The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-11-07
Grand Isle County state Beneficiary.

Editor of Waterman The little county
of Grand isle, with population in 1880 of
4,124 and grand list in 1887 of $16, 1882,
again calls for state aid in building a bridge,
this time to connect the two larger islands
of the county. In 1880 the legislature ap-
propriated $1,000 for the Isle La Motto
bridge; in 1882 further appropriation of
5000 was made for the purpose of protect
ing and making permanent the bridge
In 1884 $4,000 was appropriated for the
North Hero bridge, making S37 600 thus
far appropriated by the state solely for the
use of the people Of these two islands. In
the house of representatives, which made
this last appropriation, call for S50,OOO for
a state library building was cut down to
$4,000 to insure its passage by yea and
nay vote, and the very next day the $4,000
was voted to the North Heroes and Hero
ines without call for the yeas and nays.
The absurdity of the penuriousness in the
one case and the reckless squandering of
money in the other is plain at glance. In
the one case is the question of proper
place for all the valuable books owned by
the state, not only for them now, but for years
to come together with the, beauty and
symmetry of the state capitol; in the other
is the business convenience of 63I people,
representing a grand list at that time of
only S2,546.51. After appropriating $4,000
for the use of less than one thousand peo-
pie, the state has been allowed four years
to upbuild its treasury, and now there is
another call upon it by the Grand Islanders
If they were beneficiaries of the general
government, there would be no difficulty in
disposng of the surplus in its treasury, and
the Mills bill would have had no excuse for
its existence. But why should the people
of that county receive state aid in prefer
ence to those in other localities? What are
the advantages to the state at large from
these bridges? 1t WAS claimed in 1884 that
people from other parts of the state wished
70 trat ral hnra and hot thn hili1 nf Ia
bridge would add to the value of the prop
erty on the island, thus increasing its grand
list and affording additional income to the
state from taxes; but when people from a
distance travel here it is at a season of the
year when ferries afford ample means of
transit and as to the increase in grand list
it was S61.A larger in the town of North
Hero in 1887 than it was in 1884, the time
the appropriation was made; and the state
tax on the list Of 1887 was twelve cents on
the dollar, thus making the tax received by
the state 81 AZ more than If laid on the list
of 1884, a sum too small to be considered in
connection with an appropriation of S25 ,OOO
so that North Hero was simply beneficiary
of the state in the matter, and has no finan-
cial returns therefor and thus 1t will be If
further appropriations are made for bridg-
ing these islands. Doubtless the claim will
be made that a bridge is needed so that the
people of Grand Isle and North Hero can
conveniently pass over to attend tine county
court; but much easier solution of that
question would be to abolish the county of
Grand Isle; annex North Hero, Isle La
Motto, and Alburgh to Franklin county,
South Hero and Grand Isle to Chittenden
county, as these islands are all bridged to
the main land, Grand Isle being connected
with Chittenden county by the " Sand Bar "
bridge. The equity of this proposition can
not fail to strike a disinterested person IA
vorably. The senatorial representation in
the other counties. aside from Essex is one
senator to little over ten thousand inhab-
itants in Franklin county, and gradually
increasing it exceeds thirteen thousand in
Windham county, while Grand Isle has but
little over four thousand, being less than
half of any other county except Essex and
but a little more than half of that, while in
Windham and Washington counties the
number of inhabitants to each senator is
more than ten times that of Grand Isle
county. The senatorial representation that
should be taken from these islands might
properly be given to Windham; or perhaps,
what would be more equitable would be to
give Washington and Windham counties an
extra senator each, every second senatorial
term, as the population now is. AT any
rate, it is time to call halt in appropri-
atoms for bridging these islands. BY act
No. IL, laws of 1884, amended by No. Is,
laws of 1885, state aid is provided for towns
excessively burdened in maintaining high
ways; but in these cases it is when other
towns are especially benefited thereby, and
takes the place of the law which formerly
provided for the towns so benefited to be
assessed a portion of such expense; if the
towns of Grand Isle county have any claims
under this law, let them seek relief through
the courts as other towns do, and not ap-
pear as state benefcaries. Then the poorer
towns in Addison, Rutland, Windham and
Bennington counties, can have their proper
share OF the states money expended on
their mountain roads, where the travel is
now for the benefit of other towns than
themselves, and where the state may also
be benefited in advancing its lumber in
terests. TAXPAYER.
Windsor County, Oct, 30, 1888.