Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-12-25
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.
Telephone Company Rank Monopoly.

Telephone Company Rank Monopoly.
There has been and is a mighty
factor silently drawing the wool OF
statewide monopoly seeking to gov
ern every avenue of business IN Yer
mont. Honest, conscientious Yer
monters have been deceived and are
still being drawn into the mesh by
the oily rantings of deceitful pro-
motors, who have already tricked the
legislators in the past Of their birth
right of freedom and independence
for mess of pottage. Vermonters
the plain, common people-tillers
of the soil-whose fathers cleared
these acres from forests and made
the wilderness blossom-the rightful
inheritors of the fairest and best
these green old hills have to offer
must assert their independence and
in stern Ethan Allen terms tell these
grafters to "get thee behind me Sa-
tan" One of the rankest of these
| monopolies exists in the New En-
gland Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany who through the powers this In
dependent old state has surrendered
| in the laws governing the Public Ser
| ing lies to be established, allowing
few of the older peoples lines to re-
main i'm force, but restricted in oper-
alton. Just why a neighborhood of
farmers cannot have the right to
erect a private line for community
and Eeighborly service, is past all
| Justice and equity This is one of
the matters the incoming legislature
should remedy There are others
that should also be remedied if Yer
monters want to retain their old-time
independence and that Freedom and
Unity" emblazoned on the state coat
of arms.-Island Pond Herald.
Rural Development.
Rev. William Shaw, one of the
strong men of the Methodist denom-
nation in Vermont, in an address at
Montpelier, said:
"The rural population of New En-
gland is practically static. Lack of
opportunity for advancement in the
rural community sends the young
people to the city and the community
life thus impoverished deteriorates
both Intellectually and socially
'The church is planning to meet
this situation by establishing ade-
quate centers of training and educa-
ton for the rural young people. Eff
fcient churches are to be established
in the scores of small towns where
no church services are held.
''The church will provide rural
workers for sparsely settled sections
who will infuse new life and ideals
into the impoverished life of the
community.
Morgan memorials are to be es-
tablished in several cities, which will
have public forums, schools of reli-
gious education, and recreational ia
cilities for the young people to meet
the need in the congested districts"
The truth of Mr.. Shaw's remarks
is not questioned and the work for
the benefit of rural young people is
unquestionably needed. A few days
ago the Reformer published the plan
Of the National Security league for
improving the rural schools and
every few days public speakers are
ditions. All this is good as it shows
a desire of all people to serve people
living in rural communities. But we
cannot help remembering that too
n'anv cooks are just as dangerous for
the broth as they were years ago. The
church should not attempt to reform
rural communities alone, nor should
the National Security league or any
Of the organizations that are discus
sing the matter. Rural communi-
ties are not large enough to .assimi-
1 late such a variety of tonics.
The churches, leagues, Oranges
club promoters and others should get
together and formulate joint pro-
gram for developing rural life and es-
tablish one strong unified agency for
each community large enough to sus-
tain the work. This will bring bet
ter results than too many indepen-
dent agencies struggling so hard to
exist that they can be of little SER
vice to the communities so sparsely
settled they cannot advance by them
selves.-Brattleboro Reformer
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