The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-11-09

tence or causes of friction that are
certain to accumulate in such
body in the course of years. AS
matter of strict military efficien-
cy, discipline, and equipment, the
regiment as a whole never was in
such fit condition as it is to-day.
1t is understood, however, there
is some weakness in the personnel
of it's officers as there is always
likely to be, more or less, under
the volunteer system where the
only inducement for the best of
military capacity in civil life to
engage in the service is a generous
public spirit.
(Newport Express and Standard)
There are many instances where
autoists may give trouble upon the
highway by speeding and other
unseemly acts; but there are just
as many instances when those not
autoists, but meeting one of the
machines, can show as many
pusillanimous traits of meanness
as the most ungentlemanly auto
list under the sun. Coventry holds
one such man. An auto with a
gentleman at the helm approached
him from behind and at a con
venient point asked to go by. The
teamster refused. At every con-
venient place for passing he made
it his way to obstruct the passage.
Then he slowed down his horse to
make himself more conspicuous.
During this time he RECALLED the
autoist and his wife with consid-
cradle chin music that was not
pleasant. Finally, within ten
rods of good crossing, he DELHI
erately stopped to talk with a
neighbor and held the autoist in
tow. 1t was fortunate for this
slim substitute of a man that the
autOist was a gentleman or there
might have been some kindling
wood out of his wheels. And there
should have been.
ludlow Tribune.)
The State Board of Railroad
commissioners shows signs of APP
probation of the general situa-
ton in which the railroads and
the public are especially concern
ed. The board-to judge from the
tone of its recently issued report
has reached the point where it
asks either to be given power
enough to make the railroad COM
panies obey orders, or to be it
self abolished.
The public has taken this view
of the matter for some years, and
now that the governor has spoken
plainly along this line and the
commission itself realize that one
thing or the other ought to be
done, it is an opportune time for
the legislature to give us some
thing defnite-a board with
power enough to bring things to
pass, or no board at all.
That there is an excellent field
of operations for a board with the
proper amount of power and the
proper amount of discretion and
"sand" in the use of that power,
nobody will DEW There are sew
eral things that need to be done
in the interest of public safety, |
and convenience, and comfort; |
and these things the railroads
can do themselves, and they will |
do them if the suggestion thereto
is indisputably authoritative.
With the distressing Benning-
ton crossing accident in mind, and
not forgetting the ineffectiveness
of its own findings in that case,
the commissions report bears
down severely on the Rutland
railroad management, and uses
that incident to emphasize the
need of radical legislation to mini
mize the peril in which the pub
lie finds itself at grade crossings.
Now let us see if the legislature
will rise to the occasion and han
die the subject with a wise jus
tice, remembering that the public
existed before the railroad, and
that each has rights which the
other is bound to respect.
montpelier JOurnal.)
The Vermont Union Signal calls
for "a law that will not permit so
called courts of equity to deprive
widows and orphans of a right
to recover damages when the
of the family meets
IN accidental death through no
fault of his own" This is alto
yether too vague and general.
Men meet death daily from hun
1reds of accidental causes and no
one would think of holding an
employer responsible for the
leath of a carpenter, for instance,
who loses his footing and falls
rom a high building, or of a
farmland who becomes involved
With a threshing machine.
rs. 49," the bill before the Cen
rial Assembly this session has no .
iuch idea in mind. 1t is statute
hat has a practical history hav-
ng come to us from the English.
t is in successful operation in
he state of Massachusetts and
elsewhere and cannot be a very
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