Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-02-09

game commissioner, if he can find q suit
able man.
The house on Wednesday passed the
light on.vehicles bill with such e&cep-
tions as to make it practically ineffec-
tive. Among the exceptions are farm
machinery, vehicles designed for the
transportation of wood, lumber, stone,
machinery or other heavy freight. The
bill virtually applies only to buggies
and tho complaint is made that among
the exceptions are vehicles which con-
stitute the greatest menace.
The senate passed the Cudworth bill
which takes away from the Governor
the power to appoint to fill vacancy
in the office of United States senator
and provides for a special election.
Brattleboro and Bellows Falls will no
longer be the subject of lengthy publicity
by Boston papers as Gretna Greens if the
Durham bill goes through the senate and
is approved by the Governor with the
speed with which it passed the house on
Thursday. The bill has been amended so
that five days notice of intention to mar
ny must be given by couples who are not
residents of this state; couples within the
state may be married as heretofore
When the bill came up yesterday
Representative T.. w. Aiken of Putney
rushed forth to oppose it, saying that if 1T
could be referred to the people on ref
crendum at the March meeting he was
sure that it would be killed three to one
He said that he hoped he might see heav-
en- and that all members present might do
so, but he believed in every man having
an angel of his own, a little heaven on
earth. Joseph Stearns of Burlington de
Tended the report of the Judiciary commit.
tee on the Durham bill and said he
thought it wrong for Nermonters to strew
roses in the pathway of clipping couples
John d. Candon dealt at length with the
divorce evil and thought that this bill OF
any bill which would reduce that evil
should have the unanimous approval OF
Nerinont's law makers.
G. L&Dnham, Brattleboro's representa-
| tive, in a wel-worded speech, defended
his bill and said that he was sorry that
some of the citizens of bis town had seen
fit to oppose it, but he felt sure that the
leaders throughout the state wanted Yer
mont's marriage law uniform with that
of the other New England states.
| DR.. f. f. Potter, who has been in
the legislature, was interviewed by news
papermen yesterday and also ap'
peared before the house committee on
state institutions and stated in direct
simple manner his attitude on the invest
cation of the Brattleboro Retreat DR.
Potter is the father of Mrs Guilford who
has prompted the resolution calling for ar
Investigation, which was introduced last
week by Mr.. Wilson of Powna DR.. Pot
ter believes that his daughter received
broken jaw while an inmate of the Re
treat and other cuts and bruises He re
ferred to the fact that the institution. paic
$1,000 when he brought suit
Senator Eddy was before the committee
and said that DR.. Iawton had stated that
while an investigation might be iniuriou:
he believed it might be more injurious tc
pass the matter over after such extended
publicity Senator Eddy also asked that
the hearing be held in BrattIeboro so that
the doctors and nurses would not be called
so far away from their duties As the
matter now stands there will be an nves
tigation of the Brattleboro Retreat.
There have been several lively meet.
in9s before committees, perhaps the
most interesting being ON the Hunt bill
to. prohibit the sale Of liquor within five
miles of one Of the higher educational
institutions receiving state aid. This
bill is aimed at Burlington, and was
strongly opposed by Representative,
Stearns and other residents of that
citv.