Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-03-08


barn for day or more and some of it
could have been lost then. The shortage
was fairly traceable to one or all of these
causes.
A. p. Upper, Esq, couldn't see how
it was possible for the town to have lost
money when the profit on the alcohol
was enough to pay all the expenses of
running the concern.
Mr.. Slade said that he had figured out
that the liquors sold last year, if the in
ventories of last year and this were cor
rect, cost the town Sll51.43. The ex-
penses (salary of agents, freight, etc.
were S34662. If the liquor had been
sold at an average profit of so per cent
the gross profits should have been S921.l4,
and after deducting the expenses there
should be net profits of S574.52. The al
cohol, with the exception of very small
amount, had been sold at 81 gallon. 1t
cost from s.. 20 to S2.3S.
Henry 5. Foote, Esq, L. c. Barrows,
President Brainerd, L. d. Twitchell and
c. w. Matthews asked various questions.
Prof Boyce said that he had got at the
agency the prices at which liquors were
sold and had figured that about Sl70O
should have been received from the past
years sales.
Mr.. Beckwith stated that it was found
hSSSoSoi yCdi dSo w luhC q III " ~
tory in order to make the agents busi-
ness show profit then.
w. ii. Bliss, Esq, suggested that as
the past and present agents, Messrs. Wales
and Sayre, were the persons most inter-
ested, they should have an opportunity to
explain, and he moved that they be sent
for. 1t was so voted.
Selectman E. j. Mathews said that the
liquors were not guaged before they were
moved from the old to the new agency.
Mr.. Slade, while the meeting awaited
the arrival of the agents, stated that Mr..
Calhoun's town hall bill included the coal
used there the past year. The taxes un-
collected were $3.50, instead of the fig
ures given in the estimates in the report,
and since the report was printed the col
lector had paid In $3.50.
The report of the auditors was laid on
the table, on motion of +. A. Bond.
Overseer of the Poor j. B. Benedict de-
tailed his dOings. The amount the poor
not on the farm had cost the past year
was SSSl.22. Eleven of the paupers have
: died and u have removed from town or
been otherwise disposed Of
At this point Agents Sayre and Wales
appeared. The former said, in reply to
questions, that he undertook to have the
liquors inventoried before they were ta-
hNh lipih 4hi' w alCo Oul ti, Ict cuNNNNU.
but he had an inventory made by c. p.
: Langworthy as soon as they came into
, his hands. 1t figured up S4G5.09. He
tested the alcohol and found that it con-
tanned water, and he didn't think the rest
! of the stock was up to par. The alcohol
since bought would all burn, and DIR.
Sutton had tested the whiskey lately pur-
chased and said it was as good as it could
be. A small amount of liquors had been
lost by barrels being tapped in transit.
Mr.. Wales, being interrogated by Mr..
Bliss and others, said that he couldn't say
how much liquor was taken away or how
much was brought back after the fire; in
: his opinion considerable amount disap-
, peared at that time; the alcohol and whs-
key suffered most loss; water might have
been put in while the liquors were out of
his possession at that time; many of the
packages appeared to have been tampered
with; he didn't consider himself account
able for the liquors after his commission
: expired and so didn't care whether an in
| ventory was taken or not when the stock
; was moved to Mr.. Sayre's.
Mr. Slade said, in response to a ques-
ton about the town hall account, that the
expenditures of the past year included in
S surance for the term of five years.
I Then, at II 80, the meeting adjourned
to 2 o'clock.
: AFTERNOON SESSION.
i Consideration of the agency complica-
Ntion was resumed at the opening of the
afternoon session. II. 5. Foote, Esq, Of
fered the following resolutions:
l Resolred, That a committee of five be ap.
pointed by this meeting to make thorough
\ examination OF the accounts OF the liquor
agency OF the town OF Middlebury and to re.
port the facts which they find and their con.
[ clusions at an adjourned meeting, and that all
r proper and necessary expense OF this investi-
= CATION be paid from the town treasury and re-
ported by the auditors in their next annual
/ Resoired That the selectmen shall be in
: structed 10 forthwith cause an inventory,
A based upon accurate guagng and measure
. ment, OF all liquors now in the hands OF the
I town agent and the same to be done at the
/ time OF making the auditors report, and to
n have adopted such system of bookkeeping
as will show in detail the amount of each kind
e OF liquors on hand ut the beginning ana end
OF each year, the amount purchased and sold,
n the purchase and selling price, so as to show
in detail and in full the business of the year.
!, Resolred, That the selectmen to be elected
j.. | at this meeting make or cause to be made as
soon as practicable, IA careful analysis by the
. most approved methods now in use of all the
u liquors in the hands OF the town agent and OF
( all future purchases, and that all liquors that
v shall not be found up to a fair standard shall
!, be condemned and returned, as tar as IL can
y be done, to the persons or firms OF whom il
d was purchased and the purchase money col
f lected.
O The resolutions were laid on the table.
: John l.. Buttolph moved that the
/ agency be abolished.
d Mr.. Bliss suggested that the town
r hadn't the power to abolish the agency
J. it could simply direct the selectmen to
e buy no more liquors.
J. Mr.. Slade expressed himself as not in
s favor of the agency as it had been run.
e He was sorry MIR. Foote'S resolutions
, were not passed. If it could be run on
= business principles, it might perhaps be
It worth while to continue the agency.
:. After remarks by Prof Boyce and
d Messrs. Tupper, Barrows, Twitchell and
e Buttolph, it was voted, on motion OF
y Col. Tracy, that the selectmen be in
n structed to buy no more liquors for the
). agency and that they take the stock now
d in the hands Of the agent and lock them
2 up till they can be disposed of legally.
N The auditors report was accepted.
n, Mr. Rliss rnnyad and it xyaa votad