The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-03-10

penSe, ana the balance mas been as
sessed upon the towns. don't know
Just what proportion, il any, the towns
should bear of the expense OF construc-
tiOn. That would be worked out by
legislature; but certainly the state
should bear the greater part of'the cost.
HOW TO RAISE THE MONEY.
Now you will say: THAT'S all right,
that's all we'll hut 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 !
hnd that 30 years ago, that's in 1870 Or
1871, il cost 10 operate this state $751;
000 In 1881 Il cost S303.0O In 1891.
S45l,O0O In 1901, $685.. .OOO,--a increase in
that period Of s35500O year for run
ming expenses, or more than l25 per cent
Now a good many of you can remember
our conditions in lS70-iS7l.
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 S355,000 that It required in l90l
more than II required in 1871 20 run the
state OF Vermont, where does ii 20 to?
A careful analysis of the expenses shows
that the expense Of the executive de-
partment has remained about the same.
In 1871 II was Sl5, 600, in 1891 il was $ll.-
600. The expense of the legislature has
remained practically the same,--$55 0C0
in 1871. S6l,000 in 1891; but the expense Of
the courts during that period has in
creased tremendously. In 1871 the net
court expenses were $4,000. In 1881
they were only $4,000 In 1891 they
were $4,000. 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 it was $4,000. la
1901. $4,000 only an increase Of about
1000
The state paid for the care Of It's in
sane in 1871 Sl3. 900. and in 1901 the pau
per insane account was SljS000 In 1871
the Waterbury asylum was not built.
and we were maintaining our insane at
Brattlchoro. II the state Of Vermont
had put the promoters Of tue Waterbury
insane asylum in BrattlehOro before they
got that bill through. apparently the
state would be better of hy more than
100000 a year: however, il is too late
TO t1lb about that now. hut the expense
~ the insane IN this state is much more
than il Should he, and more per capita
than it is in other states, as you will
see,
Massachusctts-Aver per capita
per wcek S332; average per capita per
year. si726i
Connecticut-Ayeraee number OF pa
tients 2l92,q6 cost Of maintaining
same $32l120.07; cost per capita per
year, sl5099
New York-Per patient per week,
SS.19; per patient per(year, Sl65.93
Rhode lsland-Average number Of pa
tents l.4Si; cost per capita. $t3527.
Vermont state hosptal-Averoge num-
Der Of patients. 1884. cost Of maintain
ing same, sil5,S69.2s; cost per capita,
S234S6
EXPENSIVE COMMISSIONS
In 1871 all Of the commissions in this
state. agriculture and railroad and
county commissioners. etc. cost the
state 81 900 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 and cores. un-
Ill II cost the state IN 1891 sos. 900 to
maintainsthese commissions. Now while
do not favor abolishing an Of these
commissions | would certainly advocate
the consolidation Of them with a view of
reducing the expenses to the state .An
increase from $4,000 to $65 600 in the
expense of maintaining commissions is
too much for the benefit that the state
receives.
AN APPLICATION OF BUSINESS
PRINCIPLES.
II proper accounting and audit were
Kept of the moneys received by the state
and paid out, and II 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. In five years we would have five
of such roads, running across our noun
tain ranges. east and west from the
Canadian line to Massachusetts. and it
would not really have cost us anything
DECREASE IN MARKET VALUES.
Now while the expenses of operating the
state government have been increasing
rs per cent, In the last 80 years what has
during that time have decreased in some
cases more than % per cent. farm,
which in 1870 was worth $4,000. can be
bought today for 5000, and farm prop
erty generally throughout the state has
decreased in value tremendously. The
values OF 1870 were inflated values. We
had not at that time gotten over the war
prices for things, but suppose that instead
OF increasing our annual Sthte expenses
hundreds of thousands Of dollars per an
mum, we had held them where they were
or had voted the money which we have
Bquandered. for permanent improvements,
In the 30 years we would have built more
permanent roadways than any state In
the Union now has. IL that had been
done. do you suppose for one moment that
our farms and other property would sell
at the low price II now sells for? DO
you suppose that there would have been
a single abandoned farm In all Vermont,
II we had spent in the last 30 years S6,-
900 900 in permanent roadways? Vermont
would be gridironed with beautiful roads,
and believe that instead of depreciation
in values the old high values of war
times would have been practically main
tained; but II is useless to surmise what
would have been, except as It may guide
us In the future.
NATIONAL APPROPRIATION FOR
GOOD ROADS PROPOSED.
noticed the other day that a bill has
been introduced into both houses of Con-
gress. approprlating S24000,Oo0 toward \
the building of good roads In this coun-
try. The income of the country is i'm
mense and the. ability to pay Is larger
than that Of any other country In tho
world, so l say II would be a proper
f.w.