St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-10-04
RAISE HIPPOPOTAMI
Continued from page L.

(OCuuTHu0U ITOm page l..
done to bring about an uplift of the
| farmer and Vermont should secure
it's share of these aids. Work to
and we will get better roads, better
schools and better homes.
Mr.. r.. A. Dunn.
| A. r. Dunn, one of the prominent
leaders in social reform in
Scranton, Pa, who was the guest of
Prin. Benedict, was next introduced
He said that in his youth he went
to school to many different instruc-
tors but he had had, only two real
teachers. They were Woodrow Will
! son who will soon become president
of the United States and Martin G.
Benedict, who ought to be elected
governor of Vermont and become
President.
He said that he was an optimist,
that is a reformer and progressist,
and that the country now was not
divided into republicans and demo-
Gratis but progressives and conser-
natives. All progress has four ele-
ments, discomfort, agitation, de-
struction and construction. The pro-
gressives were asking of the poll
tical candidate not to which party
he belonged but what he would do
for the voters if they worked and
elected him.
He then gave very interesting
account of the struggle that Scran-
ton had made for political reform.
The conditions were almost dis
graceful there and any connection
with the municipal government there
was a disgrace to a man. They
commenced an agitation through
through the distribution of folders
telling of conditions, then they be-
gan to petition. for reform and got
the clergy to give one Sunday for
the presentation of the situation to
the voters. The move represented
all parties and they ran special
trains to the state capital and urg-
ed the case on the legislators. They
had won a partial victory in getting
the city government concentrated
into five commissioners but the gov
ern0r secured the right to appoint
them and SO they had not attained
full success.
He closed with a plea for munich
pal pride and a realization by the
individual voter that reform is up to
him. It will be worth money to the
town to have it known that it is
healthy, beautiful and public spirit
ed.
The Federal Building.
A. r. Stone was asked to state
what had been done toward the Sc
caring of a federal building for st.
Johnsbury and he related how the
movement was started. There is at
present force Of rs men connected
with the local postofice and the IA
eilities are inadequate for them.
For the last five years the receipts
Of the Office have gained about 10
per cent year and this year the
gain promises to be even larger. He
asked Congressman Plumley to say
a word.
Mr.. Plumley stated that he was
fully convinced that st. Johnsbury
is entitled to federal building and
that he was very glad to ask for an
appropriation for the purpose. How |
ever he was not sure there would be |
a public building bill this next ses-
sion and the government has about |
800 public buildings under con-
struction at present. This keeps its
construction force busy and st. |
Johnsbury may have to wait until
some of the work in progress is |
finished. However it should present |
it's claim for building as soon as |
possible and he had no doubt that in
time it would come
On motion of G. III. Cross a rising I
vote of thanks was extended the
speakers of the evening.