Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-02-26
HOW TO RAISE THE MONEY.

HOW TO RAISE THE MONEY.
Now you will say: That's all right
mats all well. but where are you go
ing to get the money" Well. | will
show you.
have been looking over the auditors
report of the state of Vermont, and |
find that 80 years ago. that's in 1870 or
1871, il cost to operate this state 32s0,-
ocO In 1881 it cost 1908. 600. In 1891.
$451, 900 In 1901. $685., ,000,--an increase IN
that period of 1856. 900 a year for run
ning expenses. or more than l25 per cent.
Now good many of YOU can remember
our conditions in lS70-ls1l
WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
What have we got now in the state OF
Vermont more than we had then? What
are we spending this money for? Where
does the 1856. 900 that il required in ls0i
more than il required in 1871 to run the
state of Vermont, where does it go to?
A careful analysis of the EXPENSES shows
that the expense of the executive de-
partment has rema ined about the same.
In 1871 il was SIS. 900, in 1891 il was Sl,.-
900. The expense of the legisla ture has
remained practically the same,-s55, 900
in 1871 SCI. 900 in 1891; hut the expense of
the courts during that period has i'll
tltdNth III tcii N'f hNi
court expenses were $4,000. In 1881
they were only $4,000. In 1891 they
were sl34.0oO. and in 1901, sl75,ooo.
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 il was $4,000. In
1901, 3i3. 900, only an increase of about
| IL 900.
INCREASED COURT EXPENSES.
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 0f law.
| The most Of these prosecutions were
against violators OF the prohibitory law.
We had the prohibitory law in 1881 and
we had it in 1901. but In 1851 apparently
the prosecutors had not awakened to the
possibilities Of making money out OF
| prohibitions With the law repealed We
| shall make a great saving IN the ex-
| pense Of operating the courts. The
expense of conducting institutions dur
ing this period has remained about the
same.-there being an increase of only
about $40, 900 or $4,000
OTHER INCREASED EXPENSES.
The military in 1871 cost $1,000: in
| 1891 S25, 000,-that has doubled. Pen
sions. including soldiers home, cost
IS. 700 in Is7i,-that was before the sol
diers' home was huilt.-and cost IS. 900
| now.
The state paid for the care of its in
sane in 1871 $4,000. aud in 1901 the pan-
per insane account was 3l58,000 ln 1871
the Waterbury asylum was not built,
and we were maintaining our insane at
| Brattleboro II the state OF Vermon,
had put the promoters Of the Waterbury
insane asylum in Brattleboro before they
got that bill through, apparently the
state would be better OF by more than
100000 a year; however. il is too late
TO talk about that now: but the expense
of the insane In this state is much more
than il should be. and more per capita
than it il in other states. as you will
| see.
ssachusetts--Average per capita
per week. $332: average per capita per
year, s1I264
Connecticut-Average number Of pa
tients. 2.19296; cost Of maintaining
same. 1881 ,120.07; cost per capita per
year. s150.9S
New York-Per patient per week.
1919: per patient per year. 3165.S3.
Rhode Island--Average number OF pa
tents. 1.4S4: cost per capita, 1882.
Vermont state hospital-Average NUM-
ber OF patients, 1894 cost of maintain
ing same, Sis. .S69.5S; cost per capita,
s234S6.
INCREASED COST OF EDUCA-
TION.
Money devoted to educational pur-
poses has increased from ST, 900 to $61,-
100 by payments to the agricultural col
lege at Burlington and normal schools.
etc.
EXPENSIVE COMMISSIONS.
In 1871 all OF the commissions in this
state, agriculture and railroad and
county commissioners, etc. cost the
state $1,000 The commissioners have
been increased by the creation OF new
officers in insurance. taxes. health. state,
highway. special fish and game. dairy
men, maple sugar, towns aud cores, un-
til it cost the state in 1891 $65,000 to
maintain these commissions. Now while
do not favor abolishing all of these
commissions | would certainly advocate
the consolidation of them with view OF
reducing the expenses to the state. An
increase from $1,000 to $65,000 in the
expense of maintaining commissions is
too much for the benefit that the state
receives.
AN APPLICATION OF BUSINESS
PRINCIPLES.
If n proper accounting and audit were
kept of the moneys received by the sta te
and pad out. and If the business Of the
state was transacted along the same
lines that any successful corporation fol
lows we could certainly save enough
each year from our present running ex.
penses to build so miles of macadamized
road III five years We would have five
Of such roads, running across our noun.
tain ranges, east and west. from the
Canadian line to Massa liusetts, and il
would not really have cost us anything
WHE"E THE BLAME LIES
You may say: What has the state
of Vermont been doing all Of these
years to allow such an increase in sta
expenses" Well, my answer is that II
is nobody's fault but our own: J an
speaking az Republican to Republi.
cans. Every two years we attend 9
! state convention and nominate state On: