The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-06-13
DIscOuragIng Work.

The law pa sed by the last Legislature
providing for the appointment OF com
mission to investigate agricultural and
manufacturing interests of the state aud
develop the same is not meeting with
the success its trainers desired, or that
its Importance dem n 9. Comm issi lner
Valentine of Bennington has done HE
part in sending schedules all over the
state, and asking the listers, farmers and
manufacturers to fill them out and re-
port to him. But very few returns have
been received, and the matter is being
treated with comparative indifference.
In Brattleboro, where the listers have
taken special pains to collect this infor-
nation, less than 100 returns have come
in, and other towns in that section are
even more apathetic. The bill was
framed to effect, if possible, a remedy
for the decay among the hill farms. /,
is the belief of Hon. Frederick Billings
of Woodstock that the tide of emigration
will turn by and by, and that the Yer
mont hills will be alive again with thrifty
and prosperous farmers. The work that
Major Valentine is doing will help in
Fastening the glad time, If all the citi-
zens will only lend a hand.-St. Johns
bury CdledOnidn.
II all the towns had done as well az
Pomfret and a lew otherI, we should
hear no just complaints like the above.
In many towns, however, the farmers
absolutely refus, d to fill up the blanks,
and yet in the same breath give it az
their opinion "why so many leave the
state" that more farmers should be cleo.
ted to the Legislature to look after farm
ing interests. The inconsistency of their
mode OF action in refusing to give the
Commissioner information by which TO
advertise the resources of the state "fear-
ing" as they say "some trap TO increase
taxes" and the cry of electing more
such men to the General Assembly ia a
monument of ignorance too stupendOus
for belief were it not filed in black and
white with the Commissioner OF lmmi-
grafton. Vermont has thousands OF
acres of Just as good land as ever lay
out doors," awaiting resident owners.
These lands are not wild nor are they
sand plains, but improved tillable farms,
nigh to railroad and which can be bought
for from 81 to 81 per acre; former price
Sl5 to $50. The present proprietors are
largely nonresident, having in some
instances gone in colonies to Texas, Ar
kansas, Nebraska or other distant states,
leaving buildings worth more than the
land, to go To ruin. These farms would
seem like Paradise to thousands Of Eu-
ropean farmers il they only knew where
TO find them, and with judicious collec-
ton and advertising of the facts old
country farmers could be induced to take
up these "waste places" Just contrast a
homestead in the West. where all i'm
provements must be made, with Yer
mont farm from three to ten miles
from excellent railroad facilities, good
painted farm houses and barns better
in their decay than the best in Europe,
and then give guess as to what adver
Using would do for the latter. Why.
with all this depression, the few hun
bred residents Of these towns in Vermont.
report from forty to sixty tons of butter
as their yearly product. Add to this
like tons of maple sugar in many locsli-
ties, the grain and other products, not
to mention minerals and forest wealth,
and it shows something here besides
rocks and barren wastes.
But, who is going to know about these
things il Vermont people will not com
ply with the law and answer few civil
questions!