St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-01-14

Mes ana turn back to the date OIL
which Governor Fletcher transmitted
to the public service commission the
: report OF his special telephone investi
q gators Messrs. Cook and Graham.
: will be seen at a glance that His Elk
) cellency accompanied the report by {
. little statement all his own. Toward
; the end of his short communication
Governor Fletcher used these words
IF by reason Of such action on your
part, questions of law or equity pre-
sent themselves which either the
State or the telephone company may
elect to appeal to the supreme court
the State may properly ask an early
. adjudication of the same and thus
determine whether additional legis-
lation may be required at the hands
OF the special session of the legisla-
ture which for other reasons [ shall
be compelled to CALI
Thus did the governor himself de-
clare that he would have to call an
extra session. Not for one given rea-
son but for reasons-it was in the
plural. Now the suggestion which
The Messenger would make to The
Journal is this: go to the governor
and find out. You are on excellent
terms with His Excellency, are you
not? 1t won't seem strange to enter
into close communion with him, will
| it?
Then, go to the governor You
say you have great trust in his judg-
ment. Tell him you want to know
why he said that he would be COM
PEELED to call an extra session of the
legislature. There hasn't been any
change in general matter since then.
The reasons which prompted him
then must be working now. Don't
leave it to a fellow newspaper man
to satisfy your desires with crumbs
Go to the governor and get a square
meal.-St. Adams Messenger.
Cooperative Buying.
That the plan of cooperative buy
ing and selling is fast emerging from
a pleasing proposition to an actual
fact is shown by the news of the
day from this and that part of the
country. An instance of cooperative
buying on a big scale by a big or
ganization is reported from Cincin-
natl, Ohio. In that city is a house
wives league of 700 members re-
presenting like number of families. !
The league has recently bought car
load lots of potatoes, apples, cab
bages, -four and grain, while teas, !
coffee, butter, lard and the like came |
by the case, tubs, barrels and tierces.
Members of the league supervised,
and even helped in the unloading
and distribution of the products. The
credit of the league is reported as
and that producers are
anxious to sell to the organization.
In various of the trading centers of
the New England states leagues of /
housewives and others are in the
forming and the indications today
point to a decided change in the
general methods of trading All this,
it is fair to presume will be aided
and affected by the increase in the
weight now permissible in the parcel
post rules, and the extension of the
Landmark.
Theory, Good, Practice Poor
Legislation is good but it does
not, after all, correct the faults of
human nature faster than the nat
ural processes of evolution or what
ever one chooses to call the process
If civilization. The initiative and
referendum have been noted as
for civic troubles but out
IN Ohio nothing much seems to have
come through these two theories.
There was no referendum on any of
the laws passed. The one case where
n the initiative was used, the bill
was not acted upon and the voters
sustained the legislature Frauds
appeared on the petitions for referen-
1um on three laws, so they were re-
ected by the secretary of state. This
Toes not mean that the idea is not
good; it does look like the test of
many ideas is whether their practical
results justify other states making
,hese hanges.-United Opinion.
Where the Trouble Lies.
In the opinion of the Burlington
Clipper the cost of running the state
will be one of the important issues
Turing the next campaign" Unless
memory is much at fault this same
cost OF running the state has been
IN issue in practically every campaign
n Vermont during the last decade and
onger, yet nothing in the direction of
has resulted and ex-
have continued to mount
With a regularity and certainty that
both d1sconcerts and discourages the
people upon whom the burden falls.
1t is proper and commendabIe to
make a campaign issue of the cost
Of maintaining the state government,
but of what avail is it when no practi-
cal reform results and when the only
outcome is a still further enhance
nent of the expense of public service?
The fundamental trouble is with
the people themselves. Sincere as
they undoubtedly are in their desire
for a more economical administration
Of public affairs they are strangely
averse to adopting the only course
calculated to secure it. The cost of
the state government is dependent
largely indeed almost wholly upon
the character of the men sent to the
legislature. If they are men of legis-
lative and business experience and
broad grasp, expenditures will be
such only as are necessary to the
proper and efficient conduct of public
affairs. If, however, as is usually the
case here in Vermont, they are not
only wholly lacking in legislative ex-
perience, but without training in or
acquaintance with anv of the large