Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-07-17
State Finances and Commits
ions Again.

1
lack of opportunity aud tlair i"rhidS
any extended reply at this time. o"'
contemporary article, an artful success
"a a destructive document. fails lament
ably as a constructive or remedial expos'-
ton, despite the fact that 1t contains
suggestions of value which We shall NE
glad 10 discuss later.
There are signs of chistened anh
receptive spirit herein that the Herald
halls with genuine pleasure. As To con
structiveness, the recent articles OF TINS
paper are admitted by the earnest con-
temporary to cons ain suggestions oi
value. What furthur does the name
sake to thu North require in the con-
structiye line ?-Rutland Herald.
Politics having cooled down and a
nights rain having cooled the air, we
are glad to resume this discussion oil
state finances.
The Rutland Herald in its issue OF
June 30 begins with a niisstatemen'.
The "two columns" which it says We
devoted to defense of the administra-
ton finances, includes very nearly full
column quotation of the Heralds article
Our reply is much shorter. as, when
printed in the same issue of the Herald
it occupied scarcely three fourths OF
column.
Stripped of its verbiage the Herald's
article advises:
|. Retain the railroad commission,
but put the judges on fixed salary and
make it part OF the judiciary.
2. Consolidate Offices of commits
sioner of state taxes and state treasurer.
3. Have boards of dental examiners,
pharmacy and medical registration, etc,
but compel the members OF these trades
and professions themselves to pay the
expenses of such boards.
A.. Fix the compensation OF legisla-
tors at stated sum without regard to
the lens 9Th of the session Of the legisla-
tnre.
5. Wipe out the court of claims and
impose its functions upon the auditor
Of accounts
Then follow general remarks as to
graft in our justice courts, results OF
our reorgauized judiciary, and the great
need of retrenchment in state expenses
We shall discuss these subjects in
their order:
!. The railroad commissioners are
now paid a fxed salary. p. $. 6l72
The commission is now a court. 1t:
jurisdiction is fixed by statute. 1t has
all the powers of court, P S. 1908
1t. will survive. w
.. We question the contemporary IS
statement that "no business concern
would maintain an official for the sole
purpose of collecting one particular set o
accounts" We believe that large bust
ness concerns frequently employ persons
whose sole business is the collecting Of
accounts of a particular sort, although
eventually the receipts from all depart
ments flow into one treasury. 1t ma,
not be so very important whether the
commissioner of state taxes is or is no
distinct state official. His is work
ing Office, and have him subordinate 1,
the treasurer if you will: his receipts G,
into the state treasury. Itremains true
however, that these two offices canno
be sufficiently covered by one man
there is too much work in them. AM
the laborer is worthy of his hire. Cal
MIR. Cushman treasurer's clerk, if yo,
will, but you must compensate him ade
qnately for his work, whether he is com
missioner or clerk.
3. 1t was here that We at first
thought we saw suggestions of value
Later reflection convinced US that t,
leave these professions to bearthe expens,
of increasing competition in their work
wauld be very .inadvisable. 1t then oc
Cured to Us that the candidates them
selves should bear this expense, and, 10
our statute already contains such a pre-
vision. P.S. 6l7O.
a. If any state needs good work, sht
needs it nowhere more than in her legis
latnre. Laws properly framed rende,
their execution easy aud relieve the
courts OF much litigation. 1t is safe to
say that not a. dozen men attend GU
legislature with the feeling that the,
are receiving adequate compensation TO
their time and the necessary neglect OF
their vocations; and in many instance,
we believe that our legislators are con
scfous OF distinct pecuniary loss. The
state can pay no less than $500
per day and expect TO obtain the ser
vices of even the average citizen. II
may be argued that patriotism and love
OF state should be motive enough--ant
1t Is in many instances-but in thes,
days, when the issues are largely econom
ical and not ethical, the average maj
does not feel like sacrificing his finaucia
resources to any great degree for tn
mere material prosperity of all the PEG
nln mt hnt,,