The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-06-27
VILLAGE HIGHWAYS.

10 W' ItH'bV ~ INC hHtHHH btFUtH
SIR Your leader of Tuesday morning
last, in so far as II is confined to an attempt
to present the facts and enlighten your
readers in relation to the legal rights and
duties of the village trustees, in regard to
our streets and highways, is very satisfacto-
ry TO me but whether you and agree, or
not. is not u matter of ny much moment, os
that both the public and tho trustees fully
understand their rights and duties.
If il be your desire to seek the truth in
this matter, then discussion will, at most
do no harm; possibly may do good. You
should bear in mind, however, that You
are 'quosi" instructor of the people and
should not designedly mislcad them, AMI
that in the discussion of a question il is
better for you TO drop prc,entious adjectivs
and deal directly with the facts as they cx-
list, instead of wandering away into sup
posed cases that have no relation to the
case in point.
To all, excepting perhaps yourself, it
would seem 'preposterous' that you should
assert that the trustees of an incorporated
village have the same powers AZ have the
executive officers of city. It must GER
tainly sound oddly to thinking men to hear
you quote the doings of the officials of the
city Of Burlington as n warrant and a
legal warrant, for similar action on the
part of the trustees of our village. You
Al ha,-n hanp IN that In, N pyp five
officers of city is placed, by chartered
powers, even higher and more absolute
control of the highways and streets, than
is possessed by the sclectmen Of town. Is
it so with the trustees of a village? When
you speak of the powers of the trustees of
an incorporated village, it might be well
for you to be little modest in your asser-
tons, for it must be known even to your
self that such powers have not, by decisions
of courts, been as yet well defined, and
that there is in the minds of better lawyers
than either you or myself, more or less un-
certainty as to the extent of the powers of
at a loss to fully discern your purpose
whether it be to bring former boards of
trustees into notice by charging them with
misappropriating the funds of the village,
or to assert in positive terms, that even in
the absence of any vote appropriating mon
ey for highway purposes, the trustees have
right to expend money raised for the
purpose of paying the debts of the village
and for current expenses" upon the high
ways From the fact that you
expend your main force upon
the former proposition, l infer that
you are most interested in that. That pro-
position amounts in plain English to this
If the trustees of 1871-72 failed to
expend all of the highway money collected
for that year, upon the highways, but took
some 81 800 of it to pay bills contracted for
building the village hall and engine rooms,
it became the duty of the trustees of 1928
to run the village in debt for ex-
penditures upon the highways to the same
amount because forsooth it is the duty of
the trustees to expend all money raised for
highway purposes upon the streets and
highways.
Surprising the first mentioned board of
trustees had stolen or squandercd that
amount of highway money, the case would
not be changed, and according to your
reasoning the second board must draw Or
ders upon an empty treasury and run the
village in debt to the amount of the miss
ing fund. Seriously, you will not claim
this. Had portion Of the first years tax
remained in the hands of the treasurer, then
without doubt it could be rightfully expcn-
dcd by the succeeding board. But most
certainly the fact that one board of trustees
misappropriates highway money, gives no
warrant to a succeeding board to run the
village in debt, to supply It's place. The
liability of the board of trustees of II and
~ for using highway money upon the
Village Hall cannot be questioned. But
the doings of the trustees for the past year
is the only subject open for discussion at
this time or at least the only one in which
have any purpose to discuss. Through
their report let them speak. On page of
Of the report they say:
1.-THE following is summary of the ex-
penses of the village during the year;
Gas bill for lighting streets ~ months, 1885 81
Night watch and lamplighter, T29 90
Ground rents and other miscellaneous
purposes, 1926 IS
Expenditure for finishing and furnish
Ing Village Hall and grading, 625i 2i
Building new and repairing old side
walks 1926 40
Building sewers, 6699 GS
Highways. 5Ii1 "a
Fire Department, 2927 20
s26o4s 81
Coupons on water bonds that have
been paid by the Treasurer, 5000 90
Interest paid on ORDERS eIS ID