Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-10-16
STATE EXPENSES.

O1AIG EIAE in SEio.
Governor Barstow devotes consid-
able space in his message to the sub
ject Of state expenses. He gives
figures showing the current expenses
of the state for q series of consecu-
tive biennial periods from 1860, the
''halcyon period before the war,
down to the term ended Jnly [, 1882.
From these figures he deduces the
conclusion that the expenses of the
state for the year just ended are
S15O,OO0 greater than twenty years
since. The governor makes no ex-
PLANTATION of this increase and the
impression which his manner of dis
cussing the subject is calculated to
leave, is that the state is not practic-
ing economy. The governor has no
fault to find with the expenses for
the state prison, for the reform
school, for the house of correction,
for the insane asylum, for agricul-
ture, or for education, nor does he
criticise the management behind these
expenditures. Everything in that
direction seems to meet with his cor
dial appreciation, yet it is on our
penal, reformatory, and charitable
institutions, some of which did not
even exist in 1860, that the state is
now spending money that will fully
cover the increase as stated by the
governor. The message itself furn-
ishes the details of large portion of
of this increase. Under the heading,
ssThe Law Relative to the insane"
is given table by which 1T appears
that the state paid for the support
of its beneficiaries at the asylum in
1861, $5,065 in 1882, $37,19S, an
increase of more than $4,000 since
the ''halcyon period when the I'M
fortunate insane were Gagged up in
the historic poor house without the
care and skill that are now devoted
to the amelioration of their condition.
In 1860, little more than $4,000
was spent on the state prison; for
the two years ending July 81, 49,
126 was expended on this institution /;
and for the same period on the house
of correction $27, 141, against moth
ing in 1860, since these institutions
did not exist. After deducting in
come and exceptional expenditures,
another large slice of the governor
100000 will be found in the COM
bined increased expenditure for these
three institutions. For educational
purposes in 1860 the state spent
$500; in 1882, on the normal
schools alone nearly double this sum.
In 1860 less than $4,000 was spent
for agricultural purposes in 1882
more than five times this amount.
In 1860 the towns paid the costs of
liquor prosecutions, in 1882 the
state. In these and other directions
the increase as the governor puts il
is fully accounted for. No point is
made that benefits measurably COM
mensurate with these new expendi-
lures are realized. For information
that point the people look to the
messages of governors and special
reports of officials and their judg-
ment seems to be undeniably in fav-
or of the expenditures. If there is
any mistake in their verdict, let it be
made known and let things be SET
back to the status which existed dur
ing the ''halcYon period and the
states expenses will shrink into
comparative Observation-Disclosures
may become of the people. We do
not believe there is any cause for Sc
rious alarm in the exhibit made by
the governor, but, on the contrary,
that in the auditors report, especial
ly, there is very substantial ground
for satisfaction with the general tend
ency of the state financial affairs.
1t has been generally understood
that the state expenses for 1860 were
larger than stated by the governor
The reports of state officers for that
period show that the total expendi-
lures were more than $3.50, 00O-a
sum which was reduced by receipts
from county clerks and judges OF
probate to about S220,000, fully
$4,000 more than the governor
: seems to make it, and the state OWED
at that time nearly 100000, whereas
+ now it has no debt. We believe Oh
the whole the balance of testimony
5 is decidedly in favor of the present
as compared with the "halcyon peri
+ cd. - Wdtchnedn,