The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-02-08
FROM OUR EXCHANGES.
BARRE Times.

inatiOn for governor a year and "a
half hence does not mean he would
refuse such a nomination, The
Times believes. Mr.. DeBoer is a
man whose time and energy are
all given up to the advancement
of the company of which he is the
head, and he does not feel that he
has the time or the desire to en-
ter into a personal scramble for
the office of governor. 1t is ad-
mitted, however, that the position
would honor him and he the posi-
ton. With conditions as they ex-
list at present, it does not seem
that the state will thus honor him,
or he the state, unless the voters
of their own volition arise and de-
mand it.
montpelier Journal.)
"The newspapers can howl
themselves black in the face" re-
marked an official of the Central
Vermont road the other day, ''but
they can't make us pay for our
time tables if we don't want to-"
Correct, but bear distinctly in
mind, Mr.. r. r. Official, that the
newspapers are merely voicing a
prolonged and vigorous public
kick, not shouting for their own
benefit. If the railroads expect
relief from their present situation
in regard to legislation, they are
taking exactly the right attitude
to drive the next legislature into
soaking them good and plenty"
with greater and additional dur
dens", as they call them.
Barre Times.)
1t is time that we were educat-
ing ourselves so that we may be
able to comply with the new spit
ting law which was placed on the
Vermont statutes by the legisla-
ture last fall. The law goes into
effect Friday of this week, Febru-
airy first. The law provides that
a person who splits on a public
sidewalk or in a public building
except in receptacles provided for
that purpose, shall be punished
bv a fine of not more than SlO
for each offense. That may ap-
pear like a pretty stiff sentence
for the seemingly harmless prac-
tice, and it is. But when a per
son stops to consider he will soon
come to the conclusion that the
law is intended to work at the
foundation of a physical i'll which
can be avoided, and as such is de-
serving of strict enforcement. The
lessening of disease, chiefly con
sumption, is the main purpose OF
the law. No one knows the value
of the restriction more than Barre
people. There are many people
walking the streets who are af-
ficted with pulmonary consump-
ton, or tuberculosis, superln-
duced perhaps directly by close
confinement in the dusty stone
plants >6r perhaps indirectly
through the dried bacilll which
have been extracted from the spu-
tum of those already far gone in
the disease. 1t is to prevent the
communication of the disease
from person to person, from hus-
bands to wives and from fathers
to the children, through the dried
sputum, that the so-called anti
splitting law aims. From ia e
time forth, whether afflicted with
disease or not, people should bear
in hind the warning to eXpectorate
in the road, or whatever recepta-
Gle is provided 1t will be only a
trife more trouble to step to the
curbing and spit. A great many
people already take that precau-
ton. The others must.
burlington Free Press.)
Our news columns contain this
morning the announcement OF the
appointment by Governor Proctor
of the tax commission to investi-
gate the subject of double taxa
ton, which he was authorized to
make by the Legislature. Accord
ing to the terms of the measure
the commission was to be bi-parti-
san, three of the members to be
republicans appointed on this
commission by Governor Proctor
are the Hon. O. M. Barber of Ben
nington, the Hon. i. p. Slack of
st. Johnsbury and George w.
Pierce of BrattleborO. The demo
cratic members of the board are
John H. Senter of Montpelier, j.
I'll. Williams of Bellows Falls and
Ernest Hitchcock of Pittsford.
Mr.. Barber, who is chairman of
the commission, was for number
of years State auditor, and he is
recognized as a lawyer of ability
throughout the State. Mr.. Slack,
who is also a well known lawyer,
was leading member of the
State Senate from Caledonia cOun-
ty in 1904. Mr.. Pierce was re-
Gently elected master of the Yer
mont Grange, while Mr.. Hitch
cock, another good farmer, was for
six years a member of the State
board of agriculture and he also
held the position of commissioner
of forestry. These two members
ought to be able to thoroughly
renresent thn farming interests of