Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-10-11

Tor IL rests with you to so legslate as
! 10 foster and not to discourage industry.
To promote and not to retard prosperity,
: ana TO give to all our people the enjoy
ment OF as many common public bless
ings as is consistent with the economical
administration of their public affairs.
, STATE INSTITUTIONS.
During the past biennial term we have
} had an able and thorough and Impartial
investigation of our State institutions
me honesty and economy with which
these institutions have been conducted
is gratifying. We should at all times
insist upon absolute honesty and every
reasonable economy in the administration
OF all the institutions of the State. Our
DUTY and responsibility. however, docs
not cease here. The strictest discipline
should at all times be maintained. San
ltary and other conditions pertaining to
the health Of the inmates should be Of
the best. Modern civilization demands
that the broadcast and most scientific
treatment should be given our us,fortu-
nate insane; and that our penal and re-
formatory institutions should be SUCH az
to improve If possible rather than fur
Their degrade their inmates. With this et,i
Ill view l commend to your favorable
consideration the reports of the Invcstira.
ing commission ana such parts of the re
ports of the Acknowledgement and tht
message of my predecessor as relate te
these Institutions
COURTS
some reorganization of our systep, n,
courts aid judicial proceedings is doubt.
less necessary. The Vermont Bar Asso.
citation has given this matter much at.
tentiOD and Is
mitted to you providing ror a general re.
organization of the present system. Rec.
concentrations coming from such a source
are worthy of your careful consideration.
Ihe recommendations of the attorney.
general contained in his report to Won
/ covering the arrest, trial and commit.
ment of persons charged with misdenean-
ors in our lower courts should also have
your careful and favorable attention. His
Recommendations If enacted would result
in greater economy and the better ad-
ministration of justice
FEE SYSTEM.
In this connection I remind you of the
desirabiilty OF eliminating the fee sys-
TEN as much as possible, especially in
the administration of the penal laws IN
our minor courts. 1t cannot be abolished
!
and disproportionate expense for salaries.
But We should remember that In nrinci
pie the payment of public officials by fees
any further than the conditions absolute.
~ require is undesirable
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
An important matter to receive your
attention is that of the public schools.
Nhiie we have made progress during
the past fifteen years in educational mai.
tiers. this progress has not been so ereat
as in many of our sister States nor whsi
it should have been in Vermont Sixty
years ago in freedom from illiteracy Yer.
mont was the second State in the Union
to-day she is twep.y seventh While thi.
rs 10 some extent due to the increased
number of foreign born children within
the state, yet whatever the cause it Is an
unpleasant fact. to which urge that Won
give your prompt. earnest ard best at
tention.
In the larger towns and cities the
schools have decidedly improved, but in
the rural communities the progress has
not been so marked and rapid as It should
have been Our educational system is not
right; it is not producing the results IL
should. and it cannot produce satisfac-
tory results until Il gives all the child
rem OF the State the very best opportun-
ltles possible for securing a good COM
mon school education. Such am educa-
ton is all many Vermont parents can
give or leave their children. The State
will not have performed its full duty
until 1t has provided every parent within
the commonwealth the opportunity for
doing this.
Education is in the highest sense for
the common good. on account of the
general movement from the smaller COM
munities to the larger towns and cities.
these larger communities are the reel
pients of the educatoa oc the smaller
places They reap the b. Is, of good
educational facilities in tile small COM
munties and must suffer the penalties
of their poor facilities. The difficulty
with our State school tax is not that
the larger communities are bearing some
of the educational burden of the smaller
communities, but because this money IS
not being expended in business-like way
and In such manner as to reap the
best possible benefits from it,
Far too many children in Vermont do
not attend school at all, many others
are very irregular in attendance. The
child labor law AMI the truancy law are
both excellent and are helping in this
important matter. If faithfully enforced
they will eventually cure this evil. Tho
weak point. however, in our school sys-
tenn is lack of skilled supervision.
Experience in other States has fully
demonstrated the fact that tho only way
to carry out any definite educational
policy in the State ard to materially
improve the country schools is to pro-
vide for them some kind of professional
supervision. Local supervision never has
and never will bring about the desired
results. Equalization of all school ad-
vaDtages is what Vermont should strive
for and the first requisite for this is to
provide more and better supervision for
the rural schools. Skilled supervision is
the only method by which we can secure
anything like uniformity of work, i'm
prove our teachers. accomplish better re-
suits, and assure full returns for money
eXpesSded. 1t is only through this method
that drawing, music industrial arts ard
sciences, and other subjects essential to
the broad education of our children can
be introduced. Unless some system of
professional supervision Is established
over small schools our children will be
unable to go out into the world as well
equipped those OF our sister States.
In our large towns and cities the work