The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-03-18
BENNINGTON COUNTY'S
REPRESENTATIVES, BUSY
The Journals Special Representative
at Montpelier Writes of Affairs as
He Sees Tthem.

I He Sees Tthem.
J Montpelier, March 1s.--"Final ad
: jouinment on March %" are the word
: emblazed on the standard under which
I the Legislative horde is now fighting
: its way toward the accomplishment o.
the purpose for which il was created
! and its members enrolled, and, indeed
/ il looks as though the task might be
] accomplished by strenuous campaigns
? ing in the very face of the smiles OF
those who are wise as 10 Legislative
! wiles and who see in the suggested
Z slogan only an applying Of the spur
, TO the fanks of the Legislative beast
of burden without real expectation OF
, goading it to speed greater than its
customary gentle trot.
A number of important matters
have been before the Legislature for
action last week, among them being
the question of a new taxation law
in the guise Of bill from the special
committee, and which provided for a
fiat rate on intangibles and a rs per
cent offset. An attempt was made to
amend the bill by striking out the rate
proposition, by going back to the law
substantially as it was before 1912, by
continuing the exemption of five per
cent loans and granting offsets in ad-
dition as proposed by the committee
bill and so forth, but after listening
to the various arguments for the larg-
er part Of day a small majority of
4 the members of the house made up
their minds that they did not want
the bill amended and it was passed
to third reading by a vote Of 109 to
90, only to be killed by larger adj
verse vote of 154 to &C. The fiat
rate ON intangibles proposition is
probably defeated for the session, but
the Offset can not be easily doomed
since dozen bill granting offsets
have been introduced and must still be
reported and acted on.
The Perry prohibition bill providing
for referendum vote at the March
meeting next year and which, if the
referendum is favorable will prevent
the sale Of Intoxicating liquor even for
medicinal purposes, has passed both
houses and been signed by the Gov
ernor. 1t encountered some opposition
in the senate by the friends of the
present local option law, Senator'S
Conant of Orange and Powell and
Shaw of Chittenden being opposed to
its passage, although Senator Powell
voted in favor on the grounds that this
vas the psychological moment for the
friends Of local option to accept the
prohibitionists' challenge and submit I
the matter to the people. The bill was
passed by vote Of 10 to 7, the sena-
tors in opposition being Bascom of
Rutland, Bentley Of Bennington, Blake
of Chittenden, Conant of Orange, La
franchise of Bennington, Roberts of
Rutland and Shaw of Chittenden.
After passing to third reading the
bill which would terminate the Office of
Commissioner of Weights and Meas
ures, Hugh Henry of Chester and
graft it into that Of the Commissioner
of Agriculture the house, after going
into a committee Of the whole to allow
Mr. Henry to explain the method of
his Office and its import
ance to the State reversed it's decision 4
and refused passage of the bill by
vote of 90 to 121 which was de-
manded by Graham of Rockingham.
The matter is by no means settled, {
however, as a joint resolution provid- s
ing that the department shall not ex {
pend more than $4,000 for the two ]
fiscal years ending June 20 1916, has {
been introduced into the house. Com t
missioner Henry stated on hearing Of
his resolution that if he were to have i
,nly $4,000 annually the department q
night just as well be abolished. t
The so-called sawdust bill which j
the pollution Of the waters /
# the State by mill refuse has been t
dismissed. Mr.. Graham Of Rocking p
lam, seemed to strike the key note Of i
he matter when he stated that the b
orcing Of a min owner to pay half
he expense Of installing machinery to I
ispose Of the refuse was a violation Z
Z constitutional rights as it constitut- G
d the taking Of property for a private &
urpose. He also said that the fish b
nd game commissioner was rot the i
roper official 70 direct the industries
I the State on our streams and that 81
was a question Of fish versus such q
ldus tries. IS
Another bill dealing with the ques p
on Of lights On vehicles al night in q
lace Of the one killed by the house "
AS been introduced into the senate. e
Is along the same lines and exempts 70
eavy vehicles from It's provisions, &