The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-07-29
CANDIDATE FOR
GOVERNOR GUEST
Of LOCAL CLUB
Hon. Redfeld Proctor Spoke
Bennington Club
TALKED OF, STATE WORK
Expenses of Vermont Are Up to
Five Million a Year and
Still Growing
TALKED OF, STATE WORK

Hon. Redheld Proctor, who is
candidate for the goyernorship nomi.
nation at the September primaries,
was in Bennington Friday evening
and spoke to members OF the Ben
nington club and invited guests at
the club room in the opera house
block. Following his address Mr.
Proctor was introduced to the citi
zens present. He did not make az
extended stay, leaving early for his
return trip to Proctor.
The speaker was introduced by
Frank Il. Howe who urged those pres
ent to make the acquaintance IF the
guest OF the evening while he was in
their presence for the reason tlat
Bennington, because OF its location,
is infrequently visited by state offlci'
al.
At the conclusion OF his remarks
Mr.. Proctor was questioned at some
length, particularly in reference to
his proposed executive budget, which
was the main feature of his address
His address follows:
The interest OF the people of Yer
mont in politics is not centered on
showy campaign promises. They are
not satisfied with these. They rea-
lize that our government Is in large
part matter of practical business
administration. We can not regard
public office as an honorary reward
Tor veteran politicians, but an exact
kn.K taa 80 mbiph nnpnnAtant
must be chosen. Tie present cam
pa.gn with no sharp DIVISION of
opinion on any one outstanding issue
has, nevertheless, showa that the clti-
zens OF Vermont take keen interest
in the States business and are in
formed In regard to it. The women
voters have already shown their in
dependent and practical attitude to-
ward public affairs.
There seems TO be some confusion
with respect to the duties and powers
OF the Governor. The Constitution
puts certain and defined limits upon
his powers but expressly gives him
"The supreme executive power" and
charges him ITO take care that the
laws be faithfully executed lhese
duties of the Governor are most I'M
portant for the welfare of the State,
TOR unenforoed laws breed contempt
for a laws. lie management of
what might be caned tile business in
terests OF the State Is also very inn
portant duty OF the Governor. The
state itself is probably the largest
business concern in the State. The
annual budget of the State is over
tive million dollars, its payroll is over
one million and it has more tlan
seven hundred persons in its employ.
the management of this business Is
no easy task for any man, whatever
his training or experience but the
Constitution and the laws put this
duty on the Governor We must not
for moment lose sig.lt of the fact
that 1t is the Legislature and not the
Governor that actually makes the
laws. We can hope for the enact
ment OF such laws and for the appro-
priation of the States money for suc'3
purposes and in such ways as we de-
sire, only by nominating and electing
those people to represent US who are
in accord with our views. Notwlth-
standing the various schemes which
nave been devised to get an express
sion of the wish Of the individual
voter, our system of government is a
representative one and must and
should largely remain so. The yot-
ers may vote directly upon one thing,
but those whom they eject to execu'
tive or legislative office must express
their wif.ies on dozens or hundreds
OF things.
Indirect taxes seem less burden.
some than direct taxes but tnis is
largely in appearance. Whatever way
money is raised, which the State
spends and il the State spends it, II
must raise it, this money in fac
comes out of you and me, citizens ol
tie State. A very real trouble in the
minds of many of us today is that the
total amount of money raised is toe
large. In other wards, we feel thai
we pay more taxes Of one KIND or an
other than we want to, and than VIZ
ought to. For number of years prio1
to 1913 we had no direct State tal
and then only 10c for one yead, but IL
10 it returned rising to 4Oc in L
and 90, with q reduction to 20c in '2l
but back to 4Oc again this year. Th'
average tax rate in the towns for 1872
was over 1910, in many towns beinI
over $4.OO and this year the average
vii probably be well up in the re
gon of $3.50. Our population is to-
nearly at a standstill, the increas
from 1900 to 1920 being less than 10
900 and from 1910 to 1920, we actr
ally show a loss. The States none
is our money, how much shall b
raised, and how it shall be expende
is for us to say, but we must eE@res
our wishes in this as in many othe
matters, through our wishes III raj
matters, through the persons we sen
to the Legislature. If that Legislator
appropriates more and more none.
1t must raise more and more none
and the keeping of these expenditure
and taxes, whether they be direct c
indirect within reasonable and prope
limits depends first Oh our eleotin