Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-05

men-elect Allen, Brink Richardson w hitte-
more and Wing. The latter were sworn to
faithful discharge Of their duties, and took
their seats at the Board.
The Mayors Annual Message.
To the Honorable BoaTdof aldermen.
GentleEen. Our fellow citizens have entrusted
to US tho mans cement OF their municipal affairs for
sent to you ut this. first meeting statement OF
the present condition OF the several departments.
FINANCES.
1t is very pleasant to note that, notwithstanding
the hard times, the financial condition Of the city
shows marked Improvement from year to year.
The be nded debt of the city is as follows:
The several issues OF water bonds. s244 900 %
Burlington and Lamoilic r. r. aid bond. 10000 60
Total .si39, 500 90
The sinking fund holds of city.
U. e. Registered i0io bonds II 90 co-4os,o 90
s399.o5o 90
The net bonded debt Jan. /, 1877, was .s4o2e4 32
The net bonded debt Jan. /, 1878, 399.050 90
Showing reduction the past year off,. 1854 81
To which should be added premium paid
on U. s. bonds. ..................... s2,l26 25
Making the total reduction of the bonded
debt during the year 1877. ........... 5000 81
twill require $26 1910 to meet the interest
the bonded debt. or about ~ the dollar OF
the present grand list.
The treasurer's account shows the liabil-
itios January |, 1873, for temporary
loans and other items to be........ sI25I7 on
To meet which he has each. uncollected
amounting tO.....-.................. s24sa2 %
Leaving balance OF assists over liablli-
ues OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES $l2,4Oi 90
Or $3,i0s.62 in excess or the balance on hand
January |, 1877.
Warrants amounting to s., aoi34 have been paid
by the treasurer and charged to the several depart
ment since January |, 1878.
STREETS, SEWERS AND PARKS.
A great and very much needed Improvement has
been made the past year upon Church street. The
taken up, and fine substantial walks of blue stone
tagging, of largo and even size, laid a lmost the
entire distance from Main to Pearl streets. The
cost of t7is tagging has been entirely betrayed BY
the abuttng property. The street is now graded
curbei and quit cred in the best manner and excel
lent stone crossings laid from Main to Pearl Streets
The old paving, between Main and Bank streets,
has been largely relsid. and gravel road-bed,
thirty feet wide, laid from Bank to Pearl streets,
The amount expended by the city upon this work
was $il53.s0 Of which amount 81 "A % was paid
from the highway tax and the balance, 2,7O967, by
special appropriations from the general city taI.
Great and desirable as this improvement is. the
policy of charging any cons derable portion Of such
permanent Improvements upon the streets to the
citizens at large may woll DO questioned Il has
been tried in very many cities in this country, and
know Of no one in which 1t has succeeded. Where
IT has been most tried. it has been found almost
Impossible 10 prevent cOmDluAUOns OF parties
specially interested in certain properties, from
securing their Improvement at the expense of tho
public treasury and often with very little regard
TO the public necessities OF the case. Ordinary
highways for the repair OF which thu State levies
q highway tax, IRE necessity to every citizen
and hence all should be taxed for their mainte-
nance. Elaborate and permanent improvements
such as curbing and paving while certainly Of some
interest to ALL are especially useful TO owners Of
abnttins property as they largely enhance is
means. who have no interest in the AUDITING prop
erty, and use only the sidewalks, they tare COM
paratv, ly OF little Importance. Tho latter class
Of persons feel the burden OF taxation more than
any other, and II is at once humane and wise
policy to make the burden to such as light as We
properly can.
North Avenue has been greatly improved by
coat gravel, extending from Nor tn street nearly
to the road leading to the Institute. The deposit
nearly exhaused. but 1t Is to be hoped Others may
be found, as with such gravel our outlying roads,
could be put in fine condition at very small cost
The total expenditures upon streats for the past
year were $l2,s764).
Receipts from highway tax............37,2 s3 &c
Appropriations from city tax 2,s53 10
Other sources .-......-...--.........-- 2.o5i1l
.i2,sT6.l3
Pinch sewer, $50 feet in length has been laid
in Main street from Church street east, at a cost
of $6i5.05. OF this sum S5O.o paid by the city
and the balance assessed upon the shutting proper
ty No otter sewers have been constructed the past
season. Issk YOUR earnest attention to the great
Importance OF completing the main sewer through |
the ravino. The first money expended by the city |
for permanent improvements 0. any kind should |
he for the completion OF this sewer. Without at |
tempting to discuss, much less decide, the ques-
ton to how far the sanitary condition OF the |
city is affected by this open surface in the
centre Of population, il is sufficient reason for
its early construction, that very large portion Of
our citizens including some of our best ply scisns,
consider it extremely prejudicial TO health. Ger
nly it is, hey Ond question, great annoyance to
those residing near 1t, and most unsightly and |
repulsive object to strangers visiting our city,
The COS, Of maintaining The CRY Paris the past
the Legislature enacted Law to tax dogs. This |
fund is paid into the treasury during the month OF
December in each year. and seems to have spe- |
general iund. This fund amounted last year to |
$5j2l5 net. and similar amount may be expected |
it would Lot be well to appropriate this fund per-
to the maintenance of the public parks |
OF the city. All of them are now in such condition
that the amount Of this fund Judclously expended,
will keep these breathing places Of the city, in
growing beauty and good order.
