The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-03-02
PROVIDES BOARD
TO SELECT JURORS
Definite Steps Taken for an
Improvement in the Yer
mont Courts
CUDWORTH MADE
VERY LUCID SPEECH
Senate Passed in Concurrence Bill to
Establish the Militia Of the State to
Conform to the National Defense Act
Of 1916.
Especial to The Reformer.)
MONTPELIER, March

MONTPELIER, March 3.
The house this morning took definite
steps to give the people better Justice
IN the courts through different class
of Jurors. The bill providing for
board to select jurors in each county
composed of the assistant Judges and
the clerks of the county courts passed
the house. This bill has the unouali
fed support of the Vermont Bar asso-
citation and all those foremost in better.
ing the court conditions.
A. Z. Cudworth of Londonderry, in a
lucid speech, presented all the points
IN favor of the measure. Allen of Yer.
non tried to amend the bill so that the
jurors would be discharged after II
days service, but the amendment was
promptly killed
Amidon of Halifax insisted that to
get better Jurors it would be necessary
to raise the pay. This statement was re-
celved with some little enthusiasm. but
on yea and nay vote the bill passed
with only Is in opposition.
The bill forbidding railroads to trans
act custom brokerage business, which
has received ardent support from
Steele of Highgate, was reported from
the committee on corporations this
morning with recommendations that it
ought not to pass.
| The senate, after some little discus.
sion this morning, passed in concur
renee the military bin establishing the
militia Of the state to conform to the
provisions of the national defense act
lof 1916.
| William Howard Taft, former oresi.
dent, who Is to be in Montpelier March
i : TO address the League to Enforce
Peace, has been invited through a Joint
resolution oH the house and senate to
address the general assembly in Repre-.
sentatives hall ut 445 in the afternoon
of that day.
At the second hearing of the mill
tary affairs committee on the "draf,
bill last evening the opposition came
IN for their inning. The bill gives thc
governor power to draft able bodied
young men in the various towns where
companies of the militia are located t
I'LL any vacancies in those companies
At the first hearing Adjutant Genera
1lllotson, originator of the bill, an(
others, endorsed the measure.
Representative James Lawson, th,
lone Socialist, presented petition
signed b. 31S people opposed to th,
measure and the representatives of th,
American Federation of Labor were o.
hand to condemn the bill and univer
sal military training in general Rev
! w III Vt (fnr1ita1l Of
sented his reasons for asking an unfa
vorable report on the bill, criticise,
the instigators of war and charged til
great dailies as subsidized by the in
terests benefting from war. Whe
asked for proof by newspapermar
Mr.. Garfield was unwilling to argue.
The public hearing on the Morse bi
], providing for referendum on the il
suing of liquor licenses proved a mer
T formality, as the attendance was yer
i small and no opposition was man
: tested
This bill places a third question 0
the ballot at March meetings relatin
to licenses asking if liquor license
shall be granted in the state and if
y majority of the voters in all the towr
vote no, then Vermont becomes bon
dry state or as nearly as is possib
for prohibition territory to be. If tt
i majority vote for licenses then Il
towns which have had a majority f,
license within their borders may ha,
saloons.
1t Senator Melvin G. Morse, the faith
. of the bill, assumed all through h
i speech that it was a foregone concl
N sion that this measure, if written in
le law, would make the state dry /
IS stated that at this time with econom
a changes, necessitating thrift, takil
ar place constantly he believed the legi
as lature would be justified in passing
r out and out temperance measure. I
so denied that this nullified the vo
ut which supported local option Ia
III March meeting because this win mel
t. ly give the people a chance to direct
to express their desire as to dry stat
pc Senator Morse also contended that t
IS liquor question i'll no sense could
Y considered q strict local matter but o
n affecting all the people of the state.
re Rev c. H. Smith of the AntiSalo
e. league, Rev. r. |. Sherburne OF MOI
se pelier and Representative Dwinn
ms spoke in favor of the bill. AT this tn
ed D. Tomasi started his customary laut
ton Of old John Barleyeorn and I
committee Immediately adjourned.