The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-01-16
Middlebury Village Matters.
EDITOR REGIsTER:

The action of the village meeting in.
licate that some reforms were desired
Ia the running of the institution. The
'est evidence of the dissatisfaction OF
he tax payers of the village is that but
small number OF the old board uftrus-
ees were reelected at the annual meet.
ing OH the 9TH inst. A large portion OF
work of the trustees was mighty com
nended, aud vote of thanks wa.
unanimously passed TO Mr.. BuItolph
md others who opposed the emplo,
nent of paid policemen. Mr.. b. had
he laboring Outhrown upon him in ih,
graveling The road which every bod,
acknowledged to be well done, and the
securing TO the village The land from
which gravel may be obtained for all
ime, but the main objections seeme,i
10 be raised against the employment 81
number of special police to take calf
If our depleted population and desert
ed streets, nnder the guise of qnellilje
mobs that do not assemble and roits
that do not occur. The whole of the
year past has been one of great Quilt.
ness in our village and streets, and hlu
disturbance las occurred that requites
The magnetic wand aud commanding
dignity of the officials, either in a bdd,
+ singly. To be sure now and tben
some poor deluded victim imbibed loo
much 'jack," and perhaps was max tng
his way home, but made crooked paths,
was observed bv one of those all-seeibe
temperance officials, and if he was vely
poor and was 50 very drunk as not h.
to be dangerous, he would be put inaD
Jail and The state would have to pay fiA
his board. All this business could
have been done by the deputies, or con-
stables or grand jurors, which are a.
numerous as bees around hive, and
as hungry as buzzards around dead
carcass thus saving to the tax payers
Of the village a hundred dollars OF
more. Mr.. John Martin truihfully re.
marked that men that were quietly con-
versiDg on, or near the sidewalk were
frequently approached by one of these
nnwashed, tom-turkey officials wit.
some kind of shiny badge very promi-
nently displayed, that people might
know they were some pumpkins, and
told II wanted to talk, he must retire Ia
some back shed or other obscure place 4:
and ifhe refused he was immediate,
threatened in an arrogant aud busive
style with pains and penalties; thus Gre
ating a spirit of resistance among the
young people, rather than Submissions
to the strict letter of the law. We think
our citixens feel too poor to support
such useless luxuries as paid village
police, and If that same system il
adopted the coming year, it will be a
call tor another change. "Giye us a
rest!"
An other complaint was made in re-
gard to the sprinkling of the roads.
This expense, IL is claimed, ought to b,
borne by those Immediately benefited
by it. The truth is, all the sprinkline
is down on or near the bridge, which
would be all right if those who receive
the benefit paid for the same. But moi
so; there are but very few of all the
taxpayers who have any benefit FROM
the liquid luxury. The roads in front
of their dwellings are as parched as the
desert of Sahara, and are only sprink-
led when nature sprinkled ihem-with-
out money and without price. This
luxury cost about another hundred dol
lars. This tax Is borne by those liv-
ing, in many Instances, far away from
any benefit which may come from such
expense, and are obliged to work for
their daily bread.
PAUL PRY.