The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-19
As to Certain Proposed New offices.


II all the recommendation made to
the Legislature in the dual executive
messages receive the asserting action
of the General Assembly, Vermont's
official list will be heightened by the
addition of an attorney general, an in
surance commissioner, fire marshall, a
board of tax commissioners and of
State road commissioners. II it can be
made to appear that the creation of
these new offices will, in fact, contrib
ute to the material welfare of the
State, and conduce to increased and
wholesome prosperity to a degree that
a wisely managed business corporation
would regard as a satisfactory return
for the increased expense of admins
tration IF there is reasonable assur-
ance of this favorable result, then the
new offices, all and singly, should be
created and filed with the most COM
petent men the appointing power can
persuade to bear their burdens, and
accept their honors and emoluments.
The wisdom of creating the Office of
attorney general is @ much mooted
question. 1t has been recommended
by some of the wisest of the later Chief
Executives of The State. The stronger
reason and the balance of argument
seem to be in favor of this measure. Can
as much be fairly said of the proposed Of
flee of insurance commissioners Who
asks for change in the existing plan
of supervising the States insurance af-
fairs? Do the insurance companies ask
for a change? Do the insured, or those
seeking safe insurance of life or prop
erty2 What do insurance officials in
the State, those who are recognized as
expert insurance men, men of the
largest experience and soundest judg-
ment in insurance matters, say of the
need, or wisdom, of divorcing the du-
ties of insurance supervision from the
offices of State treasurer and secretary
of State, and attaching them to spe-
cially created office? Will anything be
gained by the change either in eff
cheney or in economy of administra-
ton? All these questions must be de-
termined affirmatively, and with deci-
sive affirmation, or the call for the Of
flee of an insurance commissioner can
not be justified, and the Office should
not be created. There is practical wis
dom in the precept, "Let we'll enough
alone" Unless the promoters of the
scheme to establish the Office of insur-
ance commissioner can show conclu-
sively that the existing status of the
States control of insurance interests
within its borders is not well enough,
it ought to be let alone; and it ought
not to be very difficult to show that the
prevailing plan of insurance supervision
is working efficiently, is economical in
more ways than one, and is ample for
all present needs.
If insurance men are able to make it
appear that fire marshall, administer
ing proper law prescribing his duties,
will be the means, in reasonable de-
gree, of increased fire protection, of d.
minishing losses by fire, and thereby of
reducing the cost of property insurance,
without depressing property owners in
general or subjecting them to unwar-
rantable interference with their prop
erty rights, it is difficult to see what OBJ
lection there can be to creating this
Office, and especially when it is pro-
posed that the fire insurance COM
panies shall "pay the freight"
The remaining officers enumerated
will wait on the enactment of laws call
ing them into existence.
In all these matters the deciding con.
sideration ought to be the real needs OF
Vermont people and interests. The
argument that Massachusetts,, or some
other State, has such and such law OF
office has not, necessarily, pertinency
in this State. Other, and better and
stronger, reasons directly affecting To-
cal interests and conditions, and sup
plying urgent local requirements, ought
in all cases to decide whether this pre-
posed law shall be enacted or that pre-