The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-03-27
GRAHAM MAKES RINGING
APPEAL TO VERMONTERS
As We May Be Called Upon for More Than One Regiment,
Governor Wants Appropriation of at Least 81 900, 900
Discusses State Expenses.

CIHOTs eldlC duulIOt OF az |
counts, chairman of the finance com
mittee of the senate and chairmen of
the ways and means committee and
committee on appropriations of the
house, have given the subject of what
the appropriations ought to be very
| careful and painstaking consideration.
The committee have drafted and
will report bill which will be sub
mitted to you at once. The estimates
of the different departments of gov
eminent and the special appropriations
asked for as originally filed with the
commit, called for some Sj,200,000
for the coming biennial period. After
several days and nights spent in exam
ming these estimates, the committee
have been able, without injury to the
public service as they believe, to scale
these figures down to substantially ST.
| 700, 900 and allow in this amount con
tingent and deficiency appropriations
1 of 100000 per year, should their es-
| Inmates prove inadequate. Our assured
revenue, above the revenue pledged to
| certain purposes, such as automobile
license fees and the income of the per-
manent school fund, is in round mum
bers, S4,000,000. This leaves to be pro
yided for by direct taxation some
100000, exclusive of the two contin-
gent appropriations above referred to.
This will require an annual direct
tax for the years 1918 and 1919 of ten
per cent each year The committee
feel that with this tax the expenses
of the state can be met, and that by
rigid economy in the several depart
ments of government during the COM
ing biennial period no deficit will be
incurred. These figures do not include
any extraordinary expense the state
may be put to because of the approach
! ing war with the central powers Of
Europe. / ask your full consideration
of this condition.
Legislation.-I suggest to YOU the
enactment of law giving police of
iicers iull authority, whenever state
of war exists to arrest, without war
rant and take before a court of com
pctcnt jurisdiction all persons suspect
ed of being engaged in any way in
giving aid and comfort to our enemies.
The military department has taken
4 careful inventory of equipment on
hand. have been informed by the
national government that it will prob
ably will be unable TO furnish for the
present, but little, if any more. Of
such equipment. Figures showing the
cost of such supplies and equipment
as will be needed If the regiment is
called out have been obtained with
the result that | am of the opinion
that IN ease of the failure Of the ma
tional government to supply us, ii will
cost from $l50,000 to 100000 to prop
erly equip and put into the field full
regiment of 2,002 men and SO officers
In any event, the state should see tc
it that its soldiers are properly
equipped before being sent into the
field. As we may, and probably will
be called upon to do more than furnish
|. one regiment, | suggest that YOU APP
propriatc at least 81 900. 900 and safe
, guard its expenditure. The treasurer
should also be given authority to Dor
7 row and pledge the credit Of the stat,
; for proper amount. While the gov
! ernor and the treasurer may have suf
, ficient authority at present, as the Law
:. now stands, it will be safer to have M
I appropriation and like borrowing au
thority given to the treasurer The
h figures showing how this result ha,
: been reached can be obtained from th,
o adjutant general.
@ To my mind, the time to cease talk
g ing and to act has come. Vernon
c Will as usual do her part and NOR,
II than her part. Patriotism does no
o consist alone in following the eolors o
h in making patriotic speeches, or in as
surfing each other of our love Of coun
n try, but rather in each individual
Z doing, and continuing to do day b,
day, his or her part. The farma
: should increase the acreage under tn
plow; the mechanic. his hours of labor
the professional man should give of hi
time to organization. An army in tn
field must be properly fed and clothed
and tended in health and sickness: an
all of these things must be done b
those who remain at home. | ask eac
one Of YOU in your respective towns I
look to it that these things are done.
L. 2