The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-03-05

The election on the 18th possesses
added interest on account of the celebra-
ton in August, and the great amount of
preliminary work to be done before that
event. This year, at least there must be
no improvements deferred until fall on
account of lack of money or otherwi.
The busy hum of village and street i'm
prOvements must begin with the opening
spring and be completed in the early
summer so that our village may show at
its best in August. To do this the in
coming Board of Trustees should be en-
powered to borrow money in anticipa-
ton of the tax which will be paid in i'm
October, and so the third article in the
warning ought to be adopted without
debate. The Board are now authorized
to borrow and expend fifty per cent, but
this yaar they should expend the whole
of the highway money in the spring.
The improvements of paved cutters
aud sidewalks should be extended this
season from the corners, west to the rail
road, north TO Putnam's bridge, east to
the Baptist Church, and south to the
blacksmith shop. We have been care
fully over the measurements on the map
and survey and find that exclusive of
rebates or payments by property owners),
the expense of extending the cOrnerim-
proyements to each of these points will
amount in round numbers to $3lS5. The
tax of 30 cents voted on Tuesday, will raise
$500, reckoned on list of 1890, and thus
there will remain about two-thirds of the
ordinary tax (S2397 in 1900, to expend
ON streets as usual, outside the limits
named above. This presupposes that
the owners of property pay nothing.
Should the property benefited pay las
it should), its share, then the Board
will be enabled to extend these improve
ments of paved cutters, etc., and also
have in hand nearly rs much money as
usual, to lay out on our streets. These
facts make it the duty of the incoming
Board of Trustees TO at once begin prep
arations so as TO fix up our streets in
good shape for August 10Th. There is
no excuse for delay unless the meeting
refuses to vote TO authorize the borrow
ing of money adticipatory If the collec-
ton of the tax already voted. This the
village will not do, so it is practically
settled that the cutters will be built from
LOring's corner to the Baptist church,
and from Elm street to the North street
bridge, complete, by June Both. With
the $1,000 or more remaining the other
streets can be graded up and repaired so
that driving will become pleasure and
the appearance of our streets source of
pride in August
This, marx you, can be done without
one cents additional expense to the tax
payer than the tax already voted.
The question as 10 whether the grad
ing shall be done with gravel or crushed
stone becomes one of practical economy.
We are told that two responsible parties
stand ready to furnish crushed stone at
the same price per load that is now paid
for gravel. There can be really no dis
cussiOn of choice as between the two
kinds of material for repairing roads, the
crushed stone being infinitely the best
of the two for that purpose, and at the
same price no Board would be justified
in continuing the old method of carting
on gravel one year, and the next season
shoveling it out of the cutters to cart
away.
In our estimates, above, we have
figured on a basis of the contract price
for what permanent work was done on
our streets last year.
The trustees are taking a census Of the
village TO settle the question of whether
the Australian ballot shall be used or
not, but as we 60 TO press the result can
not be announced. The project is that
1000 inhabitants will be close estimate
of our population.