The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-10
CLEMENT ASKS
FOR TEAM work.
Continued from second page. }
Board of Control.


Your predecessors in the Legislature of
| 1917 passed law placing the control Of
| the principal state activities and most OF
! the financial transactions Of the state
under the supervision OF board of con
| troll, consisting Of the governor, the audi
| tor Of accounts, the treasurer, the direc.
! tor Of state Institutions, and one other
member In my opinion, this board has
done some important work in the way
| Of concentrating authority and respon-
| sibility, but the upward progress of state
| expenses, has not been checked due
| perhaps largely to the war. On the
contrary, it shows h net increase
, for the biennium Of $l,57l ,390.65, and
| Judging from the statement of the budget
committee, you will be faced by the ne
cessity Of providing revenue for still
| further increase unless appropriations
are sharply limited and some decided &C.
/ ton taken towards rctrenchment.
| | believe that the board of control is
we'll constituted and doing good work,
| but it would seem as though the farmers
| OF Vermont, representing its most i'm
portant industTy-an industry which is
absolutely essential to the very existence
of the commonwealth and its people,
should be represented on this board, and
| to this end | recommend such changes
thereon as will permit the commissioner
of agriculture a seat upon this board and
voice in its transactions.
The hand of the federal government
rests heavily upon all the business of the
| United States On account of the war
| the people have suffered this without
| complaint and with the hope that relief
would come with the coming of peace.
So far this is hope only, and there is
apparently no definite plan for returning
TO rightful ownership property which has
been seized by the federal government
under the plea of war emergency. This
presents matter to you which merits
| your serious consideration The rail
roads and telephone and telegraph com
panies contributed revenue to the state
Of 81 1872 ,s9044 during the past biennium.
| This is one Of our largest sources of rev
enue There is definite program before
| Congress for the federal ownership of
/ public utilities, principally the wires and
/ the railroads If this plan should be con
summated, the state must face the loss
! Of this revenue which would mean I'M
| doubtedly still higher state tax, It
would seem to me proper for this legisla-
| ture 10 20 on record against further
sequestration of the sources Of state rev
enue by the federal government.
Federal Amendment
The state of Vermont has already sac
! riiced a large revenue by its adoption of
/ the amendment to the federal constitu-
/ tion which takes over to the federal gov
eminent the princely revenue from in
come taxes, and the end is not yet,
/ You viii be asked at this session to
pass upon another amendment to the
! federal constitution which not only de.
privcs the state Of Vermont of a certain
revenue, but which also abrogates GER
| tain powers Of self government which The
state has always retained, and deprives
our citizens Of time. honored rights.
While this matter rests entirely with
you. and not with me, I do not deem it
improper at this time, to remind you of
the danger which lies in a too compaceut
surrender of the rights and powers in
herent in our sovereign state, and in our
people
| At the proper time ] will make further
suggestions on this subject, but at this