Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-04-19
LIQUOR LEGISLATION.
summary Of Action Taken By Legisla-
ture on Temperance Question.

summary OF ActhOu IaAen ~ LeBlSia.
ture on Temperance Question.
Superintendent Clifford H. Smith Of
the Vermont Anti-6aloon League makes
the following statement concerning liquor
legislation In the recent session Of the
Vermont Legislature:
The worldwide interest in the temper
ance question was reflected in the ect.=c
Of our Legislature just adjourned, for
about thirty bills were introduced bearing
on the subject in one way or another
Some Of them we're Of little importance
but there were several that were the
occasion Of sharp contest. f..
The first bill introduced in the House
was to repeal the prohibitory referendum
law passed two years ago. II simply pro-
vided for carrying out the expressed will
OF the people and passed without op-
position.
A law was passed regulating the use
OF automobiles, which provides heavy
penalties for a person who operates or
attempts to operate an automobile or
motor vehicle while under tho influence
OF intoxicating liquors or drugs. The
language Of the statute follows the Massa-
chusetts law. and leaves 1t to the courts
to determine the meaning Of being
~ssuSi tIo hhHucuCC VI IIQuOT.
Three laws were passed dealing with
the case of habitual drunkaris One pro-
vides for the Imprisonment of such az
have served sentence three times within
twelve months, a second provides for
their treatment in an institution, and a
third provides detention farms to which
they and other offenders may be com.
mitted.
An amendment to the existing Law
makes 1t unlawful for a physician to pre-.
| scribe moro than half a pint OF alcohol
to habitual drunkard within a period
OF twenty-four hours, and another law
imposes a penalty Of $500 on a person
who drinks liquor as a beverage on q
common carrier.
Several bills were introduced intended
| to prevent the excessive fees received
by the secretaries Of licensing boards 10,
posting the names of those to WHOM
liquor must not be sold. The one which
prevailed put the business of postine
these names in the hands Of the Stat,
tax commissioner. and will save the Stat,
several thousand dollars a year
Three bills were introduced to chang,
| the method Of appointing license com
missioners. the object OF them all bein,
| to separate these appointments from tn
courts. The one adopted makes the Gov
ernor appoint county commissioners VIII
take charge of all the licenses in thei
| counties.
One of the more important bills passe.
| was ono making the license fees a fxe
sum instead of their being left to tn
decision Of the commissioners within Ger
tain limits. This was intended to breal
up the custom In some towns of paymen
to the town treasures Of bonus by tn
licensees As the sums fixed for license
under the new law are higher than thos
usually fixed by the commissioners, the
| Will either lead to a reduction in the mum
Der Of saloons or considerably increas
the amount Of money received by tn
State for licenses.
! The last bill relating to tho slbjec
passed does away with second elias
licenses while the United States is q
war. The law giving tax-paying wome
the vote in town meeting may also b
considered as related to this subject, TO
1t 10 generally conceded that IL larg
numbers Of the women Of the State ava
themselves of their new right. 1t Wi
reduce the number Of license towns
A few minor bills were passed wit
reference to tho management of license
places that are not Of special interest
Several bills were killed that should b
noted. One Of these proposed the divisio
OF license fees between the State and tn
town. Another was for the election &
license commissioners by the town.
The two bills which aroused most In
terest were the so-called Hunt bill, whic
would make a Ave mile dry zone aroun
an institution Of higher learning aide
by the State. and the Morse bill, whic
would have given US a State vote on l
cen.e annually. The Hunt bill was droy
ped after a spirited discussion, but tn
Morse bill passed the Senate by lars
majority and was defeated in the Houe
by the narrow margin of six votes.
Two bills relating to hotels were n
jected. One would give hotels the prefe,
ence in the granting Of licenses. and tn
other attempted to define the rights G
licensed hotel keepers more precisely tina
is done by the present law.