The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-01-25

$500: Rutland, $1,000. One probate
court is abolished.
Tomorrow Representative Stearns
Of Burlington will introduce bill
abolishing the superior court and in.
creaSing the number OF justices on
the supreme court to nine, in con-
formity with the recommendation of
Governor Graham.
Montpelier, Jan 24.-If the demon
stration of opinion displayed in the
public hearing on the Williams bill
to repeal the direct primary is any
criterion the measure viii receive
very short shrift in the House.
At meeting which filed the recep-
tion room tonight only two voices
were raised in behalf of the bill and
against the direct primary. one being
that of Mr. Williams himself, who de-
clared that the law was pretty
thing in theory but in practice abso.
lutely worthless" He was ably as
sisted by Dan ID. Steele of High gate,
who declared that Vermont does not
need primary law any more than /
need pair of wings"
Mr.. Steele called attention to the
expenditure OF s45,3S070 nthe sena-
torial primary and declared that there
were more bosses and politicians in
favor Of the primary than of the old
law.
THE continent in favor of the pri-
mary" he declared, "is manufac-
tured sentiment, manufactured most
ly by the journals
The latter statement caused a
newspaper man to inquire, following
a characteristic speech by Mr. Cook
of Lyndon (House Of 1922, who had
manufactured the sentiment which
Mr.. Cook expressed. Mr.. Steele re.
piled that he believed the speaker had
expressed an honest opinion.
Mr.. Cooks speech. while 1t favor
ed the law declared that the sponsors
thereof had not been honest with the
people and had filed the law with
pitfalls for the purpose of discrediting
1t.
Don't repeal it, amend It," said
Mr.. Cook in closing, which was fol-
iONCu ny iOuu tOhtihbNa oP
plause.
Senator Steele CT Washington
county commended three amendments
to the present law: First. striking out
the provision for affidavits on the
part Of signers of petitions; second
amending the percentage of voters
required to file candidacy; third, re-
quiring voter of one political party
to vote in his own party.
"A democrat should not be permit.
ted to nominate candidate for re-
publican office, or vice versa" said
the senator in closing His speech
was generously applauded.
IL the House accepts the report OF
the committee on suffrage and cleo
tions the town of Barnet will not be
represented in the present Legisla-
ture. Representative Leslie II. Thorn
ton being declared ineligible.
An act to secure the benefits of the
federal aid road act was introduced in
the House this afternoon BY Mr. Per-
kins of Waterbury. Under the feder.
al act Of July II, 1916, which provides
that the United States shall aid the
States in the construction of rural
post roads and for other purposes. the
national government will pay bien-
nially to the State governments sums
starting at $22,5O0 and doubling every
two years for the building of State
highways. providing the State appro-
PIRATES like amount for the work.
The House bill authorizes the State
l. afssI..
action as may be necessary to carry
out the provisions to secure federal
aid.
Dr. D. H. Stone and DR.. c. p. Moat
OF the State laboratory at Burlington
and DR.. c. F. Dalton of Burlington.
secretary OF the State board of health