The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-02-24
Would Be a Bad Precedent

duce outsiders to come to the state
and buy farms it is doubly unfortun-
ate that these new corners should
faii victims to the cunning Of real
estate agents who seek to sell them
pieces Of property at excessive rates.
II is still more unfortunate when
the property thus disposed OF is al
most worthless and ought not to be
put to farming use at all. abandon
ed farms in Vermont is a topic that
has caused no little discussion, but
It is an extremely good thing that
some farms have been abandoned
for they ought never to have been
made farms in the first instance.
And If this be true, it is wicked to
sell to the new corners farms which
Ia the very nature Of things ought
to stay abandoned.
In this connection it is interesting
TO note that the state is showing
lively interest in the so-called
Sandgate case. It appears that
some German farmers, an excellent
type and just the kind Vermont is
reaching out after, purchased
through Il New York agent some
farms in Sandgate. The result was
unfortunate for all but the agent, 1t
seems, and he may live to regret
his action. That the state has IN
terceaed and is trying to see that
Justice is done, is most commenda-
Ole.
For it would be fatal to all hopes
Of building up rural Vermont if il is
to be permitted to real estate agents
20 exploit those who would come
nto the state and do their share in
he work. To disappoint two or
.hTee foreigners Of an excellent type
IS to keep away q large number Of
he same kind, for those who have
leen burned BY the fire Will tell
heir fellows OF their experience and
hat stream Of immigration win be
Tried I'D. But, # the oSher course
followed Gas In the present easel,
md the state shows an interest in
hose who come into its territories,
nd seeks 20 see that full justice
nd a fair opportunity is given them
hen the effect viii be exactly the
ipposito and the new corners viii
pread The word tina. Vermont is
ne place to which to come. 1t is
3ecauso Of this that it is well that
he commissioner OF agriculture has
Interested the governor in the Sand
sate case, and that the governor IN
urn has spuTed the attoney-gener-
Il To action.
But when Justice is done in this
way, and when the state has given
real estate agents the lesson
hat they can not deal in Vermont
ands in an unjustined way. it
seems that the state has done all
hat can be reasonably be expected
Il it. It is suggested in the sand
ate case that the state should sc
lrtheg and pay to these honest i'm
Migrants the sums OF which they
ave been robbed Now it is grant
& at once that this is q pitiful case
ghich makes a ready and strong
ppeal TO the sympathy, but Il is
'idlculi in the extreme to see the
ugic Of the state making amends
or the mlsdeeds Of individuals, in
he way suggested. Even II it were
he common feeling that it would be
Vel to reimburse these immigran Is.
he fact that TO do so would be es-
ablishlng n dangerous precedent
ought to make a check on these
generous impulses. For obviously the
tate cannot undertake the work OF
ohabilitatng those who have been
1inchod. There are hundreds OF
5ood. loyal Vermonters, undoubted.
", VINO have been caught in unfoi
innate schemes formulated, launch
d, and ruined right within the con-
Ines Of the commonwealth. Those
Who have been caught in these I'M
'ortunate enterprises have received
he sympathy of their fellows. but
he state has never moved to I'll
p their pocketbooks again. Nobody
expected that the state would take
such action, for it is generally ad-
mitted that the state Is not involv-
ed in the affair more than to pro-
vide the machinery by which justice
can be obtained. In other words. It
g private rather than public
matter So, while there may be
generous approval OF what the
state is doins in the SYNDICATE affair.
there may also be disapproval Of the
suggestion shat the state should
houlder the loss. For IL this were
done in this case. and the precedent
were established would not any and
every man who was caught in an
Unfortunate transaction have the
sight TO appeal to The state to make
GOOD his financial losses?-St Adams
Messenger.