The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-10

their Judgment, the public good or conven-
| fence requires.
SEC. Q. This act shall take effect from its
| passage.
Approved Nov. 49, 1884.
| No. 23-An act TO prevent the obstruction Of
highways by telegraph and telephone wires.
1t is hereby enacted, etc:
SEC. J.. Persons or corporations erecting
telegraph or telephone wires across highway
in town, shall either place them under
ground or at such n distance above the sur
face of the highway that they may not prove
an obstruction to travel in the highway. If
such wires already erected across a highway
in town are, in the opinion of the selectmen,
an obstruction the selectmen may direct the
same to be placed under ground or at greater
height.
SEC 9. If a wire is erected in violation of
the directions of the selectmen, or is not
altered when directed to be altered by the
selectmen, the selectmen may remove such
wire, and may recover the expense of such
removal of the persons or corporation owning
such wire, or who, by themselves or their
agent, caused the same to be erected in viola
ton of the directions of the selectmen, by an
action brought in the name of the town.
SEC. 3. This act shall take effect from its
passage
Approved Nov. "a, 1884,
No. 24.-An act relating to cattle guards.
1t is hereby enacted, ETC.:
SEC. 1. No provisions of law relieving per-
sons owning property adjoining highway
from maintaining fences along the line of such
highway, shall be held to relieve persons own
ing or operating a railroad from maintaining
cattle guards at points where such railroad
crosses highway at grade.
SEC. q This act shall take effect from its
passage
Approved Nov. &c, 1884,
No 26-An act in amendment of the Revised
Laws, relating to school taxes and school
money.
1t is hereby enacted, etc.:
SEC. l.. Section 657 of the Revised Laws is
so amended as to read as follows: If in any
year the income appropriated for the use of
schools in town with any tax voted by the
town, after deducting one-half the income of
the United States deposit money, amounts to
q less sum than twelve per cent of the grand
list OF the town, the selectmen shall draw
their order on the town treasury on or before
the first day of March, for such amount as
such sum is less than such twelve per cent,
for the use of schools in the town. But this
section should not apply to towns using the
town system of schools.
SEC. 2. Section 65S of Revised Laws is here
by amended so as to read as follows: If the
selectmen of town do not draw an order as
provided in section one of this act, and
appropriate the amount of such order for the
support of schools as provided by law, the
town shall forfeit to the county a sum equal
to double the amount which the selectmen
are required to draw an order for, to be
recovered by information or indictment in the
County Court.
SEC. 2. Section 66O of Revised Laws is here
by amended so as to read as follows: Grand
luries shall annually inquire whether towns
in their counties have appropriated and eX-
pended the sum required for the support of
schools as required in this act, and in case of
neglect they shall present their Indictment
therereof to the court.
Approved Nov 26, 1884.
No 27-An act relating to the town system
of schools.
1t is hereby enacted, etc.:
SEC. /. Each town in which the school dis
trict system exists, shall, at the annual meet
ing of the town, in the years 1885 and 1886,
vote upon the question OF aboishing the dis
trict system and adopting the town system.
SEC 2. The vote prescribed in the preced-
ing section shall be taken previous to the
election OF town superintendent, and shall be
by ballot; the question to be voted upon shall
be announced by the moderator of the meet
ing, who shall give opportunity for discussion
of the same, upon conclusion of which he
shall require all who favor abolishing the dis
trict system and adopting the town system to
write upon their ballots the word, Ies, and
| all who oppose the same to write on their bal
lots the word "No, and upon being deposited
in the usual manner of voting by ballot, the
ballots shall be counted and the result of the
vote, certified to by the clerk of the town,
shall be sent to the office of the Secretary of
State, and shall be for the use and informa-
| ton of the State superintendent of education
SEC. B. The Secretary of State shall season.
| ably notify the selectmen of the several towns
retaining the districtlsystem, to insert an arti-
Gle in the warrant for the annual meeting, for
| the purpose specified in the preceding sections,
and the selectmen, who, when so required,
neglect to insert such article in the warrant,
| shall forfeit twenty dollars.
SEC. 4. This act shall take effect from it's
! passage.
Approved Nov. &c, 1884.
No. 2S.-An act relating to the division of the
public school moneys.
| 1t islhereby enacted etc:
SEC. /. Section 663 of the Revised Laws,
| and act No. p of the acts of 1882, relating to
! the distribution of school moneys, are so far
amended as to require school to be kept in a
district at least twenty-four weeks in each
year to entitle the district to share in the
public moneys. This act shall not be con-
strued to alter any of the provisions of said
section 663 or said act No. 81, except the pro-
visions as to the number of weeks of school
in each year. Provided, however, no district
which has raised by taxation and expended
| for the purpose of sustaining school in said
district seventy-tive per cent of its grand list
in the preceding year, shall be deprived OF its
share of the public money, if it has sustained
a school of twenty weeks during such year.
SEC. g This act shall take effect April /,
1885.
Approved Nov. 25, 1884.
No. 29-An act relating to the division of
ihc PupiiS Liohcyo III SOitoih pO"ho uoihS
the town system.
1t is hereby enacted, etc.:
SEC. /. In a town which has adopted OF
hereafter adopts the town system and which
contains graded school district, incorporated
by act of the Legislature, the public moneys
shall be divided annually at the time pre-.
scrbed in section 66l of the Revised Laws
A part shall be appropriated to such graded
school district, and a part shall be applied fol
the benefit of the schools supported by the
town. and the division shall be according t.
the aggregate attendance of scholars between
the ages of five and twenty years.
Approved Nov. %, 1884
No 30-An act in addition to section 500 o.
Revised Laws and in addition to chapter 81
of Revised Laws.
1t is hereby enacted ETC.:
SEC. /. Any town that has adopted or that
may hereafter adopt the town system, may
, by vote, at any annual town meeting, set any
person or persons in the town to school dis
trict in an adjoining town or to graded
school district in said town not included il
the town system, if such district SHALL 10y
vote, consent to receive them and persons
so united to school district shall have tn,
same rights and be subject to the same liabil
tiles as the other inhabitants of the district
) and as to taxation for school purposes shall
be treated as belonging to said district.
Approved Nov. 20, 1884.