St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-09-10


towns that are unable to pay the
wages to get first class teachers. II
these towns pay all they can afford
the state should do the rest.
We want to see all the children
actually deficient properly cared for
The state now provides for a part
of them, but there should be no dis
elimination.
All these things will cost some
considerable money but the cause is
righteous and should prevail even
if it does cost us a few shiIlings
apiece in taxes.
Now as to the remedy, or remed-
les. We do not suppose that state
expenses can be much reduced but it
is certainly possible to get the full
worth of the money and make a
somewhat better use of part of the
money we spend
The sessions of the legislature can
be shortened whenever the people
get ready to send back experienced
men who prove fit for the work. AS
long as the voters refuse to do this
! they have no right to kick at the
| length of sessions. The work to be
done increases every year and a leg
! islature made up of 81 per cent. new
]
ability or the confidence to take hold
of the work promptly. This is en-
tirely the fault of the voters at
home and not of the legislature.
The people can also save money
when they get ready to reduce the
size of the legislature. 1t is not
necessary to change the system of
town representation, but there are
40 or so small, weak towns that
would be helped by consolidating
them with each other or with larger
and Weather towns. Our legisla-
ture is too ponderous for fast work.
This is a thing that cannot be done
except the people insist on it.
The state is now paying over
100000 a year to aid the colleges
of the state. These are fine institu-
lions but the appropriations should
be mostly cut off and the money used
to aid the elementary schools and
the orphans. Only seven per cent of
the children go to college while 100
per cent are in the elementary
schools.
The expense of maintaining the
courts and the administration of
justice has crept up to S35O,000
year. This is more than double what
it was a few years ago when there
were just about as many cases to
be tried. There ought to be a saw
ing of a hundred thousand dollars
a year in this item, and could be.
The lawyers of the state who are
responsible for this increase should
make a determined effort to cut it
down for this is a bill that does not
return dividends as do the appTopri-
OF h;crI,
things of that character.
There are other lesser things that |
ought to be changed along the line ]
of economy, but these are the prin-
cipal items
Bitter criticism and captious fault !
finding does no good. The people |
can have just what they want but in
order to get it will have to back up
sensible, patriotic effort and not |
chase after every smooth tongued |
demagogue or clever schemer with |
a remedy that is not based on a thor !
Ough understanding of VermOnt's |
needs and possibilities.-[Be nning- |
ton Banner.
Hearings Ordered by Public Service
Commission
The Public Service commission, as |
reVamped and reOrganized, is issu-
ing orders for public hearings for |
the various telephone companies of |
the state. 1t may be considered in |
some measure as the outcome of the |
recent discussion of the peremptory |
order sought by the governor to
have these companies reduce their
charges and to make some other
changes.
This procedure is exactly what
the former commission, headed by
D. Watson of St. Adams,
proposed to do, rather than to act
at once in line with the recommen-
dation of special counsel employed
to investigate the companies. AS
we understand it, the present Pub
lie Service commission do not pro-
pose to compel the telephone COM
panies to do certain things and
find out afterwards as to whether
they were right and just. They pro-
pose to proceed in an orderly and
judicial manner, following the pro-
cedure of the Interstate Commerce
commission with reference to public II
utilities companies doing interstate
business.
Somehow or other the situation
reminds us in certain particulars of
the SITUATION IQdC QeN6IOp6u III CdI-
ifornia when the government off1ci-
ais were prepared to proceed with
certain cases, including the Diggs
and Caminetti white slavery cases, II
and the attorney general held them
up, practically forcing the resigna-
ton of the government prosecutors II
Then, when the whole business was
aired, the procedure insisted upon
by Former District Attorney McNab 4
was followed exactly by his success
sor, or rather by special counsel.
To The News it appears that the
present course of the Public Service
of Vermont is a vindica-
ton of the position maintained by
Commissioners Watson and Babbitt.
At any rate, it is a satisfaction to
note that no accused persons or cor
Dorations are to be condemned in
Vermont without a proper hearing.
Furthermore, the fact should not
be forgotten that the former Public
Service commission announced nu-