Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-10-09

this term sufficiently to find
that the above sum is very
largely made up Of three
items. viz:
Of the presiding term g5.755 20
Debentures Of general assembly
s.,. sTos. ID s5 u, p
Total s52ls2 q
The increase Of salaries is very
largely those OF judges Of
probate and state attorneys.
According to the estimates of the state
treasurer, and supposing the proceeds from
| the corporation tax law TO be the same as
| for the past two years, the amount required
| to be raised by a state tax for the coming
/ term will not exceed that for the past, or
Z per cent upon the grand list
! 4 table is given showing that the pro-
/ portion OF state expenses TO state valua-
/ ton is, in Maine, 50 per cent; in New
/ Hampshire, rs: in Massachusetts,, 2.7; in
( Connecticut, j.3; in Rhode Island, 4 g.
| In Vermont the total average for the last
/ biennial term was 81, but the average for
1 ordinary expenses, exclusive Of the unusu-
/ al expenses mentioned above, was only 2.S
/ The comparison is unfavorable TO Yer
mont for the reason that in several of the
/ New England states the court expenses
are paid by the counties. The bonded
| debt of Vermont is very much smaller
1 than that Of any other New England state.
! These tiguIe rs do not indicate excessive
| state expenditures, as so often charged
The excellent condition Of the savings
| banks and trust companies is recognized
and the fact is noted that in spite Of the
hard times their assets have shown a mar
velous increase. These institutions "are a
| credit TO the state and the men who man
| age them"
The work done by the railroad commits
sion has been thorough and effective. Con-
trary to the opinion of many people, the
| power which the law gives the commission
is very large, and the present board has
used this power without fear or favor
BY the personal effort OF Gov. Woodbury.
an increase of price for the work OF the
state prison conviets from so cents per day
to II cents per day was made for the five
| years term, beginning last April The net
/ profit per year will exceed 5000.
Gov. Woodbury. estimates that, since the
| completion Of the state insane asylum at
! Waterbury, the cost of keeping a patient
will be reduced to 81. % per week, making
a saving of $65 per patient annually. The
abolition of the state board Of supervisors
of the insane is recommended: while
| the state had its insane at the Brattleboro
Retreat it was necessary TO have supervis-
! visors of the insane 10 look after the in
terests of the state, but now that the state
cares for the insane in its own institution
their services are no longer needed, and
the law creating the board Of supervisors
should, in my opinion, be repealed, and
the very considerable expense they make
saved to the state"
Considerable progress has been made in
the construction of good roads. Gov. Wood
bury still believes that the proceeds of the
state highway tax should be expended in
the counties from which it is received. He
recommends doing away with the Office of
state geologist, and thinks the Australian
ballot law should be amended so that the
voter may cast his ballot without making
any marks, erasures or additions.
The PrOhIbItory Law.
What he says of the prohibitory law is
of special interest, and we quote in full:
"The past two years have witnessed Wig
orous attacks upon the so-called prohibitory
law. These attacks come largely from adj
vocates of a high license system, but IL
must be admitted that some friends of tenn
perance believe that unless the law can be
better enforced in some of the larger towns
| 1t ought to be modified or displaced by
one that can be enforced. It is only Just
TO the friends of the present law, who Le-
| lieve comprise a very large proportion
of the people of this state, that l state a
| few of the objections that are raised against
1t in the belief that in so doing you may be
able to correct the evils that now exist, and
thus promote the cause of temperance.
at is charged that the law is not impair
TALLY enforced by the officers whose duty
it is to enforce it. 1t is said that certain
influential parties in many towns are let
alone and only the weaker dealers in in
toxicants are disturbed, and that in a few
large towns open saloons are run with the
full knowledge of the states attorneys. 1t
is charged that the seizing officers are sat
isfied to seize only enough liquor to prove
the guilt of respondents instead of seizing
all they might easily find, that the prose-
cutting officers do not prosecute vigorously
and constantly, that judges of the munich
pal courts and justices of the peace impose
only the minimum, or nearly the minimum
fine, SO that respondents will not be 50
much discouraged as to go out of the bust
ness and thus cease to be contributors to
the support of said officials by the payment
of frequent bills of costs. 1t is charged
that the main business of many of the
druggists, licensed by the board of phar-
macy, is the sale of liquors unlawfully.
These and many other things are said.
These are serious charges if they are par
TALLY true and the most vigorous measures
should be taken TO remove the cause for
such complaint.
"From my knowledge gained during the
last two years, must say that the charges
are sufficiently true to demand the atten-
ton of every lover of law and order and
believer in temperance. These things
should be corrected under the present law