St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-01-17
Draft Is Completed By The Military
Committee Of Legislature To
Make Military Service Oblig-
atory
GOVERNOR MAY DRAFT
Bill Is Introduced by MIR. CudWOrtly
of Londonderry Which Aims At
POStpOncmCnt OF the Lice
tions of Superior Court
Judges

w. IL. jeffrey, Special Correspondent
Montpelier, Jan. ia military
committee of the legislature today
completed a draft of bill to provide
for compulsory military service. The
bill would authorize the Governor to
make drafts to fill any company in
the national guard which is below the
quota required by the Federal govern
ment.
The third week of the General AS
sembly has come, and with its arrival,
the members are settling down to
solve the problems that have been,
and are likely to he, presented for
solution.
Several measures carrying features
of Governor Graham'S program have
been presented and discussion is
warming up about the corridors. The
general trend seems to be that it is
bit nervy for the average member
to assume that his judgment on state
/ matters is better than that of the
Governor, who for fourteen years has
had the expenditure of the millions
| of public funds in charge, yet it is
evident that the fight will be a pretty
one when the field is once cleared
for action. 1t is generally conceded.
however. that the Governor will win
the greater part of his program.
In the House this morning Mr.. Cud-
worthy of Londonderry, presented IL
bill providing that the Superior judges
+, elected in 1915 continue to hold office
until such time as their successors
shall be elected by law. This simply
means that, so far as the Superior
/ Judges are concerned they wifi mot
/ come up for election in Thursday of
I this week, as VIII be The case if this
/ bill does not become a law before that
I time. The real purpose OF tho meas-
ure is to hold up the election of these
! judges until the fate of Governor Gra-
hams court reorganization bill has
! been settled.
Wednesday Mr.. Peire Of Williams
1 town, chairman of the House commit
! tee on Commerce and Labo: will in
| troduce u bill entitled AN Act To
! Create The Office OF Commissioner OF
! Industry" This new office viii con-
! soiidate the Offices of Industrial Ac-
cident Board and Factory Inspector
and their duties will fall upon the
! new commissioner. r. w. Simonds
/ of St Johnsbury, is the present head
/ of the Industrial Accident Board. This
| is another section of Governor Gra-
hams legislative program and is GER
/ tain to become law.
/ State officers will be elected by
/ joint assembly next Thursday. Inter-
est centers about the question Of who
will succeed Frank L. Parsons as Ser-
geant-at-Arms. Parsons has made
good, but now rctrcS that he may de-
vote all of his time to his newspaper,
the Northlicld News, which, about the
State House, is called the Battle Axe
Of Freedom" There arc several cam
t didates in the field to succeed Mr.. Par
sons. Dwight Dwincll, present assist
ant in Mr.. Parsons office, William
Poole, who is connected with the office
Of the State Purchasing Agent and
two others whose following is ,fiifii-
cult to locate. The general sentiment
seems to be that the contest haS~SGeD
narrowed down to those mentioned
! with a strong feeling that Dwinell
who has given the state many years of
faithful service in q minor position
4 will be an easy winner.
1t seems apparent that Governor
Graham is not likely to name mii:-
tary staff. He will make details from
necessary.