The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-04-11
FRIDAY, APRIL II, 1919.
THE LATE LEGISLATURE.

The legislature of 1919 adjourned |
Wednesday noon after 4 ninety two
days session and cost of about $780,
600. 1t passed total of 1877 bills and
Killed as many more. Among the inn
portant acts passed by it were bills in
creasing the appropriations for con-
demned cattle and making more rigid
the law for paying for such cattle,
horses and mules. Much more effective
work against tuberculosis among cattle
may be expected in the next two years.
Another important bill aiding agrieul
ture was the bill making state appro-
priations for county agents, home dem
onstration agents and county boys and
| girls clubs leaders, also a bill authoriz-
ing state advertising of farms for sale
All in all if appears as if the agricul-
tural interests of the state secured as
much beneficial legislation as any class
Fully as important in appropriations
may be the laws recognizing the work
of the state board of health. The sub
stitution of district health officers for
town health officers is a very important
move and the passage of other bills
with practically unlimited appropria-
tions will bring this department up to
one of the most expensive the state has.
This department must demonstrate its
value in the next two years if it is to
hold such an important place as expend-
er of state funds.
Another important bill is one pro
viding fifty 800 scholarships for de
serving medical students. The great
expense of fitting for the practice OF
medicine keeps many deserving young
men from entering this necessary pro
fession. This donation of $500 to medi
cal students taking full course should
| lead to more and better physicians il
Il the state.
\ Considerable advancement in salarie
was effected but in no instance has al
Office been made unduly attractive from
financial viewpoint Without excep
a ton the men whose compensation ha
: been increased are valuable state off
4 cials who will earn any increase grant
+ ed to them.
q The largest direct state tax since til
( days of the Civil war has been levie
u and bond issue of $1,500,000 author
= lied to pay the Vermont boys who wen
81 into military service. No other stat
n in the Union has so literally paid it
& soldiers. The authorization of a $50
3 900 history of Vermont in the war fc
Y free distribution among the soldiers
s another very liberal act.
y Summarized, the results of the legi
:, lature may be given as aid in the d
II velopment of the agricultural, healtl
medical and military interests of I'll
state. 1t did not revolutionize the roa
system of the state nor continue its e,
II pensive and inefficient normal schoo
nor allow corporation deals to be pl
II over it nor authorize 5000, 900 indebtet
ness for a barge terminal. 1t ais
H turned the cold shoulder to nearly ever
II town. appeal for state aid. In what
II refused to do it served the financial 81
H uation of the state we'll. Undoubte,
II ly it did some things that should NJ
= have been done and did not do son
things that should have been done b.
every legislature has that shortcomin
So on the whole the legislators may r
turn to their duties as private either
with the consciousness that they hay
well performed their duties as publ
servants