The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-02-19

representative, OF DodIu, Win 'oeo
power against centralized authority.
The centralized authority might come
bv way of our present method OF appoint
inc a state road commissioner, who IN
turn appoints his county supervisor. Our
commissioner of education might be
named bv the state board of education
as he now is. he in turn would appoint
district superintendents. In both cases,
these men might be given the initiative
They would come to the towns each year
with budget of expected expenses and
| a suggested tax rate for the two items
of roads and schools, which rate Is to
be a uniform county tax. Each town
votes at its March meeting to accept
or reject the rate, and when two-thirds
of the towns refuse the recommendations
of the central powers, some method OF
resubmission of the question should be
had. or the rate is automatically estab-
lished by the towns. A general town
tax of such other minor expenses as
towns have might be left entirely with
each town. such tax to be administered
by the selectmen.
Following March meeting let the cen
trail road authority call his councillors,
elected from each town as road commits
sioners. together and 90 over his plan
in detail Only upon approval of his coun-
lcillors can his word be carried out. And
some power for his removal by the town
road men might be provided. similar
method would be pursued by the school
authorities.
Thus would we have an organization
/ accountable to both state and local au-
thority. Little or none of our democracy
would be lost, our plans would be more
t earthly made and executed, and the
9 problems of the weaker towns would be
/ largely solved.
!. Such plan, imperfect as it is and only
: briefly outlined, may give rise to some
thing more tangible along this line OF
s thought.
: Such a plan involves several funda
n mental things which are needed in Yer
/, mont. One of the first is greater equal
f cation of taxable property values. Thi
7, paper ventures the statement that farms
r in Orleans county which have recent,
n sold as high as $4,000 are set in tn
n list in some towns as low as 900
It while in another town a farm of equa
" value is set in the list at s. 900, or higher
e Such inequalities ought to be done ava.
l. with.
d A more centralized authority in man,
G. ways would work to the advantage of al
{: concerned, but such authority canno
v be established so long as each town, an
he especially the small town feels that it
ID sacred right as a political unit is bein
ne lost.
m TO disturb town lines only means an
1t other disturbance in some future tim,
w Some town now finding its populatio
rd below 800 may in the future find its poI
TO ulation increased to a considerable e1
V. tent, while other towns now having
al population somewhat over the dead lin
" may lose ground. This paper sees n
a equality of final Justice in a revampin
ID of our town lines The old New En-!
TX land town is too sacred thing in hi
a. tory to be abolished What a histor
he many town now foundering in del
O.? and decay has had. Must that be oil
sis liberated? No! The territory and IL
ed people will remain where they are r
M CARELESS of town lines, and their profile
ed is the same problem regardless of tow
be lines, and their problem is the same VIII,
,ol the line is changed SO. why not leave Il
town line, leave the town name leave Il
. town meeting, leave the town officer
. leave the town pride, leave the town ur
of incentive. but broaden our admin
tration of affairs, which are never pure
local, anyway, into a unit where t
II whole community is concerned Such
Il plan would broaden our thought al
II vision but retain our local interest al
II pride Orleans County Monitor.