Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-08-10
RELIEF FOR CUAROSMEN
Gov. Gates to Appoint Commit
tee to Distribute State Aid.
Action Follows Official Conference at
Montpelier aud Precludes Imme-
diate Possibility Of Extra
Session Of Legislature.

The appointment Of committee Of u.
one member from each city or town fur
nishing n company Of men for the Yer
mont National Guard for the purpose of
supervising the relief work for the famil-
les Of the Vermont g,iardsmen now on
the border, was announced Friday
by Governor Charles w. Gates Of Frank
lin. who was registered at the Hotel YER
mont This decision. which precludes at
least for the present any possibility of
an extra session Of the State Legislature,
was arrived at by the Governor after a
conference Friday at Montpelier with
several OF the State officials, including the
lieutenant governor. the secretary OF
state. the state auditor. state treasurer.
the attorney general. Judge J. f. Weeks
Of Middlebury, speaker Of the House Of
Representatives and Stanley c. Wilson Of
Chelsea. chairman Of the ways and
means committee Of the House of Repre-
sentatives. The membership Of the COM
mittee has been practically decided upon
by the Governor but will not be made
public until all Of the appointees have &C
oepted.
Several Of the officials who attended the
for the calling of an extra session to take
care OF the needs of the guardsmen's fam
lilies and the Governor himself stated that
II II had not been for the vacillating
course of the national government an ex-
ira session would have been called. Owing,
however. to the Federalizing of the ma
tional guard and the fact that a bill car
rying two million dollars for the relief of
| 49,
Congress and practically certain Of pas
sage, the appointment of the committee
was deemed the more satisfactory meth
Cd OF caring for this work Colonel Ira
L. Reeves, commander Of the Vermont
troops. had forwarded to the conference
n list of the guardsmen whose families
we're In distress because Of :heir presence
at the border There were about 100 such
cases before the conference and 1t was es-
timated that the cost Of the relief work
would not exceed $1,000.
Colonel Reeves was notified by .ee-
graph OF the action of the Governor, who
felt that the troops should know ut once
that the State appreciates their service
and is willing to do her share towards
helping her patriotic sons. Hitherto cases
whore guardsmen's families have needed
aid have been cared for by local organiza-
tons in the town or city whore the family
might live, but this method has been
found extremely unsatisfactory Each
| member Of the committee will investigate
any case touching a guardsmans family,
! where the husband has enlisted In the
| company from that town. and will distri-
butte the aid. The committee will be made
UP OF one member from Rutland ST AL
bans. St. Johnsbury. Bellows Falls North
| field, Winooski Montpelier, Brattleboro,
Springfield and Newport and two mem
bers from Burlington, where and NJ
companies are located. An additional
member may be named from Mortified,
where the first squadron of the lst cav
airy was originally located, before its
members were transferred to the infan-
| try