The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-17
BARBER DEMANDS
REAL Governor
BrattleborO Man Tells WOm-
EN- Voters of Needed
Reforms
WOULD MERGE
ALL DEPARTMENTS
Too Many Commissions Expending State
Money independently Should BE
Check on Expenditures Miss Ross
and Jeffrey Tell of State Prisoners.


BURLINGTON. Sept. 17-Frank f.
Barber, chairman of the appropriations
committee in the house of representatives
in the legislature of 1924 was the prin-
cipal speaker yesterday at the closing
session of the citizenship conference at
University of Vermont. held under the
auspices of the League of Women Voters.
Mr. Barber said =
The time has come when we have got
to have an executive who will devote his
entire time to the states business. We
now have an income mounting up into
the millions. The governor should hand
in TO the legislature Il report showing just
where the state stands financially and
estimating how much money it will take
to run the states affairs during the COM
ing two years. A limit should be set
for expenditures and then the legislature
should keep within that limit.
Should Merge Departments
We need these many departments
Joined into one large department with the
governor at the head. He should get
eight or ten men who will take charge
of the various departments under him
and be responsible to him for expendi-
lures.
Il believe that the women are going to
see that they get value received from
their taxes, just the same as they de-
mand that they shall get value received
for the money they put into household
affairs. | believe that women are on the
whole more economical than men in the
handling of affairs
Mr.. Barber called attention to the fact
that each legislature is made up of men
of whom % per cent have had no lcgiS-
lative experience and no knowledge IF the
work TO be done. They go to Montpelier
with good Intentions and they cannot be
corrupted. but they find themselves at
once the center of appeals from numerous
boards and commissions, which have been
created by former legislatures. for money
to carry on different kinds of work.
Expense is the Result
There are in Vermont today 81 or
more departments or commissions which
are dependent upon the state for sup
port. Expenses for administration of the
foregoing have increased until in 1920.
$4,000 was expended. Each legisla-
ture has added one or more of these de-
partments. Many of these boards and
commissions are good in themselves. but
the trouble is that appropriations for
them are made and they are left to spend
the money without any check on them for
the next two years.
The budget committee. he said. which
was brought into being in 1915. did not
prove very successful. and the board of
control. of five members with the gov
ernOr at the head organized in 1917 for
the purpose of checking up the various
departments, is not serving the purpose
which many supposed that it would
No Check on Expenditures
Mr. R9rbpr wont tp hot ba
state has enough unpledged revenue. in
Guiding the money from the fish and game
licenses and other receipts from the pub
id which amounts to $3.50. 900. which
siOns, which take it in, without any
check. He also stated that there are
many departments which show a profit.
adding that it is not necessary that this
profit should remain in these depart
ments. 1t might be distributed among
other departments which have not suffi-
clent revenue to keep them going He de-
clared that all extra revenue should be
turned over to the state treasury and ex-
pended by the board of control where it
Is most needed also. that some of the
boards and commissions and departments
might well be consolidated to save ex-
penSe.
Tells of Women Prisoners
Prisons and Women" was the sub
Ject of Miss Lena c. Ross, superintendent
Of the wOmen'S reformatOry i'm Rutland
she called attention to the fact that the
appropriation of $1,000 to repair and re-
furnish the reformatory had proved