St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-04-29

of his office.
No purer democracy exists in the
world than that found within the
confines of the commonwealth of
Vermont, and as the result of living
in such a democratic atmosphere for
over one hundred years of state gov
eminent, there has been firmly i'm
planted in the minds of the people a
demand for fair play and square
aal along lines of equality OF citi-
hip, and if any governor makes
= LENT departure from this high
4 H. d, and attempts to make his
ents to important Offices in
= government merely politi-
ca: ,, the press of the state is
CO. a distinct benefit in de-
nou cciI such a policy in unmeasured
terms, nd no attempt to create
false sue, such as has been in
evidence on the part of Gov. Fletch-
er's personal organs, will deter the
press from giving full publicity TO
the faults of his administration
Enosburg Standard.
State Can Regulate Rates
Here in Vermont there is as yet,
no workmen's compensation law,
through the matter is the subject OF
serious investigation with strong
probability of legislation at the ses-
sion of the General Assembly begin
ming in January next. In this con-
nection it is interesting to note that
insurance companies are showing IN
usual concern over a wOrkmen's COM
pensation act recently passed by the
New York legislature and which will
become operative July L next.
By the provisions of this act the
state insurance department is given
power of review over the rates pro-
posed by the various companies and
it is even now conducting an indie
pendent inquiry in rates and seeking
from companies writing liability in
surance the rates it is their intention
to charge
A few days ago the Supreme Court
of the United States gave a board in
| depreciation of the rate-making pow
ers of the several states in case that
| came to it from Kansas. In its de-
cisi0n the court of last resort fully
Sustained the right of the state to reg
ulate the rate of insurance.-Mont-
pelier Journal.
Must Ship Away Our Gold
The balance of foreign trade, which
has been in our favor for a genera
/
clined rapidly in the past six months.
If the same decline is continued an
other six months, we shall be ship
ping out gold at the rate of $780,
100000 a year. AS the trade ex-
perts figure that imports will increase
heavily in the near future, the pro-
| spects of a large shipment are good.
In the last 200 years we have seVe-
raj times had a balance due us of over
500 millions yearly. That meant
that we could draw on Europe for
capital on our own terms. An adj
verse balance of trade means that
Europe will make the terms, and,
generally speaking, this means a
sacrifice of prices on the part of the
debtor, as to his wares and services.
Vermont Phoenix.
Be- of Good Cheer
The past winter was one of the
best for numbering and logging Yer
mont has had in years. 1t has been
followed by a maple sugar season
which it is calculated will add from
a million and a half to two millions
to the income of the growers of the
state. The spring has been back
ward, but it is a truism that late
spring is a safe spring. 1t is not
too much to hope that a good apple
crop will be gathered this fall, fol.
lowing an almost total failure last
year. Then with a fairly good sum
mer for other crop yields, Vermont
ought to come out of it this year
with handsome balance on the right
side of the ledger.-Enterpris and
Vermonter.
Dunnett An Able Man
If the citizens of ST. Johnsbury
and Caledonia county succeed il
launching the boom of Hon. Ale1
, Dunnett as Congressman Plumley'i
successor they will make a good be
ginning by selecting so able a man
, Mr.. Dunnett is not a politician, blu
is one of Caledonia county's keenes
, lawyers and a splendid type of citi
Zen.-Waterbury Record.
Mr.. Wallis ValedictOry
: Mr.. Vail is an optimist In hi
: farewell address to the stakeholder
: of the Western Union Telegraph com
: pany he asserts that the Govern
: ment can take the company's prop
5 erty only with just compensation AM
2 that the only alternative, viz, de
stroying the company's business b.
assuming control of long distanc
r ing in destructive competition, is to-
questionable and impracticable to b
t considered.
The Government found no Difficult
= ty in taking away large portion o
= the express companies business with
out compensation and forcing tn
: railroads to carry it on for made
e Quate pay. The case is not parable
e to the telegraph and telephone sit
j, uation but it throws some light o
e governmental conscience" What j
q there to prevent the Government
y excess of regulation" from maxim
the telegraph business so unremuI
: erative to the stockholders that the
i will prefer to surrender it to tn
t Government rather than to continu
q to operate? Why cannot Govern
f ment ownership of railroads b
I. brought about by the same discipliI
e airy paternalism Vermont Journa
"A EAST ST J0HNGRVTRY