The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-31
CLERKON
SALARY BASIS
They Are to Be Paid Accord
ing to Size Of the Towns,
if the Bill Passes
PAST SENATE, AID
VANCES IN HOUSE
There Was Vigorous Objec-
tion on Ground It Took
Away Town Rights

Town clerks came into their own when
the lower House of the Vermont legis-
ature this morning, advanced to third
reading, after protracted debate, S. 5,
which established a salary for the town
clerk of every town in the state proper
tional to the size of the town. The bill
was passed by the Senate, and was re-
ported fayorably from the House COM
mittee on municipal corporations.
Mr. Ripley of Poultney objected to the
bill on the ground that ii allowed the
state to fix the salary Of the town clerk,
instead of leaving the salary question
to the town itself and proposed an
amendment to the bill, striking out the
whole Of section l..
Mr.. Webster of Swanton, whose com
mittee had reported favorably on the
bill, objected to this amendment on the
grounds that it destroyed the entire
worth Of the bill. He outlined the pur
pose Of the bill and explained the in
Vulnerable duties Of the town clerks of
flee, the responsibilities which he was
forced to take and for which he received
no pay, The speaker eulogized the self
sacrificing spirit of the town clerks of
Vermont, who have accepted this public
office, many times at sacrifice and have
been placed in position where they are
bound hand and foot by the laws Of the
state, required to give bonds, and yet
there has been no direct provision for
their remuneration, and it has been left
with the separate towns to pay as little
as they saw fit.
Mr. Webster pointed out the fact that
the salaries provided for town clerks in
his bill were very conservative, even for
the larger places of the state while, for
the smaller towns, the pay was in pro-
protion It had been left practically
with the town, as ii is, he said, to in
crease the salary as much more as they
saw ft
Mr. Dyer Of Salisbury, Mr.. Sleeper Of
Strafford, and Mr.. Tracy Of johnson also
spoke in favor of the bill in its present
form, and the proposed amendment was
voted down by laundering NO
The House to-day adopted in concur
renee joint resolution regarding ex-
U. S. Senator George f. Edmunds, ex-
tending heartiest greetings and best
" Iauth OH tue ptAdNAUh VI MS HANb. BlIltA-
day Feb. !, 1919. The House also adopt
ed the joint resolution fayoring the es-
tablishment Of league of nations to en-
force peace, over which there was so
much debate Thursday. Another resolu-
tion adopted was that requesting Yer
mont's representatives in Congress TO use
their influence to prevent the expending
by the United States of large sums of
money in reclaiming arid lands. The
resolution was supported by speeches by
Mr.. Dunklee of Vernon and Mr.. Connal
of Newport Town.
The House, during this forenoon ses-
sion, passed nine bills and received eight
new measures, besides referring three
which came from the Senate. Included
in the bills introduced was one 10 the ef-
feet that the commissioner of agriculture
shall appoint dog warden in each coun-
ty and selectmen shall appoint town dog
wardens ten days after March meeting;
and the wardens shall adjudge losses in
sheep through action Of dogs.
The Senate this forenoon passed nine
bills, one of which was to permit town,
city or incorporated village to establish
and maintain wood, coal and fuel yard.
The Senate ordered to lie and be made
a special order for next Tuesday at 2:30
the Senate bill relating to salaries of
county clerks, increasing the salary of
the county clerk Of Chittenden county.
Senator Moulton said the bill raised the
salary of the Chittenden county clerk
S400 a year to bring it up on level with
the salaries paid the clerks of Rutland
and Washington counties, who received
81, 500 a year,
A special order was also made Of the
bill TO regulate the importation Of de.
pendent children into the state. That
bill will be considered Tuesday after
noon at 3 o'clock Still another special
was set for Thursday afternoon at 2
o'clock for the bill regulating the pay of
judges of municipal and city courts. The
bill was reported adversely. Seven bills
were introduced to-day
At the close of the forenoon session
Senator Villas of Chittenden county in
5roduced a resolution, extending to SEN
ator MoultOn, also of Chittenden, the
best wishes of the Senate and its appre-
citation OF his work in that body, the
occasion being the resignation of Sena-
tor Moulton to accept election as the
sixth superior judge, to which place he
was elected recently. The resolution was
adopted by rising vote, accompanied
by appropriate remarks by the presiding
officer Senator Moulton expressed his
appreciation and then moved that the
Senate adjourn until D. m Monday.