Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-02-16
AT MONTPELIER
Chief Interest Centers About Hart
ness-Bates Deadlock.

A hearing on house bill No. 222,
which places the power Of electing the
state road commissioner in that body
the governor, held Tuesday afternoon
was warm one, but the deadlock be-
tween Governor Hartness and the
friends ofQ"Stod" Bates in the legis-
lature is still on.
About the State House there was a
rumor that Governor Hartness would
not again suggest successor to Linus
Leavens as fish and game commits
sioner and to Stoddard Bates as high
way commissioner In that case he
can appoint after the adjournment of
the legislature. 1t is also said that
if he should re-appoint Messrs. Leav-
ems and Bates he could remove them
from Office.
Prior to 1915 the offices of the COM
missioners expired at the expiration
of their terms but in 1915 the law was
changed so that the commissioner
holds over until his successor is ap-
pointed.
The state board of control has not
yet complied with the resolution
adopted last session providing for a
report on the salaries of the various
state officers, and in the meantime the
members of the legislature are in
PRODUCING bills providing for increases
in salaries. There are other matters
that were referred to the board to re-
port upon but upon which no reports
have been presented and which, if not
presented shortly, will not have con-
sideration at this session.
The workingmen's compensation and
educational hearings are to take place
early in the week. At the present
cussion on these questions.
outlook there will be warm dis
By close vote of 16 to Ii, the Yer
day morning refused to confirm the
mont Senate in executive session Fri
appointment of Captain Harold P.
Sheldon of Fair Haven as fish and
game commissioner to succeed Linus
Leavens of Cambridge. This is the
second of the appointments of Cover
nor Hartness which the Senate has
not approved. The Senate confirmed
the reappointment of John S. Buttles
of Brandon as commissioner of indus
tries, and three trustees of Middle
bury college as follows: P. M. Mel
don of Rutland, Judge Harland B.
Howe of Burlington and E. A. Darl-
ing OF East Burke.
The House reconsidered it's vote
whereby it refused to adopt the rec
ommendation of the committee of the
whole that section three should be
stricken from H. 38, the standard
time, measure, so that the railroads
would be left unhampered as to MAX
ing schedules. Mr.. Newton of Clar-
endon moved fro reconsideration, and
Mr.. Luce of Pomfret, who has all
along led the fight for the bill in it's
present form, stated that he had dis
covered that there is a law on the
statute books which allows railroads
to change their schedules as they
please, without giving reason there
for, and that the supreme court has
ruled that matters pertaining to inter-
state traffic shall be under the control
of the interstate commerce commits
sion, so that the state really has no
authority in the matter.
When H. 123, fixing the maximum
salary of the commissioner of educa-
tion at $4,000 came up for passage,
Mr.. Stearns of Johnson was success
full in having the bill laid on the table.
He gave as his reasons for this action
the stories which had been circulated
that he was in someway connected
with the bill.
"This bill is something which l
know nothing about and have had
nothing to do WITH" said Mr.. Stearns. |
"But there is a question after hearing
the present commissioner talk the |
other night and belittle the schools Of
Vermont and compare our normal
schools to the niger schools of the
south, whether web ave aman who is |
worth $4,000. We may want to ask
the state board later why Mr.. Demp-
sey was offered $1,000 more than he
was getting in Milton, Mass. We may
want to ask also who is paying this
which bears all the ear
marks of coming from the commission
er of education"