Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-01-05

quarters without the approval of the
board of control.
IA. State Geologist.--T salary of
this official should be $500. His
duties, the same as at present; but he
should no longer act as curator of the
cabinet, but with the president of the
Historical society nominate to the
board of control for appointment n
curator of the cabinet and collection
of the Historical society, who should
be paid by the state.
is. State Engineer.-The state en-
ploys civil engineers in connection with
the work of the public service com
mission, highway commissioner, board
of health and attorney general.
Moneys so expended are amply suffi-
Icient to employ an engineer and to pro-
vide for his necessary Office assistance,
and L believe that we should establish
the Office of state engineer. This Off
Ger should take charge of all the engi-
nccring problems arising i'll all the
state departments except such as can
be handled by the district highway
commissioners in the highway depart
ment, act as boundary line commits.
sioner and as conservation commits
sioncr.
16. The Board of Education.-Tho
board of education should remain as
at present, having the power only so
far as appointments are concerned of
selecting the district superintendent,
the teacher training and normal school
force and of nominating to the board
of control q commissioner of education.
IL. Insurance Commissioner be-
licve we should establish an insurance
department for the examination and
supervision of the insurance interests
and place in the care of an insurance
commissioner the conduct and manage
ment of our state insurance and make
him eX-offlcio fire marshal with power
to investigate all suspicious fire losses.
have made specific recommends
tions as to the salaries of certain elect
i've and appointive officers, believing
that the state should pay a fair re.
Enumeration for service rendered
taking into consideration the fact that
the cost of living has increased and is
not likely to decrease. The salaries of
certain other officers should be raised
and adequate compensation given the
new officials l have recommended.
Education.-The present educational
law and system should be continued IN
force. The direct appropriation made
by the state of $4,000 should be in
creased to $225,O00 but there should
also be charged against this appropri
alton the support of the normal school,
now costing $4,000 and the higher
instruction now costing $4,000 and
the expense of all the vocational
i courses and of the junior high schools
Highways.-Th appropriation fol
the support of highways should be
increased to $225,000 and should be
available to incorporated villages, un.
der proper statutory regulations. Some
plan should be adopted for extending
state aid under state supervision to
roads other than selected highways
Since many owners of automobiles dc
not reside upon selected highways and
as our automobile traffic is not confined
to such highways, some part of the auto
mobile fund should be available for the
improvements of roads that have not
, been made selected highways.
All the expense of the highway de
partment including the pay of the
commissioner and his office force, the
district highway commissioners, anC
the maintenance of draw bridges ant
the Sand Bar bridge should be charged
against the highway funds.
/ Revision of the Statutes.-No. 24c
of the Acts of 1915 provided for 6
general revision of the entire body OF
the public statute law of the state
The work of the commissioner having
this matter in charge will soon be-
n1 tn ba
der the title general laws of Yer
mont" AS hundreds of changes have
been recommended by the commits
sioncr, it will be impracticable fol
any committee to undertake to 90 Over
the work without outside assistance
and | recommend that by Joint reso
luton the attendance and service OF
the commissioner before the Legislative
committee having this revision il
charge be provided for during the SEES
sion and that adequate stcnographi,
assistance he at once authorized.
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 Nergennes a trial Justice fol-
criminal causes who should have au
thority to bind up to the proper court
Pci HonS cHarRcu WIN any OHence bu'
should only have a limited crimina
jurisdiction and should not at any
time sit with jury. This Office
should be paid by fees and should
make quarterly settlements of his ac
counts with the auditor of accounts.
further recommend that the civil iur
isdiction of justices of the peace b,
limited to 800.
recommend that the municipal ant
city courts be recognized into twelve
district courts covering the Who'll,
State and located with regard to bust
ness ccntcrs; be given enlarged crimi
nal jurisdiction and final civil iurisdic
ton up to $500; that they be empow
cred to sit with the jury at least one,
every two months and be permitted
to hold court at any place in the dis
trict where the business demands.
recommend that the superior court be
done away with and that the number
of justices of the supreme court bt
increased to nine, the chief justice ant
the first and second associate Justice,
not to sit at nisi prius unless the bust
ness demands it. The chief and frs
and second associate justices should 81
arrange the circuits that each justice
may remain at least one year in cir