The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-01-11


, and place in the care of an insuranc
commissioner the conduct and man
. agement Of our state insurance am
make him ex-oflicio fire marshal wit
power to investigate all suspicious fir
losses.
II have made specific recommenda
tions as to the salaries Of certain elec
tive and appointive officers, believing
that the state should pay a fair re
enumeration for service rendered, tax
ing into consideration the fact that tht
cost of living has increased and is moi
likely to decrease. The salaries ol
certain other officers should be raiseC
ard adequate compensation given the
new officials | have recommended.
"Education.-The present educa.
tional law and system should be con-
tinued in force. The direct appropria-
ton made by the state Of $l30,000.0O
should be increased to $225 100000, bu;
there should also be charged against
this appropriation the support of tha
normal schools now costing $25,000.00
aud the higher instruction now costing
$40, 100000 and the expense of all the
vocationall courses and Of the junior
high schools.
"Highways.-The appropriation for
the support of highways should be in
reeased to $225, 100000 and should be
available to incorporated villages un-
der proper statutory regulations.
Some plan should be adopted for ex-
tending state aid under state supervi-
sion to roads other than selected high
ways Since many owners of automo-
biles do not reside upon selected high
ways and as our automobile traffic is
not confined to such highways, some
part Of the automobile fund should be
available for the Improvement of
roads that have not been made select
ed highways.
"All the expense of the highway de-
partment including the pay Of the
commissioner and his Office force, the
district highway commissioners and
the maintenance of draw bridges and
the Sand Bar bridge should be charged
against the highway funds.
"Revision of the Statutes.-No. 242
of the acts of 1915 provided for gen
eral revision of the entire body of the
public statute law of the state. The
work of the commissioner having this
natter in charge will soon be submit
ted to- the general assembly under the
title General Laws of Vermont AS
hundreds of changes have been recon-
mended by the commissioner, 1t will
be impracticable for any committee to
undertake to go over the work without
outside assistance and | recommend
that by joint resolution the attendance
and service of the commissioner be-
fore the legislative committee having
this revision in charge be provided for
during the session and that adequate
stenographic assistance be at once au-
thorized.
"Courts.-I believe that there should |
be elected by the board of civil author
ity in each town in the state and the
city of Vergennes trial justice for
causes who should have au-
thority to bind up to the proper court
persons charged with any offense but
should only have limited criminal
and should not at any time
sit with.a jury. This officer should be
paid by fees and should make quarter
y settlements of his accounts with the
auditor of accounts. | further recon-
mend that the civil jurisdiction of JUS
ices of the peace be limited to $4,000.
81 recommend that the municipal
and city courts be roorganized into
,welve districts covering the whole
state and located with regard to bust
ness centers; be given enlarged Grim
nal jurisdiction and final civil juris-
fiction up to $4,000; that they be en-
powered to sit with the jury at least
,nce every two months and be permit
ed to hold court at any place in the
district where the business demands.
recommend that the superior court
,e done away with and that the num-
'er Of justices of the supreme court
Ne increased to nine, the chief justice
nd the first and second associate JUS
ices not to sit at nisi prius unless the
BUSINESS demands it. The chief and
rst and second associate justices
hould so arrange the circuits that
ach justice may remain at least one
ear in a circuit. There should be two /.
ury terms Of county court. The court
hould be open at all times for the
rial Of issues of fact by the court,
nder rules TO be formulated by the
lstices. There should be only three =
srms Of the supreme court, in Febru- r
ry, May and November, at Montpel y