The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-18
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
LASTED HALE a MINUTE
Speaker Dana Did Not Wait for Ques-
tion of Quorum Yesterday After
noon--0ther State House
News Summarized.

noon--Uther State house
News Summarized.
The shortest session of the presep'
legislature occurred Friday afterDo : c.
and probably one of the shortest NV
history of the general assembly, wHen
minute. Speaker Dana called the House
to order at o'clock, and the adjourn
ment was all completed, upon motion of
Mr.. Austin of Weybridge, half minute
afterward. There were less than so mem
bers in the House when the action took
place. Speaker Dana made the decision
fast enough so that it was impossible
for anyone to raise the question of
quorum, which might have complicated
matters.
Gov. p. w. Clement will have to APP
point the five justices of the peace in
the town of Waterville The joint as
,sembly started to elect them Friday aft
ernoon, when Senator M. p. Maurice
called attention to the fact that the gen
eral laws provide that the joint assem-
bly, can only elect in case Of tie vote
This condition did not exist relative to
Wateryilie, SO that the five Justices will
be appointed by Governor Clement.
Secretary of State Harry Black this
morning received a message from the
federal government directing that no
federal-owned automobile be licensed
this year unless special authority is
given by the automobile department of
the federal government. This will settle
the trouble which has existed each year
at Fort Ethan Allen, where there are
about 100 machines and it is almost
impossible to ascertain whether gov
ernment machine is being licensed or a
privately owned car.
The general understanding about the
State House is that shortly bill will be
introduced in which the drawing of or
ders will be transferred from the audit
or's Office to the state treasurer's office,
which viii probably transfer John Wal
lace from the former to the latter de-
partment and materially decrease the
work in the auditors Office 1t is also
understood that portion of the state
purchasing agents work is to be placed
in the state treasurer's office and that
the director of state institutions will
have charge of the buying for the insti,
tutions Of which he has supervision, by
which there can be material saving ac-
comphshed over the present system.
Major Harvey Il. Goodell is making a
nice recovery from grip at Heaton hos
pital.
Francis Shaw, executive messenger,
and w. S. Fenton, executive clerk in the
governors office, went to their homes in
Rutland this morning.
Bank Commissioner Frank c. Williams
will on Tuesday morning lay before the
members of the general assembly a re.
port which is supplementary to the re.
port of Jan, IL, 1919, in which he criti-
eized the action of the auditor in allow
ing SO small bonds for the amounts ad.
vanced to state departments. Only eight
departments give bonds for adSknces, ae-
cording to the supplemental report. He
states that he called attention of the
auditor to the Importance of changing
the method of payment of bills against
the state, asking that all bills be pre-
sented monthly instead OF quarterly and
paid only on properly itemized vouchers,
but that the practice Of advances has
been continued until the present time,
Eight officers have furnished bonds, but
the amount of the bonds in some cases
is ridiculously small in comparison with
the amount advanced The officers who
have furnished bonds, according to the
report, are Messrs. Brigham, Weeks,
Kidder, Bates, Reynolds, Hillegas, Fleet.
wood and Leavens" He states that more
should furnish bonds. The report also
deals to some extent with the interpre-
tstion of the laws as differing from that
Of Attorney General Barber. The report
also deals with the departmental and
itemized vouchers, the commissioner dis
agreeing with the experts upon their in
terpretation of the laws. He also states
that the report of the previous auditor
shows that the record of the advances to
state officers was shown in the report to
the legislature as made by Fl. +. Graham.
Another name is being suggested as a
candidate for the appointment of bank
commissioner TO succeed Frank C. VIII
liams, whose term of Office expires the
first of the coming month. 1t is John
Branch, jr., of st. Albans Mr.. Branch
has seen considerable banking expert
ence. However, if the usual allowance of
time before the appointments is made, it
win not be looked for until the middle or
last of next month, for the governors in
the past have generally made their ap-
pointments during the last half of the
session of general assembly.
The only contested election in the leg
islature viii be that in the town of st.
George, where something like 20 votes
were cast Max L. Parcher, Republican,
is contesting the right of Earl Aver to
seat in the House. He claims that in the
primary he and Aver received six votes
apiece and that the town committee of
tha panIthiiqau parfv splaptpd Aver nc