The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-06

the state should establish tlsh and
game preserves in different parts of
the state, upon which fish and game
can be allowed to propagate freely
scattering thence over the surround
ing country | see no reason why
some of the money available for the
protection of fish and game and some
of the money appropriated for fores'
try cannot be united in the establish
ment of forest reserves which shall
at the same time be game preser-
yes" and under the joint control of
the state forester and state commits
sion Of fish and game.
Cattle Commission
One of the most difficult problems
of our state government is that which
pertains to our cattle commission and
more especially TO tuberculous cattle,
as the vast amounts of money being
paid to the owners Of cattle slaugh-
tered by order of our cattle commits
sion during each biennial term is an
enormous drain on our state treasury
and there are grave doubts as to
| the amount of benefit that has been
realized.
During the year ending June 80,
/ 1909, there was expended by this
commission nearly 100000 and of
this nearly $4,000 was paid to own
ers of tuberculous cattle killed by or
der Of your commissioner. BY the
auditors report l note also that for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1910.
there was paid on orders by your
cattle commissioner S50,12S67. This
second amount Is much less than for
the previous year, as the legislature
Of 1908 limited the amount that could
be used annually for this purpose
to $4,000 and the amounts received
from the slaughtered animals, maxi
ing the total expenditure for this
period as stated, $50,12S.67 These
expenditures have continued for -
wears and still the amount expended
during the fiscal year ending June 30
1909, exceeds any other for a like
period.
therefore recommend to this as
sembly that your cattle commissioner
bo authorized TO thoroughly investi-
gate the subject Of rendering calves
immune, with power to furnish and
use the virus until a thorough trial
has been made at the expense Of the
state.
I also rerompord tho vou clothe
such commissioner with authority to
prescribe rules regulating the care
Of cattle where the state furnishes
aid, particularly in requiring the use
Of comfortable sheds. well ventilated
stables and pure water II the state
Is to assume some portion OF the eX
pense of keeping cattle free from dis
ease. il should have certain super
vision in the care of these animals.
Highways
The subject of better highways Is
fast becoming one Of the most i'm
pcrtant factors in our state govern
ment and the last four years have
demonstrated 70 certainty the wis
, dom of the states assuming the con
troll OF the betterment of our roads
. It was predicted by many when Ac
No. III Of the Laws of 1906 wal
r passed creating state highway com
missioner who should In effect hav'
, almost complete control Of our high
ways, that the towns would lose thei
/ interest in their roads but the con
, trary has been the result The annu
/. ri appropriation of Fifty Thousan,
Dollars by the state for highway pun
. poses I'm 1906 was increased TO seven
! ty.fye thousand dollars in 1909 ant
. for the towns to benefit by this az
+. preparation, thew must contribute
like amount. This fact has stimuli
ted the town officials TO greater er
deavors than ever before.
Our people are fast learning that on
public highways are the avenues O
= travel and Of commerce and are neal
~ equal In their Importance to on
;, railroads. They are. as II were, tn
! arteries Of our social and CONNER
/ ciai system. reaching out into on
: country and gathering the product
> of our farms and mills and transfe'
! ring them to our railway stations an
u to commercial centers
: 7 cannot feel that our people ar
vet ready to bond our state for trun
/ highways, socalled. The improve
. merits during the last four years ar
= great and another two years viii ce
y tainly show still greater progress
= along this line, and II the appropri
ton could be quite considerably Il
< creased. and think It can be. wit
u no fear OF state tax. the improv
y ment will be that much the more.
a Taxation
n The effort to devise a more sati
% factory system OF taxation than Thu
e now on our statute books has occ
nied the time OF your last two legi
latures TO a greater extent than an
h. other subject, and still but little
10 no advancement has been attalne
4 The commission appointed In 1906 q
40 ter two years OF careful considerable
gave your assembly most compile
~ and instructive report and this W,
"a submitted to the legislature OF 1874
10 but no definite results were attaine
10 and again we find the same plank
N the Republican state convention, d
". handing further consideration al
action as to tax reform---more pa
h. tlcularly TO remedy the evils OF do
~ BILE taxation, so called, aud again
~ impose the burden of support of d
10 government equltably among {
49, men,"
~ The levying OF tax upon real ,
y. tate on an appraisal representing
~ fair cash value Is generally consid,