Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-05-08

two-headed system i'm the management of
our affairs, and did not think it should be
entered upon with the slight discussion
| which had taken place. If the village is to
do anything in this line it should take the
entire charge of its highways.
Col Haskins then took the floor. and
said he had listened to what had been said
ON the legal right of the village to appro-
pirate money as proposed. With ali due
respect for Judge Wheeler's opinion the
Judge was liable to be i'm error like all other
lawyers. The speaker was a member of
the Legislature when the village charter was
adopted, and its formulation was i'm fact
the work of c. n. Davenport, Charles X.
Field and himself. 1t had always been I'M
derstood that the only authority possessed
by the village over its highways was CON
ferred by section six of the charter. which
empowers the bailiffs to eXpend certain
portion of the highway taxes which NAV be
assessed to them by the seectmen In
1876 it was deemed eXpedient by some to
have these powers enlarged and Mr.. Field
and Mