The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-07-17
The States Finances

When the citizen carefully reviews
the recently published statement of
the state treasurer for the fiscal year
ending June 80 and finds that the pub
lie finances show a larger balance on
hand at the end of this twelve month,
which includes session OF the legis-
latpre, than there was two years ago
for similar period including the next
last session, he is not likely to take
much stock in politicians cry of
deficit"
This need not be taken to mean that
because we now have, therefore we
always shall have, money enough on
hand TO pay our bills, regardless of the
unreckoning liberality of any legisla-
ture in the way of appropriations.
There is just as much need of careful
scrutiny of proposals for legislative
appropriations as there ever was. But
there is a type of economist that fig
ures more or less conspicuously in pol
itics that is all the time putting up the
cry for 'retrencnment" when, as a
matter of fact, there is mighty little
to reform in the states fiscal affairs.
These economists simply don't like to
Z
are curiously blind to the signs of the
times indicating beyond all shadow of
doubt that, instead of spending less
money than it does today, the state
must be prepared to spend more.
The sphere of government is con-
stantly widening whether some of us
like it or not, whether it upsets some
of our old time pet theories about pa
ternalism, or not The spirit of the
age is more and more investing gov
eminent with authority and direction
in affairs that used to be considered
outside its jurisdiction, and this means
as a natural consequence, that the
more the government has to do the
more it will cost TO conduct it.
Vermont nas financed its govern
ment on pretty close margins in years
past. II is exceedingly doubtful whe
Their any state in the Union has done
the same thing more economically
and il is very certain most of them
have not done so well. The states fl
nances generally speaking, are in
splendid condition. But this is not
merely theresultof good management.
1t has been made possible to very
great tAltul bNNduCt lllN Oltibt iiu NV
spend some money that ii ought TO
have spent, that it did not make some
departures in the way of appropria-
lions that il ought to have made. Yer
mont has been exceedingly frugal to
say the least and no little part of her
Wanted expense of neglected opportu-
nifty
We must be ready TO see a change
In this policy. The state will raise
more money and spend more money
from year to year. There will be the
same occasion for scrupulous care in
making of these more liberal appropri-
atoms lest they run beyond the new
conception of greater generosity into
the : recklessness of extravaganza.
There will be the same occasion for
efficient oversight of the handling and
disbursement of this money that the
business may N done not only hon
estly, as it always is, but that it be
done without loss or waste. All this
will he true economy. But Vermont
is certainly entering upon new sense
OF proportions in ner public finances,
what would once have appeared ex-
travagant now is seen to be simply
enough, I ana SOMETIMES nv paieiJ
that while new opportunities for APP
propriating money to uses that the for
mer generation never dreamed of at
all the presenting themselves with
growing popular endorsement every
year.
Part OF the cry for economy is COM
mon sense; part of it is buncombe.-
st. Adams Messenger.