The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-10-06
EXECUTIVE
MESSAGES
New and Retiring Governors
Address Legislature.
STATES RESOURCES
Their Development the Keynote
of Gov. McCuIIoush's
Communication.

Montpelier, Oct. 6.-The feature oil
the day today was the reading of the
message Of the retiring governor, John
G. Mccullough and the present gov
ernor, Charles j. Bell.
Gov McCulloughcs physicians did
not consider him able to read his long
message, so it was read in both hou-
SEES separately by the clerks. His mes
sage was rather lengthy, covering &c
printed pages. He refers to the well
managed state finances, our model
state institutions, recommends improv-
ed highways, a primary election law
and the retention of the license law.
! He thinks that the towns should not
vote on license oftener than once in
| three or five years and says the present
| law needs Few amendments tending to
make it more affective. Some of the
things he says are as follows:
Vermont has the making of an en-
pire. The slate, the marble, the gran
lite, that underlie her hills and noun
tains hold the promise and potency of
inexhaustible wealth.
Vermont is also natural park. 1t
is capable of Infinite Improvement
One method would be to form state
organization for solving the forestry
problem in Vermont, following the eX-
ample of European countries, and
supplementing the work of the United
States Bureau of Forestry. Let CON-
mission be appointed by the governor
of three or five eminent gentlemen who
are deeply interested in this subject
and who would serve without compen-
sation, and whose duty it should be to
adopt comprehensive forestry policy
for the state, and plan for the pro.
lection and replanting of the forests,
for the study of their quality and com.
position, the conditions necessary for
successful reproduction of the most
valuable trees, the prevention OF for
est fires, the relation OF the growth of
forests to humidity and the rain fall,
and to designate methods by which
numbering operations may be best car
ried on so as to leave the lands cut
over in condition which will more
readily admit of forest reproduction.
The aim of the commission should
be both utilitarian and aesthetic.
4 ccording to the census the forest
product of Vermont was, in 1899, Sec
ond in yalue-the hay and forage crop
only exceeding it. This timber crop |
should continue tC be one of Vermont's |
most valuable assets. The existing |
timber lands should be so utilized as
to secure not only present profit, but
insure development and continuance.
Of the land in Vermont included in
farms, more than one-half is unim-
proved. The waste and abandoned
tracts of the state should be planted
and planted intelligently with such
varieties of trees as will be most prof.
table to our children, as we'll as en-.
HANGING the wealth and beauty of the
state. .--a
Hand In hand with the preservation
and rehabilitation of the forests, go
he conservation and development of
he water power of the state. Water
BY the law of nature must, of necessity
,e common to all. No one can have
more than temporary, transientprop.
'rty in 1t. This wealth producing pow
IT the state should guard and protect
md from it derive great benefit. 1t is
nexhaustible, for nature replenishes
t. Its value is incalcuable, now that
he transmission of the electric cur
ent over long distance is an accom-
'lished fact The distribution OF cleo.
richly to points far distant from the
lace of its generation, opens up vast
Possibilities in the utilization of water ,
'ower. $
Massachusetts with not quite one
ixth the area of New York, has, un- !
er its enlightened policy, developed |
81 900 water horse power as against q
Jew York's go, 900 Excluding Mag {