St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-10-03

year.
While these figures may not be ab-
solutely accurate they are approx
mately correct.
Now this matter of state expenses is
a subject peculiarly within your prov
ince, for it is written into our constl-
tuition that mo money shall be drawn
out of the treasury unless first ap-
propriated by act of legislation"
Therefore, there is not an item OF
expenditure in the foregoing list that
does not merit your careful eXamina-
ton in detail. And if at the close OF
this session there is, under the law,
a single dollar of the states money
being expended extravagantly or for
an object for which the taxpayer ought
not to contribute, we shall be respon-
sible for it and will remain so until
our successors are elected.
For you not only make every new
appropriation, but also sanction and
acquiesce in every existing law which
authorizes the payment of money from
the treasury.
On the very threshold of the session,
then, it is advisable, to examine care
fully the reports of the several
state officers, which have been pre-
pared at great expense of labor and
money, and so be able to form an in
telligent judgment upon what expendi-
lures are necessary or reasonable. If
you will faithfully do this, you will
not find it necessary to take an ad-
journment for the purpose of going
home within the first two weeks of the
session.
Every member of the general as
sembly should make this examination
for himself and act upon his own
opinion. For it has been we'll salt
that the best legislation is attained by
the combined judgment of average
men.
Within the time reasonable to occu
Ply, can call your attention to only {
few subjects relating to state expenses
and leave the greater part of the fielt
open for your investigation.
1t appears that there has been paiC
out during the last ten years in main
tanning the military organization of the
state the sum of $251 ,726.04. This
averages over SIS, 100000 year.
1t is without question the part O.
wisdom to maintain a regiment of mill
tia and keep them in a high state O
efficiency as nucleus for military or
ganization in case of war. Thorough
preparation for war usually prevents
it. At the same time it is eviden
that our military establishment is to-
expensive and the cost of the sam,
ought 10 De diminished.
We are now maintaining a brigad,
organization with only a regiment O
infantry to command. | would there
fore, recommend that the Office o
brigade commander be abolished ant
the law establishing brigade organ
iZation be repealed | would also asl
you to inquire if the office of adjutan
and inspector general and the offic
Of quartermaster general could not wei
be consolidated and the duties of bot
positions performed by one person.
Inasmuch as it is thought tina
Congress may soon enact some meas
ure looking to greater uniformity be
tween the National Guard and the res
ular army, it would not seem wise t
make any increase in the militia TO
the present.
Commissioner of State Taxes.
In recent years offices and commits
sions have been created for Temporal
purposes and when once establishe
have become fixtures. AS an eXampl
take the Office of tax commissions
which is now probably the chief sine
cure in the state.
The expense of this office for the las
biennial term was $3,087.99, of whic
$2,20000 was paid for salary, $4,000
for clerk hire, and the balance for stt
tionery and incidentals. 1t is asser
ed, without the possibility of success
full contradiction that the whole dl
ties of the office could be performed b
the state treasurer without adding ms
terially to his duties.
The army of aspirants who have a
ready applied to serve the state in thi
= position demonstrates the wisdom Q
the fathers in providing in our cor
stitution that whenever an office be
) comes so profitable as to occasion man
J to apply for it, the profit ought to b
| lessened," And they might we'll hay
added that whenever an office become
unnecessary it ought to be abolished
which | now recommend.
would suggest that the dutie
thereof be assigned to the state treas
urer, giving him the same sum TO