Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-03
'GOVERNOR DEFENDS COURSE
Chief Executive Reviews Con-
troversies during His Term.
Wells Merchants Association That b"s-
iness Men should Take Interest ID
public Affairs md Lend
Their support.

Al Tho Merchants association luncheon
on tho roof garden Of the Hotel vermont
thursdny Governor Allen NJ. Fletcher de-
Nvered one OF the most interesting ana
forcefu, talks of the year. The suoJect
s,b,cb the chief executive chose was me
y,us,ness Mans Duty to the State ana
Che address was IN effect a statement OF
fhe Fletcher side Of the various contro-
yersies which have arisen in the past
two years.
Governor Fletcher said that after five
consecutive terms In the Legislature ana
two years as Governor some or the delu-
eions and Illusions with which he starteu
had vanished lie called attention to the
fact that In 1902 the state OF Vermont
entered upon policy OF Indirect taxation
for the expenses of the state government
In the 10 years following he said the state
revenues had been doubled and the en-
penses had also doubled. He gave 1t as
his opinion that we had pretty nearly got
ten TO the end of our rope In this matter
of indirect taxation and were getting as
much from the corporations of the State
rs they could pay. Retrenchment in some
eases he thought was possible but in 9TH
ers he believed the State expenses must
Increase He gave as an instance of the
necessary new expenses of the State the
need of an institution for the feeble
minded
Governor Fletcher said there were GER
tain chances of retrenchment but that the
greatest opportunity for saving lay In
centralzing the government of the State
as far as possible, bringing together ms
many Of the departments as possible UNI
der one head and doing away with certain
divisions Of responsibility.
From this point in his address on to
the end Governor Fletcher dealt with the
happenings of his administration He
first brought up the case of the attorney
general He remarked upon the increased
cost to the State of detective service In
ten years. He maintained that the execu-
tive of the State was powerless to stop
these expenses. He suggested that the
encouragement and States attorneys
had been employing detectives to prepare
their cases for them.
The next subject brought up for com
men. was the disa greement between the
Governor and State treasurer over the
latter's bond He maintained that his
duty had been to see that the State had q
good bond. He passed over the course OF
the dispute, the fact that the attorney
generals opinion favored the treasurer
rather than the side taken by the Cover
nor the submission OF the question e
the supreme court and the outcome, say
ang that his audience knew the story. II,
said that the difference Of opinion over
the bond brought out the fact that al
awkward division of power existed in tina
the duties of insurance commissioner arr
divided between two officials who are con
stitutional officers and at the same TIM
statutory officers
BY way OF showing savings which coulC
be made in a positive way. the speake
told OF the creation of the Office OF pur
chasing agent. He said that the bill ere
ating this officer was right in principle
The purchasing agent. he said, by per
suading the board of health to cut dow
its annual report some 1850 pages ha
saved the State at least 5000.
Governor Fletcher next took UP tn
increase the last IL years in the amour
the State pays for the administration g
Justice. in which the figures have rise
from $4,000 in round numbers, to $780,
although he did not give the figures I
the income from the courts In fines an
in other ways. He argued that this ir
crease In expense was unwarranted. II
arraigned the lawyers of the State as
class by saying that, like "all Gaul" til
State was divided into three parts an
that the parts were the farmers, the bus
ness men and the lawyers, and that I'll
lawyers were given to walking over tn
others. He thought that the expenses
the administration OF Justice might hav
been cut down by a bill for the extensio
of the jurisdiction of municipal court
which passed the House of Represents
tives at the last session and was killed 4
the Senate.
AS an interesting depression he argue
that there was tendency to avoid III
State supreme Court and carry cases
the United States courts. He stated the
this was done to make the litigation to
expensive for opponents and suggeste
that the State ought to finance such case
to avoid injustice.