Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-03-13

could be secured. Other matters that
occupied the attention of the commit
tee were the better reimbursement OF
owners of cattle slaughtered in the ef-
fort to stamp out tuberculosis and in
creasing the power of the agricultural
department and its equipment in fight
ing the San Jose scale and other Or
chard pests. The committee believe
that the greatest value of their labors
was not in constructive legislation, but
in carefully watching unwise and VI
cious measures, and believe they were
successful in checking much legisla-
ton that would have placed burdens
upon agriculture.
Report on Good Roads.
This voluminous yet important report
was submitted by Z. IL. Young OF FL
mira. chairman of the standing com
mittee on good roads. A brief synop
sis is all that we have space for here.
The report recites that two-thrds of
the towns have discarded the old labor
system of working roads and that the
legislature should now accept the
grange doctrine and make the money
system applicable generally. The i'm
provements petitioned for since the
work began covers more than 10000
miles in fifty-hve counties. The APP
preparations made by the state and To-
calitles for the $3.50 miles for which
plans and specifications have been ac-
cepted will aggregate more than $20-
100000 The future improvement pol
icy is the subject of contention between
those who would like to see the state
build a system Of through connecting
highways and the larger class who be-
lieve that the advantages are more i'm
portant for business than for pleasure.
The maintenance of expensive roads is
certain to prove a heavier burden than
now anticipated, and the tendency will
be, as the committee believes, to grad
ually withdraw support from the mon
ey system towns upon the plea that
the care of state roads is all that it
can properly bear. The authors of the
fifty million amendment were wise in
requiring that improvements made I'M
der its provisions should be equitably
apportlOned between counties, and the
legislature should see that this princi-
pie Is extended to political divisions
within counties. The state, county and
town scheme is visionary and unde-
sirable The report suggests that a
more reliable method should be devised
for determining the correct mileage Of
highways. AS to material used in
road construction. it was stated that
about 1000 miles of stone road has
been constructed in money system
towns that are proving satisfactory.
This suggests that it would be wiser
to use local stone where available than
to import 1t at greater cost. The
grange has received high commenda-
ton for the influence exercised to OBJ
tain an equitable apportionment OF
costs and expenses, and it rests upon II
to make such representations as may in
sure provision for improvements upon
a broad construction of their value as
a contribution to material prosperity.
Resolutions Adopted.
Resolutions covering the following
subjects were adopted: Recommending
to the legislature to provide appropri
ate means to carry out plans for iA-
provement of state fair and that Il
commission Of appropriate size duly
compensated be appointed; favoring
the creation Of a legal department I'M
der the control OF the commissioner of
agriculture at Albany on account OF
the divided responsibility existing In
enforcing the agricultural law; favor
ing the continuance of the work Of the
bureau of soils of the department Of
agriculture in the important fruit dis
tricts Of the state; indorsing the work
of the bureau Of farmers institutes
and recommending that appropriations
be made for women's Institutes; oppos-
ing the bill now before the legislature
allowing the shooting of pheasants ev-
cry Thursday in October; recommend
ing that the state master appoint a
special deputy to organize juvenile
oranges; favoring equal suffrage; rec
ommendng the placing Of telephone
and telegraph companies under the
public utilities commission and requir-
ing telephone companies to interchange
messages; favOring the establishment
of a secondary school OF agriculture at
Alfred university: referring all action
on the barge canal bills now before the
legislature to the standing committee
on legislation.
The important matter of the compul-
sorry tuberculin test of dairy cattle was
passed upon as follows. We give the
resolution in full owing to its impor-
lance:
Resolved. That We. the members of the
New York state grange. recognize the
obligations of the milk producers of the
state TO supply milk consumers with a
healthy product.
Resolved. That we will heartily CO.
operate with such efforts on the part OF
the state as shall assist us in Kidding
our herds of this disease in a way that
shall be helpful and not disastrous.
Resolved That in view OF the COM
plexity of the problem and of the many
interests involved in IL we respectfully
urge upon our state officials and legisla-
-, l,. ,f,I