The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-02-05
Looks Like a Good Bib

"Mr Graham, of Bellows Falls, has
introduced a bill in the legislature
that deserves to become law. 1t is
designed to prevent town or other
municipal corporation. from running
heavily into debt except with the APP
proval of fair proportion OF the TAX
payers. The bill does not seek 10
hamper town or village in raising
money for it's regular public activities
but it would limit bonding for some
new or special public purpose except
by two-thirds vote at a meeting at
tended by at least rs per cent
of the voters. 1t has happened in tho
past in several Vermont towns that
few voters interested in some particu-
lar project have been able to pledge
the credit of the town to large am
cunt, when the result might have
been diffe .ent had it been required to
get the approval Of larger proper
ton of the voters. Mr.. Graham's bill
ought to become law
Banner
As the Messenger understands 1t,
Mr. Graham's bill is not so inclusive
as the contemporary makes it, in
that a two-thirds vote OF the 20 per
cent is not required to pledge the
credit of the municipality. TO have
included this provision would have
made the bill more effective, but at
the same time would have assailed
the majority rule principle and thus
have initiated against its passage by
the legislature
Ii is difficult to see what legitimate
arguments can be brought against
the Graham bill. One of the worst
features of American municipal gov
eminent is the recklessness with
which expense is incurred and saddi'
ed on TO the coming generation. of
course there are projects which re-
quire large expenditures and necessi-
! tate the issuing of large amount OF
bonds, the payment OF which has to
be defer ed for long period OF years,
and such expenditures are entirely
necessary. and proper. Against suci.
as the3e the bill does not initiate, in
any sense OF the word, for the neces-
sity OF such projects viii be well
known in a community and the ap-
proval OF the necessary percentage of
the voters can be easily secured.
Anyone who has followed munich
pal affairs closely for period OF
years can well understand the neces-
sity for such legislation. Here in ST.
Adams there haXe been times when
the city has voted to bond itself To-
large sums of money through the ag-
ency OF 4 mere handful of voters, and
these did not represent the real tax
paying portion of the electorate. And
without doubt il may be truthfully
said that every municipality in Yer
mont has had similar experiences.
Assuming that St Adams has a
check list of 1000 names. the Graham
measure would necessitate the pres
ence at the city meeting OF 400 voters.
This does not seem 10 be an excessive
number to decide whether the city
shali subject itself to the payment O,
a principle of. say, $4,000. and the
annual interos; 80 can. Larger cities
such as Burlington and Rutland may
possibly say that rs per cent is too
large, but such objection might be
met in satisfactory way
AS for the taxpaying public in
Vermont municipalities it may safely
he said that they will welcome any
reasonable check on unwise expendi-
ture. Tax burdens are high enough as
they are and when additional loads
are TO he assumed il would be only
pepper that a considerable number OF
the voters should be required TO be
present when the step is taken.-St
Adams Messenger.