St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-03-07

COMMISSION
MIR. Amidon Asks Vermont
To Bond For $4,000, 900
For Water Powers
LEGISLATURE AT
HOME TOWN MEETING
Work Badly Behind Previous Records
--R. W. SifnondS VIII Be Conn
missioner OF ind;iStricS-Ad-
miniSsratiOn Bill For Board
of Control Passed

Montpelier, Mar. 3.-The members
Of Legislature have gone to their
homes with the intent OF disposing Of
the March, meeting affairs talking
over their work for the past two
months and returning here next We'd
neSday afternoon to assume another
few weeks work in Legislature. To
say a few weeks is placing the date
of adjournment about April /, per-
haps q little longer than that for
Sec. Guy W. Page, Of the Senate, who
has done q good deal of compiling of
data concerning adjournmc cnts in the
last few years states that the Legisla-
ture is 25 percent behind in its work
over that of two years ago which
would indicate that unless the House
and Senate put OF the high speed that
they will not get home as soon as their
predecessors did two years ago. There
are about the same number OF bills
introduced today as there were two
years ago with about the same num-
ber in prospect and the chances that
cach member Will bring back from
home some now ideas that should in
their opinions be formed into law.
After Wednesday evening bills can
only be introduced by unanimous con-,
sent or through committee but his
tory shows that it is not q difficult
effort to get some so bills into the
House through these methods. In
fact the committees have already
served notice to the House members
that they have several bills in max
ing so it bids fair at least that 425
bills will be acted upon in the House
One of the biggest measures which
has appeared in the House-ca11e along
Saturday morning. Mr.. Amidon Of
Halifax introducing it under the titles
Of an act to create a water power and
conservation commission, to provide
for the developments Of water pow
er by the state and to authorize the
issue of bonds for water power devel-
opments. (Provides for appointment
by the Governor of water power and
conservation commission of three
persons; one to be an experienced
hydraulic and electrical engineer; one
an experienced concrete dam builder,
and one a capable business man.
Commission to investigate location
OIL water DONtIo Ct QlIoCN CicICd oii
the principal streams and ascertain
the amount of such undeveioped pow
err Commission is authorized to dc
velop the water powers OF the state
by building dams, reservoirs, power
plants and transm iSslOn lines. When
ever said commission shall decide 1t is
for a public necessity and convenience
to construct and maintain hydro-clec-
trio plants or construct reservoirs fol
storage purposes, it may acquire land
and fowage rights by purchase OF
right of eminent domain. Committee
to have Office at State House and en-
| ploy necessary assistance; to have q
secretary at $1,000 per year. Mem
bers to receive six dollars per day and
actual expenses away from home
Provides that the commission may
during biennial period commencing
i June 1, 1917, cXpend not exceeding
/ $2,O00,000, and $2,000.000 is hereby
appropriated The state is authorized
to issue bonds for not to exceed 81
| 600, ,000 payable half a million CT
/ July /, 1941. July 1, 1916, July /
/ 1851 and July l, 1856. Ways an(
! Means and Conservation.
A similar bill was introduced in tht
| House four years ago largely through
| the efforts of the late Clark G. Fits
/ but holes were found in that bill an(
/ it did not get far although consider
able efforts was made to pass it. 1
/ on close investigation it is found tha
this bill is Identical with the one O.
| that time then it is safe to say that |
will not reach Governor Graham.
The House Saturday morning, witt
only SO members present, passed {
! bill raising the Secretary of State,
! salary to from $1700 to $1,000 which i!
! following out the plan as advocated
! by Gov. Graham in his message. =
bill which was on Friday killed by th'
/ House was rcconsidered at the re
! quest of Mr.. Sinclair of Essex, through
Mr. Prouty of Newport, and referred
again to committee. This measure
approprates $40,0 for the purchas
OF stone crushers to be used in roat
! construction.
In the Senate the weights and meas
ure department inspectors salary bill
protecting game birds on Joe's Pond
lettering in telephone station ar
among the principal measures passet
Saturday morning while the salar.
bill for game commissioner will 81
/ back to the House reduced from $250'
to $4,000, which will probably be con
cured in.
While Gov. Graham has said ltha
the appointments will be made aftc
the March meeting yet it does not stol
a lot of speculation as to who will b
chosen to fill the new offices. TIL
general opinion prevails that the MAJ
who will occupy the chair of insur
ance commissioner is not among thoS
who have been mentioned III the press
Everybody seems to think that r. Nv
Continued on page three.) u