The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-09-26
Work for the Legislature.

ago the state made beginning of the
work of regulating, directly, through
commission, the operations of the rail-
ways, but it was only beginning.
Since then congress has passed the in
terstate commerce act, and placed the
interstate railways under strict and use
full surveillance. The province of state
railway commissions has become set
tied They assume to do, in the regula-
ton of railway traffic entirely within a
state, what the national commission
does in respect of traffic between the
states. Their authority and their func-
tons are supplementary to the national
commission. The principle of state
railway regulation has come to stay.
Every reason for inspection and COR
troll of the operations of insurance com
panies, savings banks or banks of dis
count, exists for the control and regu-
lation by the state of the management
and operating of the railways. Life
and limb, the bodily comfort and con-
venience of the public, are in the hands
of these corporations. A few mills
more or less per mile in the cost of
transportation of passengers or freight
may be Just the difference between loss
or living gain in any industrial pursuit.
The distinction between a slight but
insidious overcharge in freight or pas
.senger rates may not appear so shock
ing as the occasional loss which follows
the malfeasance of bank or insurance
officials. but it is constant, and, re-
peated many times day and over many
miles of road, the aggregate is enor-
nous and represents the financial life
blood of whole communities. The duty
to apply just, wholesome and efficient
regulation to railway management and
operation is imperative, is secondary
to no other duty, and the legislature
should take up and carry on, as far as
possible toward completion, the work
begun two years ago.
Two years ago the legislature created
a commission to examine the public
school system and the laws under which
the schools are conducted, with a view
to making certain reforms, the neces-
sity for which few, if any, doubted
That commission has been doing the
work assigned to it; how industriously
and how efficiently the general public
is not informed. 1t has made no sign
as to the result of its investigations, the
quality of its work or the character of
its recommendations. 1t was charged
with duties of the gravest responsible
ity. How closely allied to the moral
and material welfare of a state or
nation of self-governing men and
women are good schools should not be
a matter about which a law-making
body could have two opinions. The
report of the commission, it was antici-
pated, would form the basis of much
needed legislation, and the beginning
of an upward tendency in the schools
of the state. We hope these anticipa-
tons will be fully realized and that
good to the schools can come out Of the
legislative Nazareth.
The WATCHMAN's views with respect
to what the legislature should do for
the chief industry of the state, agricul-
ture, have been too often expressed in
this department and in the columns de-
voted to the farmer interest to quire
repetition here. In the language of
the resolutions adopted by the republic
cans of Washington county, I'VE favor
liberal appropriations for the promotion
of this industry and the enactment of
laws that shall encourage, sustain and
develop the farming interest in all its
branches" The board of agriculture,
the agricultural college and the expert
ment station, will be the leading OBJ
ects of legislative solicitude, and to act
wisely with respect to these great OBJ
iects will be task that will fully test
the constitutional qualifications of the
members of the general assembly
The devising of some practicable means
for rehabilitating the rundown or aban-
doned farms of the state is also a mat
ter of vital state concern. We have
proposed and discussed schemes for
accomplishing so desirable an end, and
men distinguished for virtue and wis
DOM" some of whom are members
of the new Legislature, have warmly
espoused these schemes. They will
doubtless be brought forward during
the session, and debated, if some def
mite action in respect of them is not
taken. The adequate consideration of
these three subjects-the railways, the
schools and the agriculture of the
state-would alone engross the atten-
ton of the legislature for the entire
session.