Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-10-28


a partial crop. Even at the high price
there are no more dollars-if as many
coming to the American growers ms
last year. If, now, potatoes were duty
free and the foreign article could be
brought in easily, the returns OF the
potato crop to our growers would be
almost nothing and the Canadians
would profit by our misfortune.
Ex.-Gov. Pages Development Plan.
Elk. Gov. Pages communication on
Vermont development, outlined i'll orr
last issue, is at least succeeding in its
primary obiect-that of setting people
to thinking and talking about it. Its
author probably anticipated thata null
tiplicity Of views would be expressed,
which, indeed, is the proper forerun-
ner of any action that may be taken.
All seem 70 agree that Gov. Page is
correct in his diagnosis Of what ails
Vermont, though some think he has
not reached far enough. Cheaper
money, cheaper power and cheaper
transportation would certainly do lauch
toward pushing our state forward.egen
if they did not accomplish all that is
needed.
In discussing the methods for secur-
ing these requisites we will, for our
own convenience, reverse their order.
Concerning cheaper transportation,
Gov Page thinks we can safely trust
ourselves to the mereies of our present
transportation companies. So long as
they are managed by native Vermont
ers, we agree with him that they will
do all that they can in the way of nj
lowing special rates for service calcu-
lated to increase the traffic over their
lines. Even after this is done. how
ever, Vermont will suffer the penalty
OF being removed from the mining and
market eenters of the country. Ii can
not be otherwise What we lose here
we must make up in other ways, by
securing cheaper primary cost of pro-
duction.
We believe Gov. Page exaggerates
the value of the factor of electric pow
CT. That it has much value we are
prepared to admit. But at present the
use Of electricity for power is hardly
beyond the experimental point No
body can say just what effect it will
have upon the cost of production. 1t
is an uncertain quantity as yet But
even at its best it viii hardly supplant
steam. There is natural limit to il
even here in Vermont. 1t can be gen
Grated with economy only where there
is an abundance of water at all times
of the year and quite a considerable
fall or head. 1t can Dc transmitted
over wires some distance few miles
with some loss. No one has made an
estimate Of the number of unused wa
terfalls, lying near transportation
routes, in the state that could thus be
developed, but we fear they are fewer
than Gov. Page seems to think suili-
Client for the addition of large amount
of manufacturing to Vermont. We
should be glad to be proved in error
as to this.
As was to be expected, the sugges-
ton Of cheaper money provokes the
most discussion. The majority of
bankers interviewed do not favor Coy.
Pages idea Of exempting from the sew
en-tenths per cent tax all money loaned
by savings banks at not to exceed -
per cent for the purpose Of developing
new manufacturing industries in Yer
mont and money loaned at not to ex-
coed 3 ~ per cent TO municipalities
for putting in electric power plants.
As far as the banks are concerned it
would work direct injury to some and
would probably benefit nlne of them
except possibly indirectly If You
have ever found a banker except pos
sibly GOV. Page-who was ready to
axe any chances Of not seeing back
more than the dollar loaned your OBJ
has exceeded ours. The
banker is not in business for his health.
II especially to help anybody except
himself. To some extent this is neces-
AIRY because of the duty he owes de
'ositors, but it is not libel TO say that {
5 class the handlers Of other peoples !
money grow into close-fisted state of {
mind that makes them anything but !
of other peoples interests.
here is nothing in Gov Pages propo-
ition, even il it became law. that
fould insure cheaper money. Ranks =,