St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-03-24
Results VS.. Extravagant Abuse.
An Able and Vigorous Defense of the
Last Legislature.

Of the late Legislature. but, after
reviewing the session laws, we believe
the half was never told" Your edi
torial on The Tact of the Late Legis
lature' in my opinion is the best that has
yet been written by any paper IN the
state" says another member. And yet
Governor Prouty, Chairman Williams
and the Bennington Banner continue to
defend the indefensible Rutland Herald
As a rule selfrespecting newspapers
refuse to print anonymous attacks but
the Herald is so ready to lend its aid
to anything tending to defame the legis-
lature of 1908 that it jumps at anything
no matter how fantastic and absurd. II
the Herald will give the name of his
informant the state can Judge as to
whether his opinion is to be taken
seriously. At any rate he is mistaken.
No man can look over the printed acts
of the legislature of 1908 and say
honestly what the Herald claims to
quote. In fairness to the much abused
legislature OF 1908 the Banner asks it's
readers to glance over the following list
the recent session:
No. 7. Providing for the proper ven
tilation of the statehouse, the need of
which has been recognized for twenty
years.
No. II. Creating the state board of
agriculture and forestry. The most i'm
portant act of any Vermont legislature
in many years, in the opinion of many.
Provides a plan and establishes a way
to add millions of dollars to the value
and productiveness of Vermont real
estate during the next fifty years.
No. 8. Providing for the inspection
of nursery stock brought into the state.
Had the act been in force earlier it might
have kept out the San Jose scale. In the
future there will be other pests just as
dangerous and the time to guard against
them is in advance.
No. % to 40. Doing away with the
expensive county examiner system and
putting the examination of teachers in
control of the state superintendent of
education. Providing for an efficient
state board of education. Providing
for more and better trained teachers
through the establishment of depart
ment of pedagogy for Middlebury col
lege and by increasing the appropriation
for the normal schools providing they
raise the standard of their work. Making
start toward manual training schools,
one of the great needs of modern edu.
cation. Enlarging and extending the
opportunity to secure expert supervision
of our country schools. Making the
child labor laws simpler and more easily
enforced.
No. so. Appropriating $4,000 an
nually for the State Medical college.
This college, now one of the best in the
country, was faced by the necessity of
lowering its standard or shutting its
doors had not the state come to it's aid.
No. SO. Further helping the towns in
securing libraries and adding to those
already in existence.
No. 81. Increasing the appropriation
for permanent state highway building
from $4,000 to SIS, 900 year.
No. 90. Providing a uniform system
of taxing automobiles for the benefit of
the roads which they injure. The law is
faulty in that it does not assess enough
tax on the high priced cars but it is
long step in the right direction.
No. 115. To prevent fire insurance
companies taking advantage of insured
persons in settling fire losses.
No. lie. The Public service commits
sion law. This provides tribunal to
whom any person or community wrong
ed by railroad, express, telephone, tele-
graph, electric light, power or gas COM
pany can appeal, and is designed to pro-
tect the public from the greediness of cor
porations. 1t took the better part OF an
entire legislative session in the great
state of New York and all the strength
Governor Hughes and his friends could
muster to get through law there not as
good as this one.
No. 11S. Giving cities and villages the
power to compel a pure milk supply
This act is second to none ever passed in
Vermont inimportance. Where enforced
in other states and cities it has reduced
the death rate among infants from ten to
twenty per cent. This act alone is worth
all and more than the recent session of
the legislature cost the state of Vermont.
No. 119. To prevent the spread of
tuberculosis by creameries through mix
ing tuberculous milk with pure milk and
then using it promscuously in feeding
young stock, pigs, etc. The act compels
sterilizing all this milk through heating
it before it goes back to be fed. This act
is OF the highest Importance but has been
lost sight of through the attention paid
to less important things.
No. 1913. To prevent the adulteration
OF paints. This act will be OF thousands
Of dnll
property owners.
No. 126. To increase the efficiency of
the Vermont National guard and giving
this state as good a system as any in the
country.
No. 1877 to 147. Simplifying the trout
fishing laws so as to make them much
more capable of enforcement as violators
are likely to find when the season opens.
No. ISL. Regulating the practice of
medicine and surgery SO as to curtail the |
dangers from quacks and swindlers.
No. 159 to 161, Increasing the effec-
tiveness OF the pure food laws.
No. 17S, Putting sheriffs on a salary |
basis and reducing the fee abuse Graft
ing deputies who have been working the
state Tor fees will kick strenuousy about |.
this act, but the state will be the gamer
and honest officers will get full pay for
actual service.
No. POI, To prevent tax collectors
from making excessive costs for taxpay-
ers to pay.
No. POS. To provide for the ceIebra-
ton of the Booth anniversary of the dis
covery of Lake Champlain. 1t is wise
thing for a state to occasionally indulge !
in self advertising celebration like this |
to deVelOp patriotic sentiment and this |