The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-03-28
PREPAREDNESS
MEASURE FRIDAY
Governors Recommendation
to Be Embodied in Bill
Due Then
TIME WASTED ON
MARRIAGE QUESTION
Aiken Makes Long Minority Report
from Conference Committee - I'm
portant Bill Creating Charities Board
Passed by Senate.
Especial to The Reformer. J
MONTPELIER, VI, March ?


MONTPELIER, VT, March 2S.
Preparedness legislation recommended
by Governor Graham did not appear in
either house this morning as had been an
ticlpated, but it was learned that a bill
carrying out the Governors ideas will be
drafted Friday after the committee on
public safety have held the meeting
which was called by the executive COM
mittee of that body
For more than an hour this morning
legislation IL the house was obstructed
and time squandcred by L. W. Aiken Of
Putney, the great opponent of the Dun
ham marriage bill, Mr. Aiken presented
a minority report of the committee on
conference which has been considering
the senate amendment to the Durham
bill
The senate passed the administration
bill merging the department of weights
and measures with the state treasurer s
office. Perhaps the most important thing
tins morning was the passage BY the sen
ate OF Senator proctor's bill creating a
state board of charities and probation
| This board consists of five members an
pointed by the Governor to serve with
out compensation and to have an execu-
tive secretary who shall devote all his
time to the work of the board and shall
| also be state probation officer. This
measure provides that no orphan children
shall be maintained in poor houses and
| that the commission shall have authority
| to inspect all homes and institutions
/ where poor children are kept In short
| 1t places in the hands of this commission
| full supervision of the poor and delin-
quent children Of the state
The Dunham marriage bill. as amend
/ ed, making the fiye-day restriction apply
to non residents, passed the house tins
afternoon and now goes to the governor
| Tor his signature. Mr. Moore OF Ludlow
moved reconsideration, but on a call for a
yea and nay vote the report of the con.
terence committee was adopted 100 to IS
There was quick, crashing burst OF
| applause and 800 flags waved as Gov
Horace +. Graham finished his emar
| gency war message TO the Joint assem-
bly, of Vermont yesterday afternoon.
| Karl Forsell, trumpeter, stood behind
the clock in the gallery and with cor
net pointed toward the gilded dome
played the deathless, moving strains OF
| Ihe Star Spangled Banner.
| Five hundred people packed the hal
| OF representatives. and stood rcverent
| ly as the clarion call of patriotism
rang out, then, almost as one, sos
voices joined thrillingiy in singing
| America.
1t was q big climax to big days
day that may mark history in Vermont
and the nation. FittingIy, too, came
the solemn invocation, My Country
'Tis Of Thee, because the concluding
words of Gov. Graham S message were
these:
''Our countryl May she always be
III the right; but, right or wrong, oul
country
The floor and galleries of the hal
were packed when Senator Hawiey and
Representatives Bryant of Lincoln anC
Austin OF Reading presented the gov
eTAor of Vermont. 1t was with diff
Guilty that the doorkcepers kept al
avenue clear for the chief executive.
The spectacle was impressive, aac
the many flags were still as member.
and spectators stood respectfully, vet
erans at attention, young men expec
tant, every one keyed to the tension
Of the moment. Then, as the governor
took the rostrum, thousand hand
acclaimed him and the assemblage lis
tened for the words that called for {
state credit of sl,0OO,0O0 for Yer
mont 5 part in the pending conflict.
The flags We're the gift of Repre-
sentative George L. Dunham Of Brat
tleboro
The house committee on education
today introduced bill which will pu
the two state schools of agriculture
under the supervision of the state com
missioner of education. The commits
sloner of agriculture at present di
rects the schools but since his dutie
have been so increased through th
consolidation it is taken as prope
time to transfer the duties to the edu
cational department.