The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-10-12

carefully all special legislation. In al
most every case relief, if really need
ed, can be obtained under the general
law.
There is also a tendency to seek
legislation general in it's character
but special in purpose to fit some par
ticular case which has arisen or is
anticipated. This is even more dan
gerous, for though it may cover the
particular case in mind, which may
be entirely worthy and meritorious, it
is often wholly unsuitable for general
application.
All new legislation should be given
very careful consideration and when a
law has been passed unless there is
marked reason for it's repeal it should
be given a reasonable and thorough
trial. The Objectionable points are at
once apparent and repeal is sought
before it has had sufficient opportun-
ity to bring out it's real merits. You
should therefore be conservative with
reference to repeating legislation I'M
til it has been thoroughly tried.
SPECIAL CORPORATION LEGISLATION.
Corporations are the largest subject
of special legislation. Acts granting
special charters or amending exist
ing charters of public or private cor
porations occupy 292 pages of the
printed laws of the Session of 1904
while the entire public acts of that
Session only occupy 241 pages. Such
legislation arises somewhat from the
tendency to seek special privileges but
it is due more to the fact that our
general laws with respect to the or
ganization of corporations both public
and private, are not sufficient and COM
plete.
We have now a general law ". S.
Chapter 1861 for the incorporation of
private corporations by voluntary as
ISOLATION, but for some reason there
is a constant application to the Leg
islature for special charters for pri
vate corporations, which ought to be
granted under some we'll considered
general law. Special charters are
good means for securing special priv
ileges but they are a very poor means
for protection from corporate abuses
In legislature constituted as ours is
consisting each session largely of new
members and convened in a short
session, special corporation legislation
except in extraordinary cases is not
likely to produce satisfactory and GER
tainly not uniform results. 1t ordin-
arily happens that privileges which one
legislature readily grants another will
refuse and conditions regarded by one
legislature as of Importance are en-
tirely disregarded by the next. Cor
porations as a means of doing business
have existed for centuries. They are
The right to form them
under proper restrictions should be
equally free to all, but they should be
equally subject to uniform provisions.
The most useful corporations have no
desire for special privileges not COM
mon to all corporations of their class
and do not object being subjected to
all reasonable limitations provided
other like corporations are subjected to
the same. The greatest danger arises
from special legislation, for it is or
in this way that special privi-
leges are obtained and exemption from
proper restriction acquired.
l recommend such a revision of our
general corporation laws as will bring
them up-to-date. Their terms and con-
ditions should be liberal but just and |
1t is right and proper that |
the state should receive, as it does, a |
fee for charters, but no lax
ity in the corporation laws should be |
permitted, as is done in some states, for
the sake solely of revenue. When our
corporation laws have been thus |
amended applicants for charters, ex-
cept in extraordinary cases, should |
be left to the use of its provisions and |
the time now occupied by legislatures
in the consideration of private corpor-
alton measures can and should be Civ
en- to public business.
SAVINGS BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
CHARTERS.
There are forty-ive savings banks
and trust companies in active opera
ton in the state and every one has a
special charter varying in some re-
spect from the charters of every other.
If 1t is desired to organize a savings
bank or trust company a special charter