The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-03-21
THE RESOURCES OF VERMONT.

ests the interest of the people and the
press seems to have broken out afresh,
This Commissioner is to ascertain what
can be done to secure immigration, or at
least prevent emigration from the State,
and to collect said data. Maj. Valentine
has commenced his duties with the en-
thusiasm and business push which is his
characteristic and his efforts will IN
doubtedly be crowned with success.
The Agricultural, Manufacturers and
Listers schedules have been prepared
and are already in the hands Of the Off.
cials named in Act No. 3, ready to begin
the collection of facts during the COM
ing month.
We republish from the Herald an in
terview had with the Commissioner last
Friday, which states the present status
and the preliminary steps already taken
in this important undertaking, as fol-
lows:
He began by saying "At this early
date nothing can be promised except an
honest endeavor to make the position
success"
What practical results do you antici-
pate THAT depends almost entirely
upon the interest the town Listers take
in causing the blanks sent them to be
properly filled out" said Maj. Valentine.
land the people at large in feeling it
duty to themselves and to the State to
make the blanks full and complete. ~.
THE press too has duty to perform"
he continued, sin the awakening OF an
interest throughout the State in the OBJ
iect sought by the Act creating the Com
mission. On this point, however. there
seems no reason to fear, for the press OF
the State appears to take deep interest
IN the matter, and l trust 1t will not
hesitate to criticise as well as to COM
mend, as at this early stage of proceed
ings criticism and the pointing out OF
the possibilities under the law could not
fail to do much good.'
What preliminary work have you
done TO this date II have been busy
getting out the proper blanks for distri-
button among the people. An idea of
the magnitude of the undertaking may
be gathered from the fact that there are
over 10000 voters in the State, two-thirds
of whom should fill out and return the
blanks each year; but assuming that
only one-third will do so, even that
makes mass of papers of no small d.
mansions, the copying and compiling OF
which will require large amount of
work purely clerical. Probably no man
could copy more than 100 of these re-
turns in day OF ten hours"
What will be the outcome OF your
labors? "While l fear the result of this
work may be disappointing to many of
our citizens, yet l hope at least to col
lect and compile mass of useful infor-
nation to serve as basis for future leg
islation, having for its object the check
ing of the large outflow of our most en-
terprising young men and the bringing
OF some Of our abandoned lands again
under cultivation"
As to the influence exerted by this
bureau, the results of possible legisla-
ton, and the benefits flowing therefrom,
the Commissioner said at would be
absurd to expect by legislation to have
much influence on the movements OF
our sons and daughters, and prevent
their seeking those places most likely to
present opportunity to crafty lauda-
Bile ambition; but perhaps by liberal
laws of encouragement and through
established sources of information we
may do something toward showing
wherein our State presents inducements
to them to stay, and to others to come
in and cultivate the soil, convert our
timber into money, occupy out unused
water power, develope our mines and
uuarries, and thus make little commu-
mites of industrious, thriving men and
women, who will consume the products
of our farms and cause our State to de-
yelope within itself all of the elements
Of prosperity.
1.-THE hoped-for result Of this work
cannot be realized at once; at the best it
will be a work of years.
ITO this end information as to the re.
sources of our State, its advantages in
every particular, should be secured and
spread broadcast, perhaps even beyond
the seas"
Who will receive the greatest benefit
"There is no one class to be benefited
by this work. am among those who
believe that the farmer, the laborer, the
capitalist, the manufacturer, the patriot,
are alike interested In making Vermont
everything that she is capable of being.
and that they will all reap the reward
due the provident, intelligent, and in
dustrious."
These sentiments have the correct
ring" to them and promise most en-
couraging results if the suggestions are
as fully carried out as is hoped and ex-
pected. On this point correspondent
OF the Budget well says at is a well
known fact that Vermont's population
is remaining about stationary, owing to
the large number Of young men who
leave its borders for the West and other
and khaEa To- To-
the State going to waste. The object OF
the present action is to devise some
means to change this condition of affairs.
The Commissioner will make compila
ton of the returns from the various
towns and compare the results with
similar data furnished by other States.
He is required by law to formulate bill
providing for the establishment of
bureau to continue the work"
The blanks referred to are of two
kinds. The first one contains the Agri- |
cultural and Manufacturing schedules. |
These are to be distributed by the Listers
of the various towns to the property |
owners and laboring citizens, and by
each filled up and returned to the Listers |
at the time they make out their sworn |
inventory in April.
In his address to the farmers and |
of Vermont the Commits
sioner says "The value of these sta
tistics and information, to the citizens
Of Vermont, cannot be estimated; and |
the wisdom of the Legislature in estab-
fishing the bureau will be felt in an in
creasing ratio as the facts relat.
ing 10 agriculture, manufacturing and
labor shall become known abroad |
this means"
The Agricultural schedule calls for In
formation as TO acreage Of farms, value
per acre, amount cultivated in pasturage,
timber, swamp and untillable with rea-
son for the last named. There are also |
questions in relation to the number Of
hands employed, including family aver
age daily wages and wages per month |
stock on farm and fat cattle sold pounds |
and value of wool, honey and maple su-
gar produced, tons Of hay and kinds and |
bushels of grain. The information is to |
be based on the years since 1880, and
other information deemed important by
the recipient Of blank is asked for.
The Manufacturers schedule calls for
the name OF owner or lessee, name OF
mill. mine, quarry or mandatory; fuel
used and cost, value Of plant, power
used, class Of goods manufactured;
capacity in sets, spindles, saws or wood
working machinery, etc; total valuation
Of product; number Of hands employed,
males, females, minors; average daily
wages and total for the year. The an
swers are to be substantially in accord
with the facts since 1880, and IL not, the
reason why not is to be given.
The Listers blank calls for a varied
amount OF other information, in bulks
Nth which IL was thou0ht heat mt m