Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-01-14

various state. That fact was kept en-
tirely from the executive at the time
that bond was presented. Gentlemen
there are other conditions that surround
this, but my time is too short 1t is for
YOU to determine whether or not that
is the kind Of an insurance department
the state of Vermont should have. You
hold, in a final analysis, your cXecu-
tive responsible for the conditions that
exist during his administration. Is it
fair and right to hold him responsible
If You do not give him power to control
those conditions You want in Vermont
a condition whore it is not necessary
for any other state to come in and tell
You how YOU shall regulate your com
panios. They should be so regulated that
they arc a credit to the state Of Yer
mont
LEGAL INJUSTICE
Fifth. To certain cases Of legal in
justice. In certain instances, cases are
appealed to the United States courts,
purely for the purpose OF taking unfair
advantar" to the end that the weaker
party cannot face the expenditure in
voved. This Is n condition that ought
not to exist. | therefore recommend the
adoption of law empowering the cxecu-
I tive to employ counsel to defend such
| individuals. If it were a known quantity
| that the state would protect such cases.
then fewer unfair appeals would be taken
because no unfair advantage would
accrue. recognize that it is the duty
! of counsel to protect their various
clients to the full extent Of their power,
! and J should hope that the bar of this
state. In their own interests. would well
come such a change
! STATE LIBRARY
SIXTH To the State library. / recon-
mend that the present State law rela-
tive to the control of the State library
be repealed and that the state library
/ be placed entirely within the Jurisdiction
and control of the supreme court of the
state. It is operated now under a law
dating back to 49, a law which creates
! n trust per So in the first instance
and provides for sole perpetuity and
therefore no direct control by any execu-
/ tive power or authority. It provides that
( three citizens from the State of Mont
! pelicr, and three citizens from the State
at large ana several state officers The
result is It Is controlled entirely and
4 absolutely by the three or four here I'm
Montpelier. An investigation will show
, YOU that there is a meeting once in two
years of the board Of directors The
| last meeting was purely and entirely for
| the purpose of increasing the salaries.
and the chief justice of the supreme
court of the state and the executive.
| cX-OmiCio members Of that board were
! voted down on that subtect-that Is of
! increasing salaries Now one third of
| that library are law books; another
! third are books Of legislative reference.
! so that, in fact. It is really a law library.
1t Is here for the use of the bar Of the
state and the supreme court. and the
| supreme court have much to do with
! that library and are supposed to he
here quite often, and are the rropor
board of control for that library and
they should have exclusive jurisdiction
and control over It.
STATE EDUCATION
/ Seven: TO education An education
commission was created by authority Of
the last Legislature, primarily for the
purpose of determining whether or no
duplication of effort was going on as the
state to the three institutions of higher
learning | was satisfied at the time
tho commission was created that such
dupllcatlon did exist. and ! am now
more thoroughly convinced than ever of
that TACT and that il should be stopped.
That commissions findings have been
published and should receive your earn
est consideration | call your attention
TO certain salient facts therein: First
that the state appropriates for educa-
tlon' hiennially, nearly 10000: second
that about 100000 of this goes to the
common schools, and about s2OD. 90 of II
to the three institutions of higher edu-
cation. and that about 95 per cent. of
the people OF the State receive benefit
from the 100000 and only about five per
cent. from. the 100000 The State of
i Vermont appropriates for the purpose OF
higher education nearly IL times the per
cent appropriated by Maine, nearly three
times the per cent appropriated ny Con
necticut, more than four times the per
cent. appropriated by New Hampshire,
more than eight times the per cent ap-
Ipropriated by Massachusetts,. more thu n
nine times the per cent appropriated by
Rhode Island and more than 81 times
the per cent. appropriated by New York
in 1928. 1t is for you to determine
whether the cardinal principle of State
policy Of this State should be to eslslate
for the many or for the few. | am Inn
pressed with the fact that the 1rst duty
of the State is to her common schools,
and that that duty is a paramount one,
But If you should find the state has suf-
hcient means to go beyond the common
schools, and you desire that it should do
so, then | believe the duplication OF ef-
fort by state subsidy to various instltu-
lions should cease. If you are prepared
to accept the University OF Vermont as
a state institution, 1t then becomes your
duty to the university as well as to the
state, to stop the duplication. Should
this be your conclusion. ] desire 10 re-
peat all that ! said two years ago on
this subject relative to the agricul' ural
department of that institution. me
spirit OF the University of Vermont, man
ifested by its recent action in defining
Its position upon the subject of educa-
tion within this State, should commend
itself to all good citizens as the essence
of good citizenship | recommend that
all moneys that the state may see nj TO
appropriate for education, shall he sub
ject 10 tho absolute control of the State
board of education.