Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-01-19
At THE Legislature.
CONTINUED from Page l)


his memory.
In the house Wednesday the act
providing for raising the salary of the
judge of probate in Rutland county
and the act appropriating $4,000 to
complete the new state building were
ordered to third reading. The house
has so bills under consideration and
committees are busily at work.
Among the important bills introduced
in the house Wednesday arc the follow
ing: A bill providing that the listers
shall deduct from appraised value of
real estate of taxpayers an Offset in the
amount of all mortgages against such
cal estate; II 81, providing that licenses
for selling Intoxicating liquors shall not
be issued to persons within five miles
Of an institution of higher learning re-
ceiving state appropriation.
The Judiciary committee has report
ed Cudworth IS bill providing for q
postponement of the election Of superior
Judges and recommends that such cleo
ton for the year 1917 be held on the
third Thursday of February at joint
assembly at $50 in the afternoon. The
terms of judges elected then shall termi-
nate Jan. 81, 1919. Mr.. Wilson of
Pownal introduced n bill amending the
highway law. 1t appropriates one
ourth of the grand list for highway pur-
poses instead Of one-ffth as at present.
Another step in Governor Graham 8
program for recognizing the state gov
crnment was taken Wednesday when Mr..
Prize of Williamstown introduced bill
entitled An Act to Create the Office of
Commissioner of Industries and to
Amend and Repeal Certain Sections
Relating to the Industrial Accident
Board and Factory Inspector. This bill
imposes upon n commissioner of indus
tries the powers and duties of the in
dustrial accident board and the facto-
ry inspector
Under this bill the commissioner Of
industries is required to make investi-
cations to see that the laws pertain
ing to the employment of minors and
women and to the weekly payment of
wages are being complied with.
The lone Socialist, Representative Law
son of Barre town, made the first speech
of the session in the house Tuesday
when he defended the bill providing for
the election of town representatives by
plurality on the first ballot. The commit
tee had reported unfavorably and Mr..
lawson sought the reason why. At the
close of Lawson's speech the house reject
ed the measure.
i When the house met Monday after
noon only about onc-half of the members
were present, but among those were Mr..
Potter of Clarendon and Mr.. Briggs of
Granville, who have been absent from
all previous sessions owing to illness.
In the galleries were many wives Of
the members who have come to partici-
pate in the festivities of ladies' week
in the capital city.
The house read the third time and
passed the bill providing that co-opera-
tive fire insurance companies organized
as county assessment corporations aft
or having insurance in force to the
, amount of 100000 may be authorized
to do business throughout the state.
Another dog bill strayed into the
house and it seems that this is to be
! one of those sessions when everybody s
, dog is hit There will probably be a
dozen bills before the session is over
The bill introduced by Haynes Of Or
ange permits the killing of unattended
dogs, found on lands owned or used fol
sheep raising purposes, between sunsc,
and sunrise. Martin of Winhall also in
troduced a bill providing that if on the
goth day of December the town treas
ury has insufficient funds for paying the
claims for damage to sheep resulting
from dogs, the auditor of accounts shall
draw upon the state treasury for ;
sum to meet the deficit.
Fenton of Rutland fathers bill
which elects license commissioners 70,
license towns at the March meeting
rather than leave it to the assistan,
judges of the county court.
Representative Miller of Westmin
stcr has introduced. by request, q bill
permitting the killing Of wild animals
! or birds which may do or are doing
damage on Il person s land. The bill
! will not be passed and will probably b,
reported unfavorably from the com
mttec.
, A very lengthy bill was brought init
., the house by the gentleman from Swan
ton relating to insurance. Under tn,
= bill if the buildings of the insured ar,
totally destroyed the sum insured shall
:. be taken to be the value of the insured !
. interest therein and if it is partial los
the insured shall receive amount equa
the actual loss, 1t is altogether a radica
bill and would affect the Grange in
surancc companies. = M
In brief session the senate passed
. Senator Peck's bill forbidding rebate
on insurance premiums. 1t allows tn,
= insurance commissioners to subpoen;
. witnesses and send for papers and rec
/ ords in order to enforce this act.
. Senator Steele of Washington count,
introduced Tuesday bill entitle,
An Act to Create the Office of Direc
tor of State Institutions
:; This bill imposes upon the directo