Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-02-01
MARRIAGE LICENSE
BILL IS OPPOSED
It's Many Supporters at Hearing
Startled by Putney Rep
resentativc.
HE WOULD KILL MEASURE.
several Women Hope II VIII Become
Lhw--iii'l 10 Abolish Primaries
KILLED rs Pro,hccicd.
HE WOULD KILL MEASURE.

Montpolic-, Jan 30-When several min
listers, including the Rev. c. j. Staples
of Burlington. and number of leading
women from Brattlcboro and other places
had concluded their speeches before the
judiciary committee in favor OF the Dun
nam marriage bill. which is designed to
ahonsh tho vermont G-ctna Greens, by
providing for the lapse Of five days be.
tween the issuance of marriage licenses
and the solemnization of the marriage,
ana Just as it looked as if the bill would
nave the smCothcst kind of sailing, Rep
fescntativc Edward w. Aiken of Putncy
exploded bomb in the supporters camp
by declaring that If the bill were submit
ted to The voters by referendum it would
be turned down by larger vote than
was the Ferry law and that its only rea-
son for passage would be to relieve the
nervous strain al town gossips who some
times overlook q marriage under tho
present law Tho representative further
declared that simlnr bills had been twice
killed and that while he should vote
against this one if he was the only man
in the House with the courage to do so
h" would trust in Divine Providence to
Kill tho bill SO dead thai no man wc,d
ever bring it up again.
Mrs. T.. r. Smith of Brattleboro, one
of the previous speakers, then said that
if the men did not bring it up again the
women Of tho state would never rest
until the measure became a law.
The Rev. 6. L. Staples of Burlington
reviewed the history of similar bills which
had been proposed in former Legislatures
and said that this was not hasty meas
urc and read a letter from number of
Burlington and Winooski Clergymen en-
dorsing the bill Mrs. Anna l.. Davis,
social worker, told Of several unfortunate
cases which had occurred under the pres
ent law
Mrs Henry r. Brown, president of the
BrattleborO Womans club, Mrs. i. r.
Smith of Brattleboro. Mrs, r. G. Barber
of Brattleboro, wife of the attorney
general. Mrs II. $ Clark Of Bellows
Falls, Mrs. Louise Is. Smiley of Mont
pelier, tho Rev. J. G.. Stevenson of Lyn-
donvilo, the Rev. +. Q. S. Onsborne of
Brattoboro and Walter Gilbert. city edi-
tor of The Brattleboro Reformer spoke
in favor of the measure. Mrs. Smith
stated that it was crime to be poor
when one was contemplating matrimony,
and thought that 90 days of fasting and
humiliation would better fit one to enter
this marriage state than even the five
days proposed in the Durham bill,
NINE-HOI-R DAY ELL.
Mr. Moore Of Ludlow appeared he
fore the House committee on com
merce and labor to explain his bill
which in the absence of a specific
contract, would make n nine hour
day of labor in mills, factories and
manufacturing establishments. lie dc
clared that the bill actually meant
nothing, would change nothing, and
all that he expected of the law was tc
movement for shorter hours Mr.
Moore even went far TO say thai
he thought it would he unwise for
Vermont to have a compulsory nine
hour law
The employer has merely to stat
to the prospective employe the hour.
of labor in his industry and the law
viii have no effect. In the absence
of such notification the legal nine
hour day viii be observed, declared
Mr.. Moore.
WHY INTRODUCE 1T?
Mr. GrldeY of Windsor, a large employer
of labor, doubted The advisability of put
ting a law on the statute books, which
on the admission Of the man who in
troduced it.. actually meant rothng
Labor present.. it demands, said Mr.
Gridley, aud such things are better ar
ranged by direct negotiation between EN-
ploYe ard employer,
AGAINST LABOR ORGANIZING.
Mr. Moore replied to his observation oN
. SAYING. "a don't want labor III Vernon
to organize and make demands. wan
: 20 meet labor half way aud thus abolisl
the drawing of lines Of war between
capital and labor We have told in GU
l platforms how We loved labor and whol
h..