Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-02-12

had then? What are we spending this
money for? Where does the $345,00t
that II required In 1901 more than II
required In 1871 to run the state OF
Vermont, where does II 60 to?
a careful analysis Of the expenses
show that the expense Of the executive
department has remained about the
same. In 1871 IL was $4,000, in 1891
It was $1,000. The expense OF the leg
islature has remained practically the
same, $500 in 1871, $4,000 In 1891
but the expense of the courts during
that period has increased tremendous
ly. In 1871 the net expenses were
$40, 900. In 1871 they were only $12.-
900. In 1891 they were s134,000, and
In 1901, $4,000. From the period of
1881 to 1891 there is an increase OF
more than 100000 In the expense OF
justice in this state; but we are told
that litigation has not Increased.
Certainly the population remains about
the same. In 1881 1t was $4,000. In
1901, 345,000-only an increase of about
1900. Why this tremendous increase
in the expense of operating courts
then? II can be charged only to one
thing-the cost Of prosecutions for
violation of law. The most of these
prosecutions were against violators
of the prohibitory law. We had the
prohibitory law in 1881 and we had II
in 1901; but in 1881 apparently the
prosecutors had not awakened to the
possibilities of making money out OF
prohibition. With the law repealed we
shall make a great saving in the ex-
pense OF operating the courts The
expense of conducting penal institu-
lions during this period has remained
about the same.-there being an in
crease Of only about ten or twelve
thousand dollars.
The military in 1871 cost $1,000; in
1891, s25,00o--that has doubled. Pen
cost s3,700 in 1871, that was before the
Soldiers home was built, and cost 3d.
600 now.
The state paid for the care Of its in
sane in 1871 $4,000, and in 1901, the
pauper insane account was $15S,000. In
1871 the Waterbury asylum was not
built and we were maintaining our in
sane at Brattleboro. If the state OF
Vermont had put the promoters OF the
Waterbury Insane asylum in Brattle-
boro before they got that bill through,
apuarently the state would be better
off by more than 100000 year; how
ever, it's too late to talk about that
now; but the expense Of the insane In
this state is much more than 1t should
| be and more per capita than 1t is in
other states.
Money devoted to educational pur-
/ poses has increased from $4,000 to
s6l, 900 by payments to the Agricul-
/ tural college at Burlington and normal
! schools. etc In 1871 all of the commits
sions in this state, agriculture and
railroad and county commissioners,
etc, cost the state $4,000. The COM
lmissioners have been increased by the
creation of new officers in insurance
taxes, health, state, highway, special,
4 fish and game, dairymen, maple SUI
gar, towns and groves, until it cost the
state in 1891 $3.50 to maintain these
4 commissions.
4 Now while do not favor abolishing
all of these commissions | would GER
tainly advocate the consolidation OF
them with a view Of reducing the ex-
pense to the state. An increase from
1000 to $4,000 in the expense OF
maintaining commissions is too much
for the benefit that the state receives
If a proper accounting and audit were
kept of the moneys received by the
state and paid out and If the business
of the state was transacted along the
same lines that any successful corpor-
alton follows we could certainly save
enough each year from our present
running expense to build fifty miles OF
macadamized road. In five years we
would have five of such roads, running
across our mountain range from the
Canada line to Massachusetts and II
would not really have cost us any
thing.
You may say: What has the state
of Vermont been doing all these years
to allow such an increase in state ex-
penses?" Well, my answer is that II
is nobody's fault but our own. Every
two years we attend state conven-
ton and nominate state officers. There
has been. except two years ago, ne
particular platform upon which cam
naign for state officers has been based
merely the time had come arounc
when we needed some new men anc
we have assembled and nominated
them once in a while the convention
will pass resolution advocating econ
omy in state expenses and then after
the summer campaign we have taker
that old resolution and hung it up be-
hind the door to serve for the mex
convention. We would have our cleo
ton. send a lot of new green men VI
to Montpelier, men usually who had ne
experience in legislation charged witt
no duty In particular, except TO go w
there and draw SO a day and have as
good a time as they can. and we ougn'
not to complain If the state expenses
have increased under those conditions
125 per cent with little or no apparent
benefit to the state. It's our own fauit
All the classes in the Vermont Vince
Climb pool and billiard tournament have
been settled this week. and the fina
win be given next week. The class
winners are as follows: Four bal
biIliards-J. A Allen, w. II. Childs
Iulery. Cobb. ]. NJ. Dugan. L. ID
Miller; three ball billiards.. A Al
len. Randall, Thompson, Foster; pool
lC. NJ. Dugan, McRae. Brasor. +. w
Hall. Waite. Bacon
R.forr,er's Quaker Range Contest