St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-09-30
Herald Headed Right.


After quoting the editorial in last
weeks Caledonian, the Rutland Her
aid says:
The duties and emoluments of ev-
cry state Office and every state COM
mission are a matter of law and rec
ord and any successful business man,
any expert accountant, any system"
specialist or almost any legislative
committee could go to the records
and recommend a plan of business re-
organization similar to that In force
nv a successful corporation.
This may be what the Caledonlan
means nv an investigation, but Fhe
Herald has a notion that 1t mad IN
mind a governors commission, COM
nosed of the laymen, lawyers ana
legislative thrillers, who would make
a swift. sensational survey OF state
institutions, shock the people Oh the
state with a fresh crop of disclosures
and. like Omar, come out by the same
door whe- Elm they went.
This sort of junketlng, mucKrak
ing. headline-making 1nVestlgaIioh
does the state harm, not good, ana IS
of no benefit to any one but the SELF
advertising investigator.
The Herald has from time 10 tllIe
pointed out some suggestive detalls
of a proposed reorganization OF state
affairs, the most important OF Whlch
is the budget system, on when nap
PLY there is now no visible disagree
ment.
The abolition of the Office of attor-
nev-general the separation of the Of
flee of insurance commissioner from
the constitutional offices of treasurer
and secretary of state, the limitation
of legislative sessions and a lump
sum for the payment of members are
details we'll advertised and familiar
to most readers of both the Caledon-
ian and The Herald.
A reorganization of the courts,
with any monies expended for detec-
tive service under check of the exec
utive, would be a business move, and
there is probably little doubt that
closer check on educational expend1-
lures could be had by a state board
of education, with the abolition of
specially organized school districts
and prevention of duplication in in
situations of higher learning.
An engineering survey of road
work estimates and contracts, with
rigid inspection of finished work,
would be in the line of successful cor
porate methods, and the department
of highways would benefit accord
inglv.
Finally, it might bring the whole
problem to a focus in which issues
might be Joined by proposing state
board of finance, in which response
bility for the proper expenditure OF
all funds might center. The impor-
70 70 in &c Uhnfhpr the
LEGISLATORS really want centralized re-
sponsibility, and the proposal of
central board of finance would prob
ably develop the true feeling. These
are but sketchy outlines and suggest
ions, not at all in the form of care
fully written report, but surely they
point the way to serious work in re-
organizing the states business sys-
TEN, quite without the costly, spec
tacular and ineffective plan of lin
vestigating" by a laymen's committee.
These suggestions appeal to The
and they should have serious thought
by all citizens interested in cheaper
and more efficient state government.
The Caledonian has never intended
q
on the state but has
thought that a. special legislative
committee composed of practical bus
mess men and attorneys would be
to get the matter before the
legislature in the most effective way.
We hope the Herald and other state
papers will begin a serious study of
these matters and try to get an in
telligent public sentiment formed to
exert its influence on the next legis-
lature.
The Caledonian would suggest a
of all editors interested with
the state officials at Montpelier and
4 full and frank discussion of these
with the hope of evolving a !
practical reform program for consid-
Grafton of the voters. The editor
would be pleased to hear from others |
On this suggestion.