The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-07-15

MENlrLLh III MAAAVAAA UAAAhnf anu AAANAN
efficiently regulating taxes on corpor
ations This certainly helps TO make
up perhaps the gloomiest statistical
picture to be found at the present
time in the United States"
Finally, the progressive spirit OF
latter-day Nermonters has even dared
attack the ancient constitution and
begin the work OF remodelling the
time honored document to conform
more nearly to the demands of the
age. The first stages OF adoption
have been successfully passed by the
following proposals of amendment;
giving the governor a veto: changing
the biennial state election from Sep
TENDER to the Federal election date
| in November; converting the legisla-
ture in the January following the BIZ
ennial election taking from the leg
islature the power to review the SEN
fences of the courts in cases of con-
viction of murder and felony; making
members of the legislature ineligible
TO election to offices created by the
| legislature and filled by its vote; pro-
viding that corporations shall be or
ganiZed under general law with terms
alike to each and that no special char
tiers shall be granted. How morbid
ly gloomy" a people must be that
thus seek to modernize principles OF
government laid down by worthy pion-
eering fathers 1874 years ago!
All this is but hasty generaliza-
ton of some of the work done by the
legislature in Mr. Rossiter's decade
of decay. Nothing has been said OF
| the high standard of social order in
the communal units that sent these
delegates to the legislature to do this
work for them. Whatever the cen
sus figures may show as to the num-
Der of people in Vermont towns, the
simple fact well known to every
thoughtful and observing Vermonter
| is that conditions of life and living
never before were on so high plane
and never more promising OF future
uplift There are many states in the
| Union that show a greater population
| in proportion TO area, but there are
comparatively few states that can
show as high average OF modern pub
lie utilities that long have been mat
ter-of-fact commonplaces in even the
| little hamlets OF Vermont to say moth
ing OF the larger villages and cities.
The Vermonter dwells in a rural reg
ion, to be sure but he has modern
conveniences and creature comforts
that few outsiders know anything
about when they form their opinion
of him. And conditions in this res
pect are improving every year Al
ter all. it is not how many Vermont
ers there are that concerns us near
~ so much as how happy and content
ed each individual Nermonter is. And
in this lateral line of extra-census sta
tistics, Vermont can "fgger all
around any expert and have figures
left over. at that.
Vermont has no bonded debt except
a small loan held by a state instltu-
ton that was created especially for
the purpose Of affording it an addit-
ional source of revenue. Vermont
levies no state tax. hut derives its
revenue from corporation taxes, taxes
on collateral inhertances and in
similar ways.
Vermonters at the Savings Bank
The last report of the state com
missioner of banking shows that for
the six months from July ] to Dec
ember 81, the deposits in the savings
banks in the state increased Sl.bl0'-
S21 90. or at the rate OF over S3,ooO.-
600 a year and the next similar per-
iod is expected TO show even greater
figures. For the previous fiscal year
the increase was over S4.0O0,OOO ana
this is about the ratio of gain that
has been maintained for years. This
Is more than Sll each for every man
woman and child in the Common
wealth. What other ''retrograde
state beats thatg More than that. the
commissioner says he has satisfied
himself from incidental inquiries
made about the state that a large
percentage of this accumulation OIL
savings is TO the credit of class oil
Vermonters that never have saved be
fore And these figures do not IN
clude the interest bearing deposits
in national banks which may, IN
p many instances, be classified as saw
p ings This is gloomy statistical
picture, isn't it?
+ Relative size and wealth consider
/. ed. no state in the Union is more gen
erous in its appropriations for th'
care and education OF the deaf ant
dumb. the blind, and the feeblemind
ed. Two great modern asylums tol
, the insane. one owned by the state
and numerous private retreats an'
sanatoriums testify to the quality o
r Vermont's humane policy in this res
, meet A state sanatorium for th'
p treatment of tuberculosis, orphan
asylums. homes for the aged, upto
! date local hospitals. and decent loca
and county almshouses scattered al
? over the state tell another side OF th'
same story, while humane socieue'
, and kindred volunteer philanthropl'
movements extend the roll OF credit
! Within these same ten years Yer
, monts penal system has been thor
oughly modernized in many respecu
I and the work OF evolving a stu BET
p or system is going on today Man!
/. of the hideous and degrading prac
I tices that were a customary part o
r prison discipline in olden days nav,
oeen abolished and very high NINA
ed public purpose now designs ina
these institutions shall be as much re
formatory as punitive in plan.
l. IL