Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-12-15

1t is, however, fair TO say that Gov.
Page practically had no expense at
the Bennington celebration, because
1t was in connection with the muster,
and the staff expenses were merged in
the muster account; had he executed
the function outside the state, or not
in connection with the muster, very
considerable executive expense would
have been unavoidable.
Before the committee | gave my
staff and executive expenses, except
the Nashville trip, at Sl,067.37 and
my other executive expenses at
81, O44.60, both sums amounting to
S2,lll.97, and to these items should
be added s227.8i coming from two of
Gen. Peck's bills as necessary expense,
incidental to the Washington and
New York trips, making 81, 339.7s, to
which amount add $3.50 for the
Nashville trip and you have 50 1913
as the sum total of my executive ex-
penses and in no possible view of the
case can they be made 81 ,23S.53 as
the report gives them.
The sum of "a, 322.69 mentioned in
the report as National Guard expense
on the trips to New York and WASH
ington and as pending claim against
the state, to cover which House Bill
No. 345 was introduced, can have no
possible relation to the executive ex-
penses of my term and | cannot see
why il is mentioned in this connec-
ton, unless intended as an intimation
that my expenses should be Sll, 56l.23,
which sum is already seized upon by
some of the state papers as the correct
amount. For whatever reason, how
ever, this allusion may have found a
place in the report let il be known
that nothing can make the sum any
larger. At this high water mark, in
nuendo and imagination are exhaust
ed and Josiah Grout as an expense
maker is unavoidably allowed to rest.
However, treating militia expense
as official and applying TO Governor
Dillingham; the same rule given by
the committee for me, you must add
to 80, 220 his actual official EXPENSES,
the sum of 49, being what he al
lowed the guard in New York, maxi
ing sap and also add the further
sum OF S3,6l9, the balance of the
whole expense OF the trip, after de-
Quoting allowance TO the guard and
you have $9,03l; but this does not
complete the sum under the commit
tees rule, for each enlisted man who
went to New York with him paid for
one thing or another out OF his own
pocket. and so an item comes TO view
the same as that covered by House
Bill No. 3i5, which upon the same
basis of estimate as given in the re-
port for me would be 1929, which
added to SO, 03l makes total of Sl4,-
270 against 81, SOL found and init
mated by the committee as my total
expenses; and Sl2,054 OF this sum
was actually paid BY some one for
Gov. Dillingham's trip to New York |
with guard in 1889; subdivided as
follows: s9l4 governor and staff; 49,
1872 two days pay allowed the guard |
80, $50 popular subscription; S579 as
paid by the companies of
the guard, and Individually paid by |
the members of the guard; being the
same character of expense as suggested |
by the committee as the basis OF House
Bill No. 345.
This calculation however is not
right and is only carried out to Illus
trate the findings of the committer;
the relative executive expenses of our
terms should be 1922 and s5,l69 as
stated, and rpon this basis Let
the reckoning stand.
The committee was requested to
consider and report that many i'm
portant invitations of public char
acter had fallen to the lot of my adj
and that these, together
with the Spanish war, had unavoida-
bly, and necessarily increased official
expenses very considerably and to an
amount not less than $500. It was
also asked that it might be considered
and reported that S2,0l5 had been
passed to the credit of the state dur
ing my term and at my solicitation;
and also that mportunities for a guard
after the Vermont regi-
ment left for the war had been refused
md the expense OF such an organiza-
ion and muster in 1898 saved to the
state, which cannot be considered less
han $4,000, but these suggestions
we're not regarded important.
Therefore, since economy of admin
stration seems to be the nip of the in
resignation, you may as well know
ust how much, as governor, really
cost the state: and whatever | direct
I'd out OF the treasury officially more
han | directed into it shall be con-
'idered the cost. Then from S5,l69,
,otal official draft from the treasury.
leduct S2,0l5 which sum | solicited.
'eceived and turned to use in connec-
ion with permanent state improve
nents; and further to put my admin
stration upon an evener with the
'ther administrations with the period
II investigation; also deduct the sum
# five hundred dollars as unusual ex-