The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-04-21
Wake Up, Vermont.

liam ). Rossiter, a competent authori-
W, an opportunity TO present Yer
monts losses in population by towns
In sombre light that compels re-
Election. The fruit of his labors APP
pears in the Quarterly of the Ameri-
can Statistical Association His fig
ures bearing upon agriculture and in
dustry, as well as population, may be
taken for granted. A ray of light re-
lieves the depressing gloom Mr.
Rossiter says:
while 1t is true that the popula-
ton returns for Vermont offer to the
student perhaps the gloomest Stats
teal picture to be found at the pres
ent time in the United States, the
State is still very far from material
or population catastrophe, and UNI
questionably still possesses in her
own people the remedy for many
ills"
This conclusion is evident from the
steadily rising value of manufactured
products, $32 900 in 1880 and $751;
100000 in 1900 (the figures for 1910
were not available when Mr.. Rossiter
prepared his paper and an encourage
ing improvement in farm values, chic
fly in the dairy industry, but also in
the price of land by the acre. Time
was when Vermont had 1,6Sl,S19
sheep and produced 3,699,235 pounds
of wool. That was in 1S40.a There
are few sheep on her hills now, For
merly she also exported large num-
bers of horses, cattle and swine. Yer
mont is still an agricultural State,
but the dairy has become the farm
er's main support. In raising beasts
and cultivating wheat and other
grains he cannot compete with the
West. II is an old and familiar story.
The farmers, of course, are not as
prosperous as they were before 1850,
and their boys are still leaving the
farm to improve their fortunes,
while their girls are attracted to the
factories and city Offices and stores.
The department of the younger peo-
pie show little or no decline.
Is there something the matter with
Vermont besides the disadvantages in
natural situation and in competitive
opportunity she labors under? Mr.
Rossiter suggests that conditions
would improve if the influential and
able element in the State should or
ganize and address themselves with
unity energy, money and enthusiasm
to the task of encouraging native
Americans to settle in the more fer
tile areas, should seek outlets for
| their products, develop resources and
start new industries" etc. It seems
/ simple enough, but we urge that only
! Democrats be imported, for Vermont
/ has suffered for long time from
congestion of Republicans, small as
her population is 'She needs a strong
and active opposition party at Mont
pelier, with fresh brains and more
public spirit than the ruling oligarchy
has And it might be worth while to
move the capital out into the light to
accessible and modern Rutland. Why
Montpelier under the hill with its
short winter day was selected we
have never been able to understand;
perhaps for the benefit of the upper
Connecticut Valley. Certainly the
railroads serve Rutland better, and it
wouldn't be necessary to build the
State House under a hill pasture
At Montpelier the cows can look in
at the upper windows, and the light
l ldilS carry III luS iSSlSldtlNS dllcl-
noon.
We are glad to see that there are
signs of political awakening in the
Green Mountain State. In a late is
sue of the Vermonter we read that
"the younger men and the more pro-
gressive men in many communities
are working together to down ring
politics, to improve town conditions,
and to bring in new enterprises" 1t
declares that "the condition in some
towns today is war" But lasting re-
form can never come from merely
dividing the party In control. Yer
mont must cultivate or import Demo
Gratis Individual town representa-
ton should be done away. There are
so-called towns in Vermont, inferior
places having few voters, that send
only sheep to the Legislature
Improved transportation is a vital
necessity to Vermont If it cannot
have more railroads across the
Green Mountains it should have troll
ley roads. 1t is now difficult and
tedious to get from the eastern to the
western part of that narrow State
The railroads it has, with the excep
ton of the Rutland, need better rails
cars and locomotives, better time
tables and quicker connections. Rail
road travel in Vermont, except in the
Champlain valley, is often an impo
sition Can't Vermont modernize its
internal "junctions?"
The State does not make enough oil
it's advantages as a vacation ground
Millions might be extracted from sun
mer visitors. The eastern shore Of
Lake Champlain and the northern isl
ands are ideal for recreation purpos
es, but they are poorly provided with
hotels. The region needs judicious
advertising and plenty of it, as the
Green MOUNTAINS do Their summer
hotel accommodations are also indif
ferent, yet there is not a more lovely
valley in New England than the
Black River valley or nobler noun
tain than Mansfield Good roads fol
automobiles, which State must
have nowadays to prosper, have beer
promised by DR.. Mead, the Governor
We hope for Vermonts sake that he
is not wrong when he says that 9
million dollars are to be spent upon
them. Vermont also should reserve
selected mountain groups and protect
her river sources before it is too late