Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-02-01

Montpelier, Jan. 2g.-Thc administration
agricultural consolidation bill. f. 20. com
bining the departments of agriculture and
forestry with several other offices under
a commissioner of agriculture. will be
favorably reported to the House to-n,or-
row morning by the unanimous vote of
the agricultural committee. The scaled
vote of the members Of the committee on
the bill was taken las. Friday and when
/ opened this evening was found tn be
unanimously favorable
I One amendment to the bill is in section
s, lines 3S and 49, and changes the word
may to shall in the following SEN
tencc: Said forester the commissioner Of
agriculture) may tshalD appoint a deputy
who shall be a professionally trained for
ester. The amendment also provides that
this appointment must be approved by
the Governor.
The advent of this bill will offer the
first indication as to the success Of the
Governors program with the Legislat ure.
number of public hearings were held
at which the bill was strongly opposed
by the secretary and members Of the
Vermont Timberland association and
others interested in the forestry and lum-
bering interests of the state. Livestock
Commissioner Fred l.. Davis of White
River Junction. while no. openly oppos-
ing the bill. has withheld his approval
of it while Commissioner Of Agriculture
f. S. Brigham of ST. Adams has always
supported the bill
A number of House members have been
open in their statements of disarproval
and Senator w. A. Kicker of st. Johns
bury is said to be at the head of organ
.zed opposition ia tine bill in the Senate.
Just what this will amount to when a
vote is taken remains to he seen.
LIVELY WEEK AHEAD.
| With the bill to repeal the primary
law as a special order for lo:30 o'clock
this morning and the administration bill
creating the office of insurance commits
sioner coming I'D Wednesday morning
! with the Dunton movie bill. the Durham
marriage bill and the Hunt temperance
bill playing the lesser parts this promises
10 be the lveliest week of the entire SEES
sion.
SEN. KENDALL CRITICALLY ILL.
The Senate was informed this evening
by Senator Cady of Windsor that Senator
W. I. Kendall of West Windsor was criti-
cally i'll with pneumonia and. not ex
pected to recover and that Mrs. Kendall
was also very i'll with the same disease
On motion of Senator Cady the Senate
instructed its secretary To- extend to Sen
ator Kendall's family their sincere sym
pathy and the hope that the ailng sen
ator might have a speedy convalescence
Routine business only was transacted in
the Senate. Senator D. c. Hawley Of Chit
tenden presided
JUNKETS IN DISFANOR.
The drastic treatment of joint Hous,
resolution II. empowering the Senate anC
House committees on State institution.
to visit the State Hospital for the In
sane at Waterbury. the retreat at Brat
tleboro. the Industrial school at Yer
gennes and the School for Feeble Minded
at Brandon. which was begun by thu
House committee on State and court tx
penses striking ont all Of the iunket'
except the visit to the State School fo
She Feebe-Minded at Brandon, was com
peted when the House ordered TIT
amended bill to a third reading at thi
afternoons session. Tn" other junket!
originally incorporated in the resolution
have always been customary and the sud
den burst Of economy on the part of thu
committee and the House is somcWha
out of 'ho ordinary. a bill calling for a,
Iappropraton for the school at Brandon
vii, be introduced within a few days 81
tina it is probable that the resolution q
amended will pass. in order that the leg
sa'ors may have first hand informatlcy
rcga riding conditions at tho school.
ANOTHER FAVORABLE REPORT.
The administration bill t. create tn
! office of commissioner of industries AM
to abolish the present Industrial acci
dent board and the office Of factory in
Spector. will be reported faNorablN to
morrow by the commerce and labor com
mittce, with certain stringent amend
ments. |, was foun,l that the bill whicl
was drafted by .hc executive clerk. JOIN
y. Harvey, delegated to an executive OF
ticer a judicial power, in that lines an
of section of the hill gave tho com
missioner power to punish for contempt
, These words We're stricken out and tn
county court. "A Justice of the Suprem
court, or a superior Judge is given poWe
to enforce by proper proceedings the at
Tendance and testimony of witnesses an
III. production and examination az books
papers, records and documents before tn
commissioner and in the case of cor
poration, the provisions Of sections ~
to 2.6 inclusive Of the Public statute