Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1922-02-15
Issues.
-(Rutland Heraldl,

The beginning of the second month
of the new year brings nearer the in
evitable political campaigns of seven"
years, and there seems to be a ten
dency in the state today toward COM
hitting candidates to certain definite
policies, WHICH we call ISSUES" al
though the term is not especially de-
scriptive.
The year is young, but already
things are shaping toward certain
ends:
1. Definite plans for reducing
state expenditures;
2. Demands for better roads than
ordinary gravel surface offers;
3. Better trained and better paid
teachers;
A. Curtailment of state activities.
or at least pledges that no further
extentions will be undertaken.
1t might fairly be charged that
these propositions are discordant-
that the first and fourth cannot be
harmonized with the second and third
and there is some truth in such an
allegation, but most people seem to
feel that there is a reasonable middle
ground where better roads and better
schools can be had without increas-
ing the burden on the taxpayer.
1t may be so, but the history of the
state does not lend much encourage
ment to such hopes. improvements
have always cost money and a great
deal of money has often been spent
without much improvement. When
therefore, the legislator finds himself
between the mandates for economy
express or implied, received from his
nyIvY ncfI PC -
pressure of other interests that de-
sire connection with the state treas
ury, what sort of safeguards should
be placed around him?
Thanks to the frank utterances of
experienced legislators and some
newspapers, certain definite PROPOSE
lions are even now omen for discus
sion.
l. Executive budget, consisting of
business statement of the states
financial condition and needs, to be
presented by the incoming governor
in his inaugural and given right of
way by the legislature;
III. Repeal of all laws carrying
standing appropriations and requir-
ing all appropriations to be made for
one year only, to be so stated and in
cluded in budget;
III. All special appropriations to
be passed on in separate bills;
~. Consolidation of certain de-
partments and state activities Cor
the purpose Of eliminating -duplica-
ton and reducing overhead;
V. Reduction of all salaries paid
to holders of Offices for which there
is an unreasonable competition;
vi. Horizontal cut in all state ex-
penses to bring state tax for the
next biennial period down to or be-
low fifty cents;
VII. No bond issue for hard-sur-
faced roads.
These propositions, excepting the
ce-holders, heads of departments,
benefciaries of special privileges,
stand-patters, who believe in the
status quo and all others who have
found large and widely distributed
department useful in political propa-
cation.
The Herald does not believe that
all of these issues will become active
or that they will be decided in the af-
irmative. 1t merely sums up few
of the more important-and there
are many others-with the intention
of bringing them before the people
for discussion.
The more they are discussed by
candidates, would-be candidates, pres
ent Or past state officers. newspapers
and others interested, the better it
will be for the taxpayer year, two
years, perhaps four years, from now.
In fact, The Herald viii state frankly
that unless these issues are met and
adjusted, the state will go on to ad-
ditional and unchecked expense so
that a state tax of one dollar or its
equivalent will have to be levied
not for two years, but for each year!
Such, at least, is the opinion of
those who have given some attention
to the statements of the auditor and
have marked the tendency Of recent
legislatures. 1t is not only a case
of stopping further state expense; it
comes to a direct cut somewhere.