its length-was a piece of
rank demagoRy which deserved to fail
even more disastrously than it did
The legislature is doing good, honest,
hard work, and it don't want to remain
here an hour after it does the work which
is necessary to be DONE For this service
it will accept four dollars a day, which
IS just and equitable wage. A parallel ,
Ease TO this Plump sum" foolishness
would be tor d farmer to sign an agree
ment to pay a hired man three dollars
per day for NV o months-thuse estimating
the probable length of the sugaring sea- c
son! Or, putting it another way, pledg
ng himself to pay his hired man a lump
um" of thirty dollars for the sugar sea- '
son, be it more or less What do you l
,hink of farmer who would ask that, I
,r a state which would try to force it?
direct primary law is certain to be
some almost impossible
deadlock and thus another platform
pledge will be carried out. The legisla-
ure now has two bills under considera- t
ion, and it is a choice of which. Or, the C
he most satisfactory provisions of each
nay be combined. L
Well, | might continue the story of the
legislature al infnitum, but time and il
pace will no; allow. Come over your
elf and see us! OLD TIMER. h