The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-07-07
FLETCHER DECLARES
STATE MUST RETRENCH
Fomer Governor Calls Attention to
Increases in State Govern
Ntfi ment Expenses

Essex Junction, July 6.-"In excess
OF $40, 100000 will be spent in the state
of Vermont in the next two years. II
the various appropriations made by
the Legislature and reaching that vast
sum are carried out as contemplated. .
This information was given the
Mems club of this vii age tonight by
Elk Gov. Allen M. Fletcher OF Caven.
dish, who as the guest OF the club was
the speaker of the evening. The gov
ernor was in fine spirits. His subject
was Economic Needs OF Country and
State-And some Other Needs He
said he did not intend to make a
speech, that he was not given to
speech.mak but that he would
just talk on some matters that ap.
pealed to him strongly.
Reserve Bank System
He criticized the Federal Reserve
banking sytem, stating that before II
reached anything like full efficiency II
won have to be taken from politics,
and, in his opinion, divorced from the
national treasury. He attributed to
the policy of the Federal Reserve sys.
tenn responsibility for much of the
present unsettled business conditions.
Upon the character OF the borrower
rests the action of the loaner, be II
individual or bank. am fearful that
the Federal Reserve has not held to
this true system of borrowing and
loanng Long ago should the Federal
Reserve have put the brakes on
immigration Law
Speaking about immigration. Mr..
Fletcher said we had new law gov
ernlng the immigrants coming to this
country, but. said he, what use is
that law when the immigrants. desir-
able or otherwise. can enter Mexico
and reach this country with apparent
case? Surely the undesirable should
be kept out. tor to, these undesirables
! is traceabe much OF the socialism that
has found footing in this country OF
ours"
II was when the governor announced
4 at he would give some time to state
affairs that his adience Strengthened
In their chairs and took on an expect
ant look, and he did not disappoint
them.
state Appropriations
THE last LegIs ature,' so he said,
passed appropriations bigger than
ever before in history OF the state.
The gross total is in excess OF SlOO,OOO'
900 for the biennial term, and ask
what are we coming to? In 1902, the
first year was member OF the Leg
islature, the total expenditure was
Ss72 900. In 1920 II was S4,O9lOOO. In
1902 the highway expenditure was
$4,000. In 1920 It amounted to better
than a million dollars. Upon the CO.
ordinate branches of the Legislature, !
place the responsibility of the great
increase in expenditures, and the time
has now come when retrenchment
must take place. The per capita cost
for conducting the affairs Of the state
has risen from $500 to $ll.6O.'
Permanent Highways
The governor gave few moments
10 roads, and ended by saying There
Is no such thing as a permanent high
way
! 81 don't know" he said, that Yer
mont has O state policy for highways.
III IL has, Il Is unknown to me. When
governor | went to Washington and
down there they told me to 20 back
home and see to Il that grades were
eliminated. curves Strengthened out
proper drainage maintained, and then
wait until more was known about pro
per highway construction. | believe n
Capitalization Of power In connec'
tlon with the management OF the high
ways of the state. am hopeful of
results of the new order OF things, but
~ they do not come His Excellency has
the mower to remove his brother com
'mlssioners. Think OF expending ST.
500 900 year on the highways II the
highway board doesn't coordinate
then II should be changed.
Next cubernatorlal Campaign
Speaking about the governorship
campaign to come. he said. 1T doesn't
matter so much who is your governor
for there are few men who can stand
THE opposition they may meet on a
policy not in favor by the coordinate
branches of the Legislature. There
for, believe that to put n stop to
those excessive expenditures we must
wage an intensive campaign for rep
resentntlves and senators upon plat
form OF retrenchment."
II believe" said the Governor "that
state that gives It's name to an In
stitution OF learning should support
that institution and that there should
be no duplication of effort That was
my opinion when was governor and
Il Ia my opinion to day. Under the
guiding hand of the president OF that
institution am sure the appropria