Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-17
What OUR NEIGnBORS SAY
SIDE JUDGES.

(rrom the st. Johnsbury Republican,
We are reminded that the recent ses-
sion of Chittenden county court was
presided over by three Johns HIS, viz:
John II. Watson, presiding judge, aud
John n. Allen and John II. Lyon, as
sistant Judges.
Vermont, by the way, Is about the
only State In the. union whose county
court room furnishings include side
judges. There has been some consider
able talk of modifying our judicial ma
chincry SO as to dispense with them al
together.
Good men have been called to fill the
office and they have come to see that
they were little more than wooden in.
dams and figure heads In the business
Of the court.
The late r. W. Church, Of Kirby. when
side Judge, told this story.
He said he sat as one Of the side
Judges on a certain case for three days
without being called upon to do or say
anything, but just sit still, keep awake
and look wise. Finally, the presidine
Judge, one afternoon. reached over and
tapped him on the arm, and in n loud
whisper asked: Squire, won't YOU
scratch my back? Right there between
the shoulders, a little To the left.
can't quite reach IT," Judge Church
said he was perfectly satisfied after tina,
ard drew his salary perfectly conscious
that he had earned 1t. He had found
out what the side Judge was for.
The side Judge is for ornament and &c
scratch the presiding judges back.
SHALL WE HAVE A STATE. PUR.
CHASING AGENT?
(From the Rutland Hcrald.)
ut may not be out of place to re-
mind some of our Vermont friends tina
have pcrsstently decried any criticism
of Vermonts governmental institutions
and policy az n villification of the Stat
that, right in line with one of the pro
positions OF the critics. the last legisla
ture Of New York authorized the Stat
institutions to buy their supplies b.
joint, instead Of individual. contract
And as result we read: To pcrfec
the new policy, the superintendent ant
managers OF ~ charitable institutions re
Gently met in Albany, at the office Of Mir
Fender, state fiscal supervisor, an
chose a committee to arrange n simple
and more convenient method of buyinl
supplies. The beginning of some reform
in this direction was made by the legis
lature OF 1904 but it is manifestly
wrong business policy that permits eac
separate State institution to purchase it
own supplies on its own account. an
our system will not he what it SHOULD
| he in this respect until the State follow
| the example of the great corporation
and concentrates all this buying in on
| department or in some commission lik
that instituted in New York State. st
Adams Messenger.
It is quite a relief to have even on
Vermont paper spell The Herald on thi
subject at intervals and welcome thi
aid from the other end Of the State. TIL
proposition from business standpoin
is an axiom. The question is when wi
public opinion crowd the grafters bac
from the till?
GET INTO THE SWIM.
(From the Waterbury Record)
The Rutland News is giving good ad
vice when it says that every man. woma
and child should learn to swim. w
would like to see every town show err
terprise and make a good beach on tn
Vermont streams and build suitable bat
houses. This could he carried out at
very slight expense and would add niue
h. ~HtS .,f Iynrt, toSr,,