The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-02-28
BARBER SHOWS
HOW TO REDUCE
STATE EXPENSES
FayOrs Executive Budget
and Consolidation of
Commissions

!
| legislation before the Literary
club and the Loyal club here last
evening, Representative Frank Z.
Barber of Brattleboro pointed out
some of the evils that have grown
up under the resent system OF
legislation in Vermont and sug-
gested changes that would, in his
opinion, remedy those evils and
effect a reduction in state expense
The propositions which he discus
Sed were as follows:
l. The necessity for an eXecu-
, tive budget providing for the nee
+ essaly expenses Of the state.
2. Consideration by the legis-
lature of this budget before pass
inc appropriations for other pur-
poses.
3. A consolidation of COM
missions.
Continuing. he said in part:
Let us consider some Of the evils
attending our present system Of
legislation.
legislature as soon as made up,
are welcomed to the department
corresponding TO the particular
work which that mittee has in
and, which department from the
head to the messenger clerk, eX
tends every coultes.y possible 10
the members of thai committee. Il
seems to be the business of the
head Of every department to mag
Nifty the importance Of its own ac-
tivity; to think primarily of its
own work and manV instances,
with complete isolation from other
departments, rather than 4 spirit
of cooperation, Workin" for the
common good of the whole.
With a hundred OF more of these
departments and commissions
operating independently upon the
treasury without considering in
anv degree the revnue of the
state, or the relative value which
one activity is doing as compared
with another, is it any wonder that
our expenses have increased? Also
please bear in mind that the head
Of our departments are usually
men thoroughly acquainted with
the work Of a legislature; men who
have had experience in eXe1ting
and welding influence upon a leg
iSlaturc made up as it is of prob
| ably three-QuarterS of the mem
+ bers with out previous legislature
experience. This lobbying and in
fuence is continually going or
from the time the legislature
meets until after the special APP
roprations are pa sSed upon whc'l
the work of appropliatine money
for their needs is considered
In saving this | do not wish TO
be understood as casting any re-
Elections whatever upon any our
departments of commissions. 50
far as | know they are all render
ing honest able and Conscientious
service and in the matter Of secur-
ing appropriations, are adonting a
system which they Ceem necessary
and one which has been in practice
in this state for many years. New y
theless, it is mentioned only for
the purpose of showing the evils
attendant upon such a system.
The business of runnino Yer
mont should be placed on strictly
business methods. In any business
one never heard Of each .epalate
department operating independ-
entity Of the other. The expenitul Is
are regulated ACCORDING to the
amount Of the income. The neces-
sary overhead expenses are alwa -
considered and provided for be
fore spending money for othal.
| puIposcS. No business or industry
could long survive under the
states recent system. 1t does mot
invite economy. There is no cs-
tablished basis economy. There is
no established basis for mutual in
terest; no spirit of cooperating
among many of the different com
/ missions or denartments. The re-