Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-23

GETS
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Senate Passes Bill Relating t.
Fees of Town Clerks-Sev-
eral New Measures Appear

| buttons of general interest and a dozen or
more bills appeared in the House. while
the senate added its quota of resolutions
and passed S.5, relating to the raising OF
the salary of the town clerks as the
first days work of the third week OF the
general assembly of 1919.
| Among the resolutions which appeared
we're joint resolution by Mr.. Alexander
of st, Adams city. providing for a Joint
assembly on Friday, January "a, at 1870
O'Clock in the morning. when Senator
William p. Dillingham; will be invited to
address the joint assembly. This resolu-
I ton was adopted on the part of the
! House.
! Mr.. Dunklee Of Vernon presented a joint
resolution in the House providing YER
ments representatives at Washington be
requested to use their influence to pre-
vent the expenditure of large sums OF
! money such as are projected, in re-
| claiming arid lands. This resolution was
referred to the committee on federal rela-
lions.
ELECTION OF JUDGES
! joint resolution was introduced in
the Senate by Senator Villas of Chitten-
den, providing that the two houses meet
IN Joint session on Thursday. January g.
in the afternoon, to elect chief justice
and four associate justices of the Su-
preme Court, six superior court judges, a
sergeant -at-arms. an adjutant and in
spector-general and three trustees Of the
| University of Vermont. This resolution
! was adopted on the part of the Senate
and later the House adopted 1t in concur
| renee.
| CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
t4t,,N @I,,tt No r
latng to the appointment OF a commission
20 propose amendments, to the constitu-
ton of the State was read a third time
and adopted on part of the Senate. This
resolution provides: THAT the governor
is hereby directed to appoint on or be-
fore the first of May. 1919. seven citizens
! Of this State who, with the attorney-gen-
eral, shall constitute a commission to
prepare and present to the next session of
the General Assembly proposals OF
amendment to the constitution of YER
mont. This said commission shall receive
no compensation for their services but
shall receive their necessary expenses.
They shall make public their proposals
of amendment with suggestions in sup
port Of the same on or before June J.,
1920"
This resolution was transmitted to the
| House this afternoon and referred to the
committee on judiciary.
FISH AND GAME BILLS
quartet of bills of interest to sports
men were introduced in the House this
morning. They include: H.30. by MT
Tinker of Fletcher. an act relating to the
taking Of trout and making the minimum
length five inches instead of six. also
limiting one days catch to 30 pounds
HIS. by Mr.. O'Dowd of Brunswick an
act to extend the open season for deer
10 days beyond the present limits: H3e
by Mr.. Markham Of Worcester providing
for a closed season on wild deer for two
years. and HIS. also by Mr.. Markham OF
Worcester, providing that when hunting
foxes with dogs, the same regulations
shall prevail which apply to fur-bearing
animals. All four of these bills were re-
ferred to the committee on fish and game
ON FIXING INSURANCE RATES
Among the bills which were introduced
this morning, aso Is one which is likely
to cause quite bit of contention II II
ever comes up for discussion. This is
H.36, by Mr.. Moore of Bennington, per.
uniting the insurance commissioner tC
fix fire insurance rates in certain cases
According to the provisions OF this bill
insurance commissioner who would ther
Fix the rate after a hearing and such rate
would be binding. with a penalty of 500
for each offense of a company in failing
to comply with the rate. This bill went
to the committee on banking and insur.
ancc.
STATE PAY FOR DRAFTEES
Other bills introduced this morning in
cluded:
A bill to provide State pay for drafted
men and women in the military ant
naval service of the United States.
An act relating to the preservation OF
soldiers records by towns and providing
for the keeping of records Of soldiers il
the war with Germany.
An act including the commissioner o.
agriculture in the membership of tn
beard of control.
An act relating to transportation am
board Of pupils, substituting the wor,
may" for the word SHALL" where tn,
act now provides that transportation ant
board shall be furnished pupils living on,
and a half miles from the school.
An act to appropriate a sum not to ex
coed $4,000 to assist the town of Irasbura
in constructing highway from the vii
} lagc of Irasburg to the village of Or
leans.
THE TOWN CLERK BILL
Senate bill No an act relating tc
the salary and fees of town clerks anC
amending Sections 2794, 1904, 3778
27So, 37SS. 7114 and 7642 of the Gen.
eral Laws took up the entire afternoon
session of the Senate. This bill wa:
given Il third reading and Senator Mau.
rice. who introduced it, il explained IL
detail what it would accomplish. He
asked also that the bill be discussed
more fully. on motion of Senator Carr
Of Caledonia, the Senate resolved Itself
|, into committee of the whole, with
Senator Moulton presiding.
The committee reported the adop'
ton of several amendments and recon
; mended that the bill be SO amended
; The amendments were treated as one
and adopted. These amendments gram
: an Increase in fees to town clerks fol
making copies of records and for re-
cording, but cut in half the increase
over the old fees as proposed by the
bill in its original form. The bill al
amended was passed unanimously.
LEGISLATIVE NOTES
Sergt, +. DeForest Bancroft of Mont
pelier who recently received his dis
, charge from the L. S. army at CamI
Meade, began his work to-day as OFF,
cial reporter of the Senate.