The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-25
THE VILLAGE MEETING.

The annual village meeting will be held
to-day, the polls opening at two o'clock
this afternoon. The officers to be elected
are, q moderator, clerk, treasurer, collector,
auditor, judge of the municipal court, a
water commissioner-in the place of
Harvey Kingsley whose term of office has
expired-and one trustee for each of the
seven wards. For the first time in the his
tory of the village, the chief and assistant
engineers of the fire department are not to
be elected, the last legislature, in its wis
dom, having seen fit to take their appoint
ment from the people and confer it on the
trustees.
Although all of these ~ofices-except that
of judge of the municipal court, which is
merely a sinecure and actually a gratuity
conferred by the citizens of Rutland on
some worthy and deserving man-are of
importance, we do not propose TO say any
thing relative to the personnel of the sew
eral persons named in connection Herewith,
as we feel assured that, as a rule, they will
be worthily and well filled. AS a rule, the
village affairs have been well and econom-
ically managed, and the several persons
named in connection with the trusteeships
Of the different wards give assurance that
the coming year will prove no exception to
former years. The question of the most
Importance, now as at all times, is that of
taxation and to act intelligently upon this
subject requires a proper understanding
of the present condition of the village
Finances.
The report of the trustees shows that or
ders were drawn, during the year, for So
400. 81, of which Sc, 102.7 II were for high
way expenses-exceeding the appropriation
by something over a thousand dollsrs-and
81, 029.4 AZ in payment of old indebted
:" ness"; leaving for the current expenses
of the y%ear-fre department, gas for streets,
night watch, police and miscellaneous ex-
penses-$3, 278. IA. But this showing is
somewhat deceptive; as we find in the &C
count of orders drawn in payment of old
indebtedness seven hundred and fifty dol
lars paid to the different engine and hook
and ladder companies. This amount, or a
similar amount, should be added to the cur
rent expenses of the year, tor we find in
1870, 1871 and 1872, this amount charged
as current expenses but in 1878, for some
reason undoubtedly to make the expen-
ditures of the trustees appear small-this
item was omitted, aud 30 every year there
after-in 1874, 1876, 1876 and l877-this
amount is charged as ''orders drawn in
"payment of old indebtedness" and nc
orders whatever drawn for these items for
the then current year. The same is true
this year, and so we may take the actual
current expenses for the year at the
amount of the whole orders drawn less the
amount of highway expenses, which would
be "a, S06. SO. This. certainly, is low
enough end shows q close, careful and
econ mioal management OF the tffAirs OF
tn, village.
Fixing this amount as an estimate Of III
ordinary expenses for the year-and 1t Is,
with a single exception, the smallest
amount expended in aoy one year for the
last ten years-and we have, to start with,
in round numbers "a, 800 to raise by tax,
alton. A year ago, the village instructed
the trustees to purchase a new truck fol
the hook and ladder company, at an ex,
pense not exceeding fifteen hundred dol
lars. This order has not been obeyed, anG
80 we may expect that the matter will b.
brought up again to-day. If the village
as is perhaps probable, votes again to au
thorize the purchase and the order il
obeyed, fifteen hundred dollars more mus
be raised, or the debt of the village mus
be increased by that amount.
We come now to the debt and interes
thereon, and find that I'VE thousand dollar