The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-10-05

NNVsNNN w abOut ViDsNN'fNNFf
the contraction of legal tenders nearly
S12, 100000 and of fractional currency
like amount.
~ The Farmers and Mechanics
Club of Brandon is live and valua-
bic institution. They not only hold
their annual fairs and make them at
tractivc and successful by good man
agcment, but they hold meetings for
consultation and discussion of subjects
connected with practical agriculture,
during the evenings of fall and winter.
If the town fair or village club arrange
ment will secure these advantages and
give the member sense ofpcrsOnal re-
sponsibility which is not felt by the
members of the county society, let us
organizations instead of the larger.
There is, certainly, something wrong
in the Addison county society. Is il Il
lack of interest and appreciation on the
part of the people, or some defect OF
management on the part of the officers,
or is il some unfortunate condition OF
influencing circumstances over which
no one has control? If the grounds
where the fairs are held were owned by
the society, one difficulty would be re-
moved. But that is not all. The man
agement must inspire confidence, must
manifest energy and enterprise in
bringing out stock and agricultural and
manufactured products for the eNbibi-
tons, must secure cohesion and interest
in the general success among the mem
bcrs, must organize meetings for dis
together into personal contact, and in
fuse new life into the now almost dead
carcass, by personal and continued eff
fort and manipulation. We have. the
elements Of success if we will only use
them.
To II is becoming II question of some
importance what we shall do i'll the
matter of insurance against losses by
fire. At present rates il is, at least, Il
question whether business men cannot
better afford TO provide watchers and
insure themselves than To pay such eX-
brilliant rates to the companies. The
rates have been raised by stock COM
panies until it requires large margin
Of profits to meet the annual payments.
and now nearly if not quite all the mu-
iual companies in his state have
made assessments to the amount Of five
per cent. upon the premium note. max
ing the annual payment even greater
than is required TO be insured in stock
companies. Even the Farmers Mutual,
which has not before made an assess
mcnt, now calls for five per cent of the
premium note. We do not here assert
that there is anything wrong in the
there is anything unfair on unnecessary
in their demands upon The insured.
There have been fires 10 an unprcce-
denied extent land involving an unusual
ly large amount of property within the
last two years, and these extra demands
may be necessary. But whatever the
cXigcncy and whatever the cause of it.
the question of financial policy for prop
crty holders is legitimate. Property To-
Gated in the more exposed portions of
this village, and especially in the bust
ness part, must pay enormous sums TO
secure policies, and then in case of loss
cs ii often becomes nearly all il is worth
to collect the insurance. Now those
very much exposed from contiguous
property may be compelled to submit TO
this oppressive tax, but those who are
comparatively safe except from fires or
iginating within their own buildings
may take extreme canton, keep n
Waterman perhaps. and provide them
selves with convenienccs for eXtinguisl-
ing fires and tEcn carry their own risks
in part, if not in whole. AT any rate.
these questions will be pretty thorough
~ canvasscd if these extremely oppres-
sivc rates are continued.