The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-01-27
SPEAKERS
SALARY is
PUT AT $500
Mileage of 20 Cents a Mile
Each Way Was Also In
cluded in the Measure
Some Members Thought
1t Should Apply to the
Next Legislature.

Whether or not the legislators would
adopt the lump sum salar measure
tH. 81. was the question which took
the greater part of the time in the
Vermont House this morning, and it
was not until noon that the bill was
finally ordered to a third reading by
a yea and nay vote of l72 to So. with
the committee amendment attached,
providing for a lump sum of S400 for
the members and $500 for the speak
er, with mileage of 20 cents mile
each This differs from the original
bill introduced by Mr.. O'Brien OF
South Burlington, in that his bill pro.
vided for $500 for the members and
20 cents a mile one way.
1t took more than an hour of the
morning in the House to get this far
with the measure. Reported favorably
from the committee on state and court
expenses, with amendments cutting
down the lump sum from $500 to s40O
and increasing the allowance for mile
age, and also providing that, in case of
special session, the pay should be
four dollars day, with the 20 cents
each way for travel, the bill was i'm.
mediately a storm center
Mr. Barber of Wilmington quoted
figures to show that the legislators
would be increasing their salaries by
this measure, if they finished up their
work in 20 or so days. as he thought
ought to be done. and he called for
the ayes and nays on the first amend
ment These were taken, but before
the result could be ascertained, various
members began TO rise and explain
that they had not understood the
question and requested TO change their
votes Many thought that they were
voting on the original bill. So great
was the mix up that it was decided to
all the roll again.
Before this could be done, Mr.. Bar
5er of Wilmington said that he had
Intended that the ayes and nays should
pe upon the original bill rather tha
up nthe amendment Mr.. Luce of
pomfret then tried to have the bill
amended so that the speaker of the
House and the pres dent of the Senate
would receive mileage allowance of 20
,ents a mile only one way. This
amendment was killed. as was that OF
Ir. Cushman OF Rochester, who tried
q amend IS that the bill would ap-
lly to future sessions, but not to this
ne.
Mr.. Cushman seemed to think that
he legislators should be ashamed to
20 back and face their constituents
fter voting to raise their own pay.
: ne called IT, After Mr.. Potter of
'owAl. Mr.. Dyer of Salisbury, Mr..
Button of Middlebury, Mr.. Bates of
Iighgate and others had opposed the
tand taken by MIR. Cushman and
ointed out that the Republican plat
orm included lump sum salary bill.
nd that the people back home were
alling for II in many cases. Mr.. Cush-
lan was unable to get the aye and
av vote that he called for on his
mendment, and only one vote besides
is own was recorded in its favor.
The House passed the bill TO raise
he salaries Of justices Of the supreme
1prt and superior judges without OPP
osition and The last gasp Of the To-
4 option law was heard in the few
altering votes against the bill TO re-
aal the provision for voting on this
lestion each wear. Mr.. Pelky Of Fair
aven made his maiden speech in sup
prt Of the old local option law, but
received scsnt attention.