Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-06-24

itation prohibiting the taking OF
money from the state treasury except
upon the express vote of the Legisia-
ture.
Moreover the question arises wheth-
er this violation OF the spirit Of the
Constitution by paying out money on
the supposition that the Legislature
VIII make good the payment later on,
may not be opening the door TO abuses
which will ultimately make this pro-
vision of the States Fundamental law
In effect a dead letter. In any event
we believe a repetition of this expert
ence should be discouraged in every
possible way.
In the meantime the question to be
settled is how to prevent the develop
ment of any such emergency in con-
nection with the States finances In
the future. The Manchester Journal
In this connection comments as fol-
lows:
There has been a great hue and cry
In the State recently about a shortage
IN the department Of Justice of tho
state which will amount to about 500
600, which sum the genial lieuten-
ant-governor. Dr. John A. Mead OF
Rutland has offered to advance TO tho
state and wait until the next session
Of the Legislature to reimburse him.
This shortage. defcit. misunder-
standing, blunder or whatever else 1t
may be called, is claimed to exist be-
cause Of the recent enactment of a
law whereby 1t makes 10 necessary TO
keep prisoners convic'ol of crime,
not felony, whose term Of sentence
Is less than one year. in the county
tails at hard labor. and in the county
In which the offence was committed.
That is the first section Of act No. 17s.
The second section says that the Gov
ernor may, In his discretion. remove a
prisoner confined in any TAIL under
sentence to any other jail in the State.
Section No. 8 says that the House of
Correction in the city OF Rutland
shall. for the purpose Of this act. be
deemed the Jail of Rutland county.
1t would seem to the Journal that
the trainers Of this law had very wise
ly taken everything into consideration
and covered the ground thoroughly
and IT seems to us that II Is up to the
Governor himself to relieve the situa
ton by sending the prisoners to the
House Of Correction at Rutland. which
IL the county Jail for that county. Tho
House Of Correction has had its num-
bers so depleted under the working Of
this law that 1t has been obliged to
ASK the State to help them out by
sending some prisoners there to help
turn out the work at that institution.
n the shortage Is due to the working
out OF this law let tho Governor see
to II that the power vested in him In
this act Is used and the relief OBJ
tanned.
The late Legislature has been
blamed for a great many thinEs-some
of them they should have been blamed
for--but 1t looks to us as though It
was up to the Governor to remedy the
evil in this instance
As we have hitherto remarked, the
people themselves are primarily blame
worthy for the present condition OF
arralrs in the department OF justice.
The White River Junction Landmark
we'll sums up the whole situation
when 1t says:
The Bellows Falls Times calls Mt
tention to the remark that the depart
ment of justice expenses have in
creased from $4,000 to over 100000
year In the past 20 years. II might
have added that the gain In the ropu-
lation In the State in the 20 years
ended in 1905 was only 10000 In
the decade now closing the gain IL APP
parently about in the same proportion.
But in the past ten years not only
has new court been created. but sal
aries have been doomed all along the
line.
This situation is all the more sig
nincant when we recall the fact that
considerable proportion of the
changes in the department OF Justice
were made in the name Of economy.
1t is evident that the whole matter
OF expenses In the department OF JUS
tice, needs thorough overhauling
Economy as we'll as the welfare OF
prisoners themselves would call for
the adoption Of different policy In
connection with this particular branch
of the subject. II also behooves all
concerned to suggest where expenses
can be saved without interfering with
the efficiency of the service.
1t Is too much to ask Of a governor
that he devote his time to the trans
fer OF prisoners from the county jails
70 the House Of Correction accordin 8
to the ebb and now OF the criminal
tide. The duty Of our lawmakers can
not thus be thrust from their own
shoulders upon those OF the executive.
II the Governor must look after all
details Of this character and see that
every department keeps within It's APP
preparation. It follows as a matter OF
course that the development of this
fact will make II incumbent on the
pc ople to bear this In mind and select
In 1910 a candidate for governor who
will be his own platform In the direc-
ton OF economy combined with a pro-
gressive spirit in the administration
OF Vermonts affairs.
$4,000