The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-03-08
Vermont House Voted to
Make 1t 81 on Dollar
of Grand List
SHARP DEBATE;
VOTE 113 TO 106
Bill Was Amended From
Original Figure at
Two Dollars

On yea and nay vote OF ll3 to
1906 the Vermont House, after sharp
debate of an hour to-day, adopted an
amendment to House bill p, as pro-
posed by Mr.. Bradley 7Swanton,
making the poll tax in Y veSont 81 on
the dollar of the grand t. This was
in place of 81 tax koyided by the
original bill The ssfl without the
amendment had b. = favorably report
ed by majorit sH the committee on
taxation and t1cse had also been mi
nority repor 81 four against the bill.
| As amended, the bin went to third
reading with only few dissenting
votes.
The committee on taxation would
have kept the poll tax at two dollars
on the grand list, simply cutting out,
the word male from the present law,
The majority report was signed by
Messrs. Howland of Morristown, Leach
! of Berkshire, Wilmarth of Stamford,
Mcdonald of Sharon, Fisher of Addi-
son, Blood of West Windsor, Barber
of Wilmington, Watson of Townshend
and Stone of Bloomington. The mi
nority report was submitted by
Messrs. Smith of Wells, Mulcahy of
Sudbury Barker of Waterford and
| Chamberlain of Washington.
! Mr.. Bradley of Swanton introduced
| his amendment making it one dollar on
| the grand list instead of So. This Is
| in conformity with the bill which Mr..
BRADLEY introduced III. 29l. He
| thought that ii would be a burden
upon many families if the S2 tax was
| retained, thus doubling the tax in each
| family since the women would have
| to nav the same.
| Mr.. Mccullough of Fayston defended
the fairness of his bill. declaring that
any family which was too poor to pay
the 81 poll tax should be exempted
| from taxation. He said that any tax
| is hardship and thought the poll tax
should not be cut down on that ac-
count
Mr.. Capron of Leicester thought that
no taxpayer can pay tax better than
the poll taxpayer and if any poll tax
| is to be retained it should be the 81
| tax
| Mr.. Barber of Wilmington for the
| committee on taxation said that either
| the poll tax must be equal for men and
women, or there must be no tax, Tor
| the 10Th amendment recognizes them
in equality Mr. Potter of Pownal
| favored the 81 tax on the grand list.
Mr. Wishart of Barre City opposed
the Bradley amendment and spoke for
the SO tax. He said that our taxes are
assessed on the grounds that every citl-
zen shall pay a poll tax on the basis
Of 5000. and as the 10Th amendment
made the women citizens, whether they
wanted to vote or not, he thought that
they should simply come into citizen
ship and pay the present poll tax, and
that no changes should be made in the
law because they have been enfran-
chised
let us keep this law on the statute
books for the next two years and see
how il works out" said Mr.. Wishart.
Perhaps something may happen dur
ing the next two years, so that the
women will not want to vote, and then
we will have to change back again"
AIR. Wishart closed with the remark:
Lets remove the question of sex and
vote square tax of what you have
had to paw and what | have had to
paw" getting considerable applause.
Mr.. smith of Barre Town said that
in his town many voters are poll tax
pavers and they stack the town meet
{ fnr nrb
roads. etc. He did not think it fair
that a poll tax Of only u on the dol
lar Of the grand list be imposed.
Mr.. Button Of Middlebury closed the
debate. speaking in favor of 81 tax,
after which the bill favoring the 81
was ordered to third reading.
So much time was taken M with the
debate on the tax bill that the SUNDAY
Observance bill. s So was not reached
and il was made a special order for
this afternoon.
Killed Another English-in-SchoOl Bill.
The House spent considerable time
this forenoon. debating the House bill
372. providing that English shall De
used in teaching certain subjects IN
rural and elementary schools. The bill
was substitute for II. 243. the Amor
icanization bill" which was recently
killed. The House refused the sub
stitute bill a third reading by vote
of 70 us.
Senate Favors Salary Raises.
The senate took up two salary bills.
passinr co. making the salary Of
the purchasing agent $1,000 and order
ing to a third reading :. 80. increasing
the salaries of probate Judges. Sena-
tors Estee and Villas voted against the
latter bill because Of opposition to in
creasinr the paw of certain probate
Judges in southern probate districts
Definition Of Rural School.
In the course of a steady afternoons
work Yesterday. -ihc Senate cleared it
calendar. adopted proposal number two
70 amend the state constitution and re-
fused unanimously 90 concur IN House
proposals of amendment 20 tgo school
hUs The two latter measures are ).
1f ~ which the senate defines q rural
.rhosI a. one having not more than
.u-o teachers sud the House proposes r.
r,ske \ read mo. more than one teach,
re and s. q. raising the high school,
,utian fee to he PAID ~ towns not
having hiah schools from So 9 sta
Tha HrH-s proposed tp reiaee tsss
fCoriiuued on rage