SCHOOLS
Our public schools justly a matter of pride |
with our citizens. They believed to be a. good
any the State, If not the best. and it should
be ambition ~ hold them up to their present |
high standard. By the last anual report of the |
il appears that while the amount |
of instruction furnished has been somewhat in |
creased, the current expenses have been S735.2I |
less than in the previous year and that the income
last year 81 252.23 in excess Of the current |
expenses This bal ance, however. was little more
than absorbed by extraordinary repairs on the |
High School made necessary by its original
faulty construction. repairs which due regard to
absolute safety Of the children demanded, By 70.
quest of the Superintendent. was present when |
the building was examined by the Messrs. Roby |
Brothers and Mr. Linsley, and 1 fully conquered |
with them in the necessity of the repairs made. |
These repairs amounted to st,475.i2-s I23le more
than the surplus from current expenses. To this |
deficiency Of s223.l9 must be added the sum OF |
81 800 900, the amount of debt created against the
department several years since. The Superintend-
hiatt fba Itaa rb atat
apartment the iull amount which . tax OF 80
cents on the Grand List will raise. he hopes to be
able to eItinguish the debt the current year. 1
trust the appropriation may be made and the de-
psrtment renewed from debt embarrassment. The
affairs of the department and its aims fully set
forth In the superinten tents report to which you
are referred for further details. The report has
cordial words of praise for the teschers of the
eral schools, and l am confident they were fully |
is certainly not less laborious i'm
portant and l am our citizens will agree with
me that it has been equally we'll performed.
CRIMINAL AND PoLIcK.
The expenses in these departments for the past
year were For costs in City and Justice Courts.
chargeabe to the city 1854 ST. against Oo6 90 in
1876. For expenses of police. night patrol and
special, $2,s2o.00, against $2265 90 in ls76. For
board of prisoners in TIE County Jail, adjudged
chsrgesble TO the city, 1873 IS against $685. 50 in
1876.
The Reports of tho City Judge and Of the Police
Justices show So complaints against &C persons tried
during the year past, as against 90 cases tried in
1876. Tbs classification OF them Is set forth in de-
tail in the Report OF the Chief of Police and alto
gether shows q gratifying decrease of crime and
criminals. This encouraging result is due, in
degree, to the application OF the late amendments
to City Charter, in dealing with criminals, but
more especially to the Efforts in the cause Of tenn
Of the Reform Clubs; and concur 10 the well msr
tied acknowledgment t to them which the Chief Of
Police makes in the following words:
The very large falling OF in the number of ar
rest5 ts in Isl. ia iutONiCatOn and sailing |
liquors. as compared with my Report
for 1876, is undoubtedly due in great degree TO the
earnest and determined work of citizens in the
Of temperance, and rs crime Of all kinds is al
lied to,and Is the offspring OF, intemperance, can
not but congratulate our citizens who have been so
praiseworthily upon the satisfactory proof
Of their effective work in the diminished list Of
crimes and Grimm ais which Is shown In this Report
when compared with that OF the year previous"
would renew my recommendation that the City
Council, by resolution or ordinance. instruct the
lailer to report monthly to the Board OF Alderm
10 10 To the city with the date and cause OF their
together with the amount of fines and
costs in each The full and very satisfactory
Report OF the City Attorney sivts in detail the
jton the several suits in which the City is inter
ssted party. and take this occasion to express
nv with the careful attention he has Civ
neut he has exercised in tho sometimes annoying |
Ind picking matters that have been referred to
lin.
WATER WORKS.
The opinion expressed In my last Annual Message, |
hat the expense of operating the water works could
,e greatly reduced. has been fully verified By the |
operations OF the past year. The Jealous and In
elligent efforts of the present capable Superntend
mt have produced great change in this depart
nent and IL is now conducted with marked efhcisn-
y and economy. The expenditures the past year
Tere as follows
interest Bonds. Sl4 69l 10
alsry disappointment. 1000 oO
'urrent expenses. including pumping and
repairs .---.---..---..-.-.-..-.'- i,ius " |