The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-12-19

teachers, better superyJ sion. bettesi
rural schools and better educational
facilities generally which the people
| with one voice have demanded. Ed
| ucational Improvements are in the
/ line OF economy and efficiency rather
! than OF waste.
Highways cost $414.000.00 more
! in 1916 than in 1907, and why not?
I it will be more instead OF less in
| succeeding years in response TO the
universal demand for good roads,
which mean so much in the progress
of the the state, and The benefits of
which from the standpoint of econ
omy and efficiency. are so great and
farreachiIg. Whether the state is
receiving full value for the money
expended in road work under pres
ent methods is q debatable question.
and the Standard has frequently re-
ftrred to this phase OF the subject.
but this is matter OF administra-
tive detail. and does not affect the
general proposition that the state Is
definitely committed to policy Of
improved highways that calls for in
creasing expenditures
The increased cost Of the military
department, to which may properly
be added the cost OF agmOries, is in
the line Of preparedness and is there
fore wise economy How much
would the critics trim the military
branch
The house of correction. industrial
SCHOOL Brattleboro retreat and State
hospital are penal and charitable in
situations TO the support Of which in
accordance with modern and pro-
gressive ideas. the state is com
mitted, and if the increase OF cost in
their upkeep is other than natural
and inevitable it has not been point
ed out.
The auditor of accounts costs more
hut who would advocate the rejec-
ton OF the present modern and ef-
fcient system of accounting and re-
turning to tho old pigeon-hole and
archaic methods of ten years ago.
The secretary of state costs more
but the valuable publicity work that
is being carried on by this depart
ment is Of vital Importance and
which will bring rich returns, if
there is no interruption in the policy
so wisely and efficiently inaugurated.
Would the critics stop state publici-
ty?
The work of the state forestry de
partment is costing more but who
would repudiate the conservation OF
the states natural resources, am
10 I..o - f,b
it would be hard to estimate?
The board of health is costing
more but 1t Is worth many times its
present cost in the great work that
has been and is being done in re-
ducing the death rate in tuberculosis
and other diseases and in health
measures and the PRONUNCIATION of
sanitary regulations.
The purchasing agent, commission
of weights and measures and indus
trial accident board, are the products
of recent legislation and are entitled
to q reasonable time in which TO de-
termine whether their cost to the
state is justified.
AS matter of fact the only item in
the table printed above where waste
is apparent is the cost Of the Legis-
lature, for the increase in recent
years, caused by sessions Of inordi-
nate and wholly unwarranted length,
is something for which there is no
shadow of excuse.
Aside from this cost Of the Legis.
lature, where in the foregoing table
would the critics apply the pruning
knife?
The cost of state government can
not be measured, as some would have