The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-03-19
REPORT OF YOUNG MEMS
ASsO11 ATIpN
Annual village Mee,Ins,

The annual meeting was held in Free
Library Hall, Tuesday afternoon. There
was a fair attendance as will be seen by
the vote polled on the general ticket.
The auditors presented their report,
which is given in full in another column,
We gave the deficiency last week $1,000.
but the reader will now note the items.
The fire department was voted $500,
and an additional $50. to pay the rent of
the Putnam Hose Company. A tax of
90 cents on the dollar was voted. This
is 10 cents above that of last year. When
the taxes reached that of 40 cents some
years ago, as against % and 80 cents pre-
yiously called for, the tax was thought
to be high. 1t stands our village officers
in hand, therefore, that no money be al
lowed to be expended this year that is
not strictly necessity.
Another hydrant was voted, to be
located at the corner of Main and Mill
streets, or near that point. The amend
ments to the village by laws caused some
discussion. 1t was proposed and so
voted, to ves the direction of all fires in
the chiefs of the fire department. No
one objects to this, but the last clause
that two engineers may order the tearing
down OF buildings when section 20 of the
charter confers that power on the fire
wardens (of Which these engineers are
er-otcio, members), caused the raising
OF committee to see if the bylaw was
legal. The committee consists of Attor-
neys Mason, Cushman and Meacham.
BY vote the village ordered the extern
sion of the improvements begun last fall
at the corners" to the points lately
stated in the BANNER. Referring to our
figures, contract price for paved cutters
and curb-stones being taken as a basis,
the highway money now voted this year
will extend these cuTbings, etc, east TO
the Baptist Church on Nam street: west
on the same street to Loring's corner:
on South street to the blacksmith
shop, and on North street to the Pu tnam
bridge, and then give the trustees $500
in round numbers. 10 expend on the bal
ance of the streets. This calculation
does not include the assessments against
property holders. If it did there would
be the usual amount of highway funds
to expend and these improvements would
consume about the amount of the special
tax. The trustees are authorized to Dor
row money to the amount of three
fourths the tax and work the roads in the
spring. The village wisely voted to use
crushed stone in place ofgravel if practi-
cable and it can be done, as was under
stood, at the same cost. The example Of
Mass, is suggested in this
connection. In that village they employ
an engineer to put down the crushed or.
pounded stone, Three layers are placed
one above the other and rolled and when
done the street is at once as smooth and
hard as n floor
If this method is employed the build
ing of our streets with crushed stone will
be satisfaction and a permanent i'm
prOvement II, however, the stone is
dumped into the highway as we saw il
done in Montpelier last year, orr people
will be disguised with it, as were an the
uniformed men who tramped over the
crushed stone spread without being rolled
IN the streets of Vermont's capital.
The officers elected we give below. !
with the votes Of each. In Ward &
there were three ballots, Ness Ayrrs
and Bennett tieing each other twi.c. Int
ON the third ballot the f,to stnud is ipN
as we give it. Col BLhnctt was ran
without his knowledge and would not
have taken the Office had he been elected.
II will be seen that there was quite a
contest IN Wards and I. The full vote l.