Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-27

Montpelie!. March 26.-With the Senate
chamber packed this afternoon as it has
not been before this session, the Senate
ordered to a third reading the two barge
terminal measures after an amendment
to IL. 2o7, authorizing the appropria tior
by the State Of $2OO,OCO to construct and
maintain l.: barge terminal had been
adopted providing for referendum on
the whole question of the barge terminal
at the March meeting in the year 1920
the act of this Legislature to go into
effect May l, 1920, if the people of the
State so vote. The amendment was in
troduced by Senator Carr Of Caledonia
county and adopted by vote of 16 to
II. and the bill was then ordered to a
third reading, - to s. The measure now
goes back to the House for concurrent
action.
Those senators voting for third reading
of the bill were: Senators Amey, Bates
Belknap. Billings. Carr. Hall, Hamblet
Hill, Rowland. Jackson. LaFleur. Lewis
Mckilip, Noonan, Payne, Root, Steele
Stuart, Tenney, Tracy. Varnum and
Villas.
Opposed to the measure were: Sena-
tors Adams Ballou, Daniels. Hendee
Kingsley Morgan, Schoff and Taylor
Just previous to the handling or the
| barge terminal measures, the Senate BY
a vote of 10 to II ordered to third read
ing the 'apple bll'' which was killed
in the Senate last week and later recon.
sidered. In a committee of the whole
the measure was defended by Prof. NJ. B
Cummings of the University of Vermont
secretary of the Vermont Horticultural
society, e. H. Halett Of st. Johnsbury
eX-president of the same society, c. l.
Witherell Of Middlebury, and representa-.
tives Aiken of Putney and Buxton OF
Middletown Springs.
DEBATE ON BARGE TERMINAL
The debate on the barge terminal meas
ure was briefer than might have beer
expected, probably because It was gen.
orally understood that the minds of the
senators were made up before they went
into session.
Senator Schoff Of Franklin opeSed the
debate in opposition. He said ne felt he
had no right to drag his constituents into
this thing, without allowing them tc
have anything to say about it. If the
people of Burlington were to have q
referendum on the question as to whether
they would vote $4,000 to aid in the pro-
ject he thought the people of the rest
of the State ought to be allowed the
same privilege, of voting whether they
would tax themselves for the project.
The senator from Franklin, also de-
clared that he thought the terminal
should be handled by private capital, in
which case it might be successful. Other
wise he doubted it's success. Anyhow. he
did not think this the time to go into a
venture of this kind when there was nc
certainty that barges could be obtained
and when Lake ChampIain had not yet
been dredged. He pointed out that, al
though there are now docks at Platts-
burgh and Port Henry, no barges are
landing there and he did not think a ter
minal at Burlington would be able to get
barges to land there any quicker.
II have heard" said Senator Schoff
that the people of Burlington are SO phi
lantrophc that they do not want to take
money from the dear people of the State
and that Is the reason why they are al
lowing the State to build this termina
instead of doing 1t themselves"
M'KILLIP FAvORS BILL
Senator McKillip favored the bill briefly
and said that he thought the senators
had already made up their minds how
they would vote on the question.
Senator Rowland said in favor Of the
| measure, "Those Of us who come here
to-day asking your support for this bill
do not come with our hands behind us
but our palms up. We are not asking
an appropriation but are asking you tc
| consider a strictly business PROPOSE
ton"
The senator from Washington county
outlined the various appropriations which
had been made by the legislature this year
and said that no worthy request had
been refused and he thought the State
was not so poor but that 1t could afford
to continue to support worthy objects
He went on to say that the growth OF
the State had been largely due to COM
mercial enterprises and that Vernon,
on account of lack of commercial ad-
vantages had not been increasing In
population during the last few years as
some other States where the CONNER
cial life was being built up.
Reviewing the benefits Of waterways
| transportation Senator Rowland said
! that the Legislature should act for the
| interests of the State as whole and
not allow sectional feeling to come into
| the matter.
senator Ballou opposed the measure
| lie said that some business investments
! are seasoned while others are pros
poets. The conservative man. he said
will invest in the seasoned stock The
| proposition which is always pointing to
beautiful thiags just ahead is a gamble
| lie placed the barge terminal in this
| class.
The great State of New York may
i hn ahl 10 tabo Oh, To,
| Ballou, but Vermont should better not
| take chances"
1t was at this point that Senator
Carr introduced his amendment for
a referendum In support of 1t he said
| in part:
| I'VE were sent here by our constitu.
L ent6 to leRIRlaia for tha larReat mum