The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-06-25

Dr. Woodhousc arragns the Gas Com
pany for cxtravagant prices. He assumes
that the city of Burlington, being larger
tlan the village of Rutland, its gas ought
to cost more. But we cannot determine
that unless we know how many gas posts
they have, and how many hours they burn
gas in the streets. They may not light
every part of the city, they may not have
any more gas posts than We. Without
these statistics we lack essential elements
for fair comparison.
As the figures stand, Dir. Woodhouse's
statement of them shows that Burlington
pays for the expenses of lighting her
streets, total exceeding Rutlands ex-
pensc for the same object, nino hundred
dollars.
The streets of this village are lighted at
the charge of $2.70 per month for each
post the year round. The gas is burnt by
regulation from calendar which fixes the
nights on which gas is to be lighted, and
night. These hours would be increased in
winter and lesSened in summer.
The village lights the lamps, and If it
lights them on nights when the moon
ought to shine by the calendar, but is hid
den by clouds, the village must pay for
varying from the calendar. If, on the
other hand, the village neglects to light
up OH dark nights, when it should by the
ooIopdor tbon tho amount ic Ied,iofad
The lamp-lighter reports these over or under
burnings to the gas company, and they are
added or deducted accordingly. These
circumstances may cause variableness in
the yearly bills, and if there is similar
management at Burlington it is no extrav-
agant flight of fancy to imagine in the
absence of positive knowledge, that their
bills may be one year higher and another
year lower than in Rutland.
But this one item of gas does not cover
the whole ground. The point is one Of
economy and its corrclative high or low
taxes. The total expense, therefore, in
volving the management of the trustees Oh
the whole, is the question of most i'm
portance.
While there is not $40 difference in thu
cost of the gas, there is wide difference
in other expenses connected with lighting
the streets.
Rutland paid fol- the year ending March
3lst 1878, 81 ,256.64, with 80 gas posts
Burlington paid 81, 1856 Cucumber OF
posts unknown.
Rutland paid for glass and alcohol fol
street lamps for the year, $500.
Burlington paid for lantern and glass fol
lamps, and alcohol, $155.
Rutland paid for labor on street lamps
$685.. This includes repairs.
Burlington paid Sal .O8 for repairs.
Rutland does not pay anything for light
ing the streets or for 'care of lamps" MOI
embraced in the above item of 'labor OF
street lamps" Her economical trustees
have imposed the duty of lighting thu
lamps on the police force as condition
precedent of his appointment. He is al
lowed 80 day for night watching, if it il
proper to speak of man to be paid by tn,
ont ioi winning ~ hiSut. As u year COn
tains 365 days and quarter, that would
yield him $730.5O, but his pay the pas
year was $729. He may have gone of
Christmas or Fourth of July, part of a
night, and got locked. When it is consid
cred that he is captain and private and re
sponsblc for the doings of the whole forct
Of night police, and serves through sum
mers heat and winters bowling blasts, i
may fairly be considered that he earns hi
salary US policeman, and that his work o.
lighting the lamps is only thrown in as ,
premium for appointment to the Office o.
night Waterman, and that consequent,
Rutland pays nothing at all for lightin,
streets.
Burlington paid for ''care of lamps
*453. Is, and for lighting lamps $685.
Both probably belong under the same head
making total of $456.4O.
Two more items finish Rutlands expens
for the past year in lighting the streets.
gas post was broken and put in few day
afterwards at an expense of $14.40, tn
lantern having been saved The other iter
is that of gas burners during the year to re
place imperfect burners, $1.15.
These figures demonstrate for Rutland 4
the lighting of her streets astute and econ
omical management. No man can see an
credit mobilier in this, for there is none.
"He must have sharp eyes, ween,
I'M x.rl,a N..