Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-09-13


directing the public sentiment favorable
to forestry development in the state.
1t has secured the enactment of fairly
satisfactory laws concerning forest fires
and fire wardons. 1t has secured the APP
pointment of forestry commissioner,
who is one of the members of the state
board of agriculture, the first incumbent
being Hon. Ernest Hitchcock of Pitts
ford, the present one being Hon. Arthur
NJ. Vaughan Of Randolph, Vermont. The
chief duty of the commissioner Is to ad-
minister the state fire laws; second, to
direct the educational campaign which is
carried on largely through the board of
agriculture meetings. Finally, and most
important, the forestry association Sc
sured the passage by the last legislature
of a small appropriation, to be continued
annually for five years, to the agricultur-
al experiment station for the mainten-
anCe of a state nursery This nursery
is to grow and distribute at-as near as
can be computed-the actual cost of pro-
duction sucn seedlings of forest trees as
ii considers best suited for reforestation
in this state. The station and the state
forestry commissioner are to furnish
along with the seedlings such advice and
practical directions as to the planting
and care Of the same as are needed. This
law was passed last winter. As result
requests were received this spring for
five times as many seedlings as the state
nursery was able to furnish, and requests
are already on file for nearly as many as
are now on hand for distribution next
spring. The policy VIII be to distribute
these in small lots, that as large a
number as may be will have an oppor-
tunity to experiment with their use.
There is no regularly appointed state
forester in Vermont as yet, the respon-
sbility for the leadership in this work
resting with the botanical department
of the university, and a non resident
forestry expert (Alr. G. r. Pettis, New
York state forester, who is I'm charge of
the New York work in the Adirondacls)
is employed as consulting forester. 1t Is
| hoped that We may be able very soon to
employ a state forester to carry on the
educational and experimental work in
the state. This will be the next aim OF
the forestry association and following
that we believe that there will be a ten
dency to set aside certain areas Of land
as state forest reserves"
Corporation taxes now pay all the ex-
penses Of the state. There has been no
direct state tax in Vermont for four
years, and Governor Proctor tells me
there Isn't likely to be any for some
years to come. The new law on corpo-
ration taxes will, he says, increase the
states revenue from that source bv TWEEN
ty-five per cent,-a very considerable ad-
dltion from source in many states a
negligible factor.
Building up the Public Schools.
The law creating permanent public
school fund utilizes for a beginning the
$2ipoOO returned by the national govern
ment to the state in settlement Of civil
war claims the Huntington fund. and
the United States deposit money-in all
nearly million and a quarter 1t Is the
purpose to create a fund OF 81 900 900. the
income OF which shall be used to help sup
port public schools in districts where such
support Is most needed.
Another wise act was that one which
approprates state money to aid in the
Capitalization OF rural schools and TO
| equallze educational advantages to the
| end that no child born in Vermont shall
| De denied full educational opportunities
The act TO provide for better local
Superlntendence Of the public schools"
pledges liberal state aid to towns that
may unite in employing a superintendent
TO guide and shape the work OF their
public schools. l cited to Gov Proctor
the case OF three adjoining towns that
had hired a Harvard man to superintend
their schools, the town agreeing to nav
| MIN 5000 year. The Governor told me
that In such n case the superintendent
would get an even larger amount from
the state. The minimum OF salary Of
such superintendent is fixed at 1850
Gov. Proctor graduated at Amherst col
''S'' iiN mas bttU close student OF the
educational system Of Massachusetts, and
wishes his own state to attain the same
high standard
state Superintendent Stone said that IN
to June l, 1907, 10 supervision districts
had been formed, making ~ towns and
five corporations that mad accented the
provisions OF the new supervision law.
lie added: This number far exceeds
our expectations and shows a greater ac-
I ceptance the first year Of the new svs-
TEN than any other state.
Concerning work for the future, l
VIII say that our program Is to awaken
a larger interest in industrial education.
| especially along the lines of elementary
agriculture for the country schools ana
manual training for the cities and 10
| increase the efficiency and patronage ms
| much as possible for our professional
schools. The new superintendent have
no jurisdiction whatever over the paro-
| chial schools Our state law, however.
| requires the parochial schools to give
their children the same education that
Is orered children in the public schools"
The Vermont state Grange. the favorite
organization Of the farmers. has done
much to promote this progressive legis-
iation 1t is non partisan, but politicians
have learned that the CHANGERS know
how to get what they want for the state.
and the Oranges influence is accordingly
large.
The Swinging of the Pendulum.
Before the Civil war Vermont was mainly
devoted to manufacturing. In almost every
town in the state there were from one
to dozen factories. The inventive gem
lus OF the old Yankee stock there had
full swing. The men of this stock true
to Vermont tradition, no sooner heard Of
a tight than they wanted to get into It,
They did get into 1t, with the result that
the constructive and administrative
brains We're shot out OF hundreds OF
Nermonts little factories. The men who
had made them did not come back from
the front-or came back to find condi-
tons so changed that success In the for
mer fields was no longer possible. Farm
ing became the mainstay of the state,
and so continued until recent years Dur
ing the last two decades and particular
ly since 1900, manufacturing and quarry
ing have been going rapidly up grade
once more In Vermont. The agricul-
tural interest now engages not more than
a third of the people of the state; but
that third earns more than a very much
larger number Of farmers earned dozen
years ago. Vermont farmers are special
izing-tne dairy's milk, butter and cheese
form the biggest single item of profit for
the farms. The business is being put on
a better more scientific basis every year
Here Is where Iowa, Wisconsin, and