St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-11-09

commissioner, the HnlSnlnB up VI
movement in behalf of board OF
prison commissioners, possibly
tilt over tuberculosis and the career
of the board OF agriculture; these in
clude the more important matters to
be finally arranged within the next
two weeks, and some of them can
and will be decided very quickly
when once reached.
Tonight tuesday, there will be a
hearing on Senator Blodgett's bill to
annex the town OF Concord to Gale
donia county. An instructive lesson
in geography was given before the
senate general committee on Thurs
day night, when the bill providing |
for change in the shire town OF
Essex county was discussed. 1t &C.
Cured to more than one individual
who glanced at the map on that oc-
casion that there were several good
reasons, and no very poor ones, why
Senator Blodgett's Concord annexa-
ton bill should succeed. II the Essex
shire is not changed, Concord
people, it is said, will prefer to keep
their present county relations; if
Brighton, farther away, gets the
court house, Concord will yearn for
official connection with Caledonia.
The peculiar feature Of the move
ment for change in the shire town
is the proposition to leave the Jail
at Guildhall while the court house is
at Brighton.
The prison reform legislation in
volved in Senator Blodgett's bills is
a move in the right direction, and is
likely to 60 through without much
opposition. 1t will relieve the execu-
tive of large amount of business
that does not really belong to his
Office, and ensure for the criminal
class more wise and careful consid-
Grafton than is possible under the
present system.
The opposition manifested in GER
a tain quarters to the state cattle COM
mission and it's work-opposition
which apparently rests to a great
extent on prtjudice-should not in
fluence the legislature to abolish the
commission or change materially the
statute by virtue of which that COM
mission has been operating. That
particular law seems to be working
very well. To be sure, it is cost
ing the state something; but when
one compares results of this inspec-
ton of cattle in Vermont with simil-
ar service in other states, he finds
that it costs much less here than else.
where. For instance, in Massachu
# sets during 1897, nearly 10000
cattle were tested, while in Vermont
for the season OF '97 '9S over $4,000
d cattle were tested. The average
6 cost per head, for supervising and
testing in Massachusetts, was SIS %
while in Vermont it was "a cents
A decided difference in favor of this
: state.
The attempt to get libel bill
). through at this session failed, main
. ly because the judiciary commit tee
did not like the makeup of thu
measure they were called upon tt
" consider.
If Somebody wants to investigate
II. the expenses Of state officers. A sen
ate resolution to this end which wa
s intended to include in its paterna
L solicitude only the administration
j. just closed, was quickly followed b,
house resolution of broader scope
" broad enough to cover ten years
d period and so three senator
:. (Messrs. Plat, Foss and Young
and FIVE representatives (Messrs
N Kemp, Richardson, Carpenter, East
II man and Reynolds) will proceed t.
add, subtract, divide (but not t,
C. multiply, of course) and averag
official finances and recommend az
~ cordingly. A wise, candid and ur
g, prejudiced investigation will inur
:. to nobody's hurt. In view of thi
- latest arithmetical move, the fate c
nc certain bills providing for an increas
30 of compensation of several stat
J., officers and boards, as well as fo
70 some of the appropriation bills, ca
10 be easily guessed.
he The action Of the house in grantin
ri $4,000 relief to the town of Woo
at ford, to aid in repairing highway
in extensively washed by food, is gel
at orally commended. Woodford
3D. distress was great, and the sena,