St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-10-12
EDITORIAL.
The Governors Messages.

On Thursday last Gov. G. H.
Prouty read his retiring message to
the legislature in the forenoon and
in the afternoon the new governor,
John A. Mead, read his inaugural
message. Aside from being the ex-
pressions of two men the two docu-
ments have an interest because one
is the idea of a man who has had
charge of the affairs of the state for
two years and the other is the ex-
preston of a man as to what he
thinks should be as he begins the
practical duties of his Office.
Gov. Prouty's Views-Gov. Prouty
in his message first stated that on
June 80, 1910, the excess of receipts
of the state treasury over expendi-
lures was $34,828.85, while the year
before there had been a deficit of
$48,775.82, with all bills paid as
closely as possible. He recommended
that an appropriation be made at
once to take care of the deficiency of
1909, that increased appropriations
be made for the state prison and in
dustrial school to take care of de-
ficits in their accounts, that more
modern methods of bookkeeping be
installed in the treasurer's Office, that
proper accommodations be made at
the asylum, state prison and house
of correction to isolate any persons
confined there who are affected with
tuberculosis, that hospital facilities
be established at the industrial
schools, that the governors power
to grant paroles be made definite by
statute, that a rule be established by
the supreme court that the decision
of the lower court should not be re-
versed unless it discovers in the trial
of the case an error that probably
would have affected the verdict in
the case rather than reverse if any
error is found as it is compelled by law
to do at present, the employment of
trained teachers in the rural schools,
the adjustment of the normal school
either at Randolph or Johnson and
better training facilities at the two
schools retained, a larger approria-
ton for the departments of agri-
culture and forestry, that the state
continue it's present policy of road
building, that greater care should be
taken in granting automobile licens-
es, that the owner of cattle after hav-
ing his herd freed from disease at
the expense of the state should be
compelled to keep his herd free from
disease at his own expense, that an
employers liability law made so
general it will not discriminate
against any class be enacted, that no
backward step should be taken with
the public service commission, that
the constitutional changes proposed
by the special commission should be
made, that the banking laws should
be revised as recommended by the
commission which has investigated
the subject, that general incorpora-
ton law should be passed, that an
emergency appropriation should be
made biennially that could be used
in cases similar to rebuilding\ the
asylum after the fire, and that grants
to our colleges should be continued.
In his recommendations concern
ing the treatment of cases before the
supreme court, the care of diseased
cattle, the passing of general cor
poration law and the adjustment of
some of our normal schools Gov.
Prouty has given an exhibition of
broad and practical knowledge that
should be taken advantage of by
those entrusted with the enactment
of laws.
Gov. Mead's Views-In his in
augural message Gov. Mead recon-
mends that proper interest should be
taken in advancing our natural
beauties and wealth, that the state
should have an agricultural school
where practical agriculture shall be
taught. that the owners of dogs in
addition to paying a tax and keeping
a collar on their dogs should deposit
a bond signed by one or more reliable
surities to pay any damages that
should be done by their dogs, that
the state should be empowered to re-
ceiye gifts and make prchases of
land, for forestry purposes, that the
methods of taxing timber lands be