The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-12-31
so THEY GO.


upon the shoulders Of public officials. At
q time when the burthens Of taxation are
heavy, when the people are the most lily
able to pay the current and ordinary ex-
penses which are..necessary for the securi-
ty of property, the safety of life and per-
son, there seems to be growing tendency
to go outside of the law, indulge in the
most gross extravaganza, and pile up the
taxes to the highest extent. Burlington is
the last victim. Notwithstanding the char
ter Of that city expressly limits the cxpcndi-
lures to the money voted by the freemen of
the city, the amount raised by taxes. ond
received from fines. etc, NJ attention Is
paid thereto. 1t is distinctly provided that
these ''shall constitute the entire sum from
which appropriations and payments are
" to be made" yet it seems to be treated as
a dead letter. 1t is Of no account what
ever. 1t is regarded somewhat in the same
light that our old trustees regarded our vii
lagc ordinance. We do not propose to in
terfcrc in the affairs of Burlington, as they
are fully able to take care Of themselves,
but her financial situation is 80 Illustrative
of the evil tendencies of the time, that it
demands notice. II makes no difference
with the legality or ilcgality of the trans
action, that no individual connected with
the appropriation and expenditure of the
money was interested therein, and made
nothing out Of it. They disrcgardcd the
express provisions of the law, and that is
enough. This is the way jobbery and cor
ruption commences. Disregard the law in
one case and il will be disregardcd again
Let the people wink at cxtravagant cxpcn-
ditures made in direct violation of law, and
how long will it be before Jobs make
their appearance The time for the peo-
pie to move is at the first appearance of n
disregard of express provisions. 1t is easy
enough to keep our public servants within
due bounds, if we are watchfu and stamp
with disapproba ion the first appearance of
evil. Let it grow, however. and become
rooted in as part of the management of
our local affairs and only desperate strug-
gle can remedy the difficulty and bring it
back to the good old ways.
What was the effect of such course in
the village Of Rutland? The annual re-
port OF the trustees, for the year ending in
April, 1872, showed reduction of our in
dcbtcdness of something over thirteen hun
dred dollars, while the last board Of tr,s-
tees had increased the same some nine
thousand dollars. So indignant were the
voters and tax-paycrs-and they had the
right to be indignant that it was with diff
ficulty that they could bepersuadcd to vote
the necessary taxes with which to meet the
ordinary, necessary current expenses of the
village. 1t will he long time, we predict
before u board of trustees will I've found
that will, again, by extraordinary and in
some cases, useless expenditures, run the
village in debt. 1t will be years, at least.
before board of trustees will be elected
who will dare exceed the taxes assessed on
The people or the appropriations made by
them. So, we doubt not it will be in Bur-
lington. Some of the developments, as
contained in the message of Mayor Dodge,
are significant Their common council
had voted to borrow ten thousand dollars,
and, in the message vetoing the resolution,
the Mayor, among other things, makes this
expose Take for example, says he, "thc
street department. The highway tax
amounted to about $4,000. There was to
the credit of this department, at the COM
mencement of the year, $4,000. The
treasurer has collected $S,914, there being
still uncollected about $500 of the highway
tax. The citizens in city meeting in May
last, voted to bond the city to the extent
of $4,000 for streets and highways and
5000 for sewers. On the $l5, 900 loan
for streets the treasurer has realized S13,-
S75, making total to the credit of streets
and highways of S23,335. You have
already authorized the treasurer to pay
over to the street superintendent S33, 400 I"
The mayor does not stop here, but goes on
to show that similar or worse state OF af-
fairs exist in other departments, but these
figures are sufficient to disclose the actual
condition Of the finances of Burlington.
This was not sufficient to stop the cxpen-
ditures. In the face of this expose, the
council unanimously passed the resolution,
Notwithstanding the mayors veto, but,
also. authorized another loan of sixty-fiye
hundred dollars. Burlington is but sam
pie of all other towns, cities and villages
The pressure is upon her now, as it has
been upon Rutland. There must be a
stop sometime, and We feel, at every new
disclosure, that they can only hasten the
day of redemption. If such shall be the
result, it is we'll