The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-10

I Vermont with cities of about the samC
population in the country follows;
Assessed Valuation
Population. Of Property.
Vermont ..... 364,322 s233 479,647
Buffalo ....... 472,l80 59O,2l3,lsS
Minneapolis 363.454 265, 1852 ,603
Wash'tn, d. C. 366,83l 440,4l5,sg9
New Orleans 37l,747 244,07s,0l3
You see, although we have population
less than Buffalo by 100000 people, Buff
falo has two and half times as much
grand list as we have. The state Of Yer.
mont Is about on q par IN population
with Washington, but Washington has a
grand list nearly twice as large as that
Of Vermont.
/ call these facts to your attention
only by way of caution. There are very
many activities which are good in them
selves, and in the adoption Of which we
might all Of us concur, provided we had
the money to pay for them. But the
same proposition meets us in handling
business of the state that eonfronts us
every day of our lives. We in our pri-
vate affairs are forced to choose what
things we will have and what we will
deny ourselves; not because we do not
want and would not enjoy all Of the good
things Of life, but because we have not
the money to pay for them.
II is plain that in planning all that
can be done In the way Of consolidating
and condensing the state activities and
the business Of state institutions, we
should also try to make them self-sup-
porting so far a. possible.
am informed that the state of Yer
mont owns LOO acres Of land in connec-
tion with these Institutions, and $4,000
acres OF woodland This acreage should
produce a large part OF the food, proven
der and at least a part of the fuel used
in such institutions. A beginning has
already been made in this direction and
L should be the business of your officers
and employees in such institutions to
make this policy fixed and important
part Of the solution Of our financial prob.
lems
There will also be some falling of in
the amount of the state tax on deposits
in savings banks and trust companies
whcih in the past biennium represented
81 ,507 $40. This falling of viii be due
to investment in Liberty bonds and war
savings stamps, etc, and under normal
business conditions will undoubtedly be
returned in due time.
You have also before you the recon-
mendations of the commissioner of taxes
in which he asks for certain additional
powers in the way of supervising the col
lection of taxes in the various towns. At
the time this recommendation and esti-
mate was made there was S230000 in I'M
collected taxes on the books of the va
rious towns in Vermont. This proposal
to permit closer supervision Of tax col
Letting methods with the final right to
issue an extent upon property Of delin
quent collectors merits your careful con-
sideration. The state must watch its
problems of revenue with the most jeal
Gus care, for the reason that a further
falling off must undoubtedly result in
increased direct taxation.
WOrkmen's Compensation.
In 1915 the state of Vermont under
took to deal with questions of employers
liability and workmen's compensation, to
which was added in 1917 the inspection
of factories, all now coming under the
jurisdiction of the commissioner of in
dustries. This department bears, most
important relation to our industrial life,
and the desire of employees coming under
it's jurisdiction for higher schedule of
compensation in the case of death result
ing from injury Hereunder, should be
considered in connection with the costs
of compensation, which already fall heav-
lily upon the employers of the state. If
the schedules of compensation are to be
increased, then the legislature might
properly consider whether provision
should not be made for carrying the risks
Under this law by means of voluntary
associations organized under such plans
as would permit this to be done at cost,
and such amendments to the insurance
laws should be made as to provide there
for without imperilling the industrial
and business interests concerned therein.
You viii give these suggestions and
such consideration as
they merit | on my part will undertake
to cooperate with you towards the best
Improvement of the laws under which we
are to live, and pledge myself to a care
full and fearless execution of them. This
| conceive to be my duty under the con.
stitution which binds us all and in the
light of which our official deeds must be
judged
State Expenses.
The problem Of state expenses il very
serious and complex. During the war we
were justified in spending large amount
of money in order that Vermont should
do her full part toward winning that