Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-10-22
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY
The Qucstion OF Right and Compen-
sation Of Legislators.


sntion Of Legislators.
tF'rom the st. Adams Messenger)
I'VE believe the members Of the Legis-
lature would win hearty applause by
taking pay only for the days they actu-
ally devote to the work Of the State."-
Burlington Free Press.
The lesson OF the salary grab" Of
1896 taught that. and the Ia wInnkers of
1905 will do we'll to heed It.
1t Is not that the people Of Vermont
are nggardly In spirit or actually be-
grudge the faithful legislator fair re-
Enumeration for services rendered. It IS
simply that, like all New England people
whose long struggle with the demands
OF stern md not always bounteous ma
ture have made them thrifty and exact,
they are indisposed to be imposed upon
in principle. even II In the same breath
they are moved to give outright to the
same end the same amount OF money on
reasonable proof Of Justification.
OF course. every man that follows the
current OF public affairs in Vermont
knows full we'll that the most truly
representative men IN the Legislature
are not possessed Of any mercenary con-
siderations whatever in tho matter of
compensation. Some OF them are perfectly
willing to perform their duties gratis as
n personal sacrifice to the cause OF good
government. others not able to make
such a sacrifice and knowing of course,
that II Is not now reasonable TO ask II,
are content 10 serve for tho bare pay
| ment OF necessary expenses. which Is
practically all that the present salary
| amounts to- There are. Of course. men in
| every Legislature OF Just such small
callber "a TO regard tho opportunity 10
make three dollars day ont OF the
State treasury n veritable gold mine and
| who actually contemplate any action in
regard to the salary question only with
n mind tuned TO greedy appreciation OF
| piCayune gain.
| AS The Messenger argued in 1906. Il
the present per diem basis OF compensa-
ton actually means what the law pre-.
scribes. It means three dollars a day only
| for the days that the Legislature sits
| There can be no other proper meaning
| to It. II IL only fair to say that there
are easily Imaginable circumstances ant
| conditions during a session IN which THU
| might not be n fair scheme for compen
sation, when members would be put t
| expense and loss of time on DAYS wheI
| the Legislature was not sitting. SO, that
| rather than that the lawmakers shall
resort to any such questionable device
as was employed in 1906 to even up thi
! discrepancy, and IN the interests o
brisk and businesslike sessions generally
The Messenger believes It would be
wise thing for the State to pay the law
| makers lump sum for rho session
| whether Il be long or short. When tn
legislators assemble at Montpelier know
Ing Just how much money they ar
going 20 receive for their work. no mat
ter how much or how little time the,
take to do II. we may be fairly certai
that the sessions will not be needlessi
dragged out beyond the proper limit.
| Is worth trying.
ABOLISHING GRADE CROSSINGS.
(From the Bennington Banner)
II Is seldom that reform takes plac
In commonwealth with such an at
sence of friction as has characterize
the abolishing Of the grade crossings !
Vermont. Previous TO the additional All
thority conferred upon tho railroad com
mission by the Legislature OF 1906 an
the attendant inws created during tina
session grade crossings in this Stat
were regarded AZ an evil to BIO endure
and for which no one seriously sought
cure. However. once tho laws whic
prescribed that for every section G
railroad OF certain number OF mile
two crossings should hereafter be m
nually abolished went into effect III
death traps began to disappear, the
have been disappearing ever since an
to-day an order FROM the commissio
for one of these changes which add F
much to the general safety of life an
limb causes hardly a ripple OF common
To be sure It hasn't been smooth sal
ing all OF the time Unexpectedly
was the towns, in one or two instance
that attempted to block the wheels
progress instead OF tho railroad con
, panies. but tho exceptions. as In ever
instance wherein the individual attemp
to stand in the way OF that which make
for the general good. counted for littl
: In this connection some statistics fro
I | other States relative to the matter
| grade crossings will he Of interest.
recent report shows that there are
present S.723 grade crossings In Il
5 State OF New York. During the pa
. ten years there have been 1,0l6 poop
killed at these crossings During Il
same time Gil were injured. or the tot
n number Of grade crossings 6.793 are u
y protected and 1910 have protection. r.
+ number killed at protected grade eros
ings was 800. injured 1854 The numb
i killed at unprotected grade crossin
s was 707. injured 657. The State has a
d propriated trihe over 100000 sin
- the New York grade crossing laws
came effective in 1908 Massachusetts sin
J. 1890 has spent considerable more tn
It q. COO ono in grade crossing elimination
= Since the grade crossing law became
fective In New York. State appropr
% lions have been allowed for the elimir
10 ton Of 80 grade crossings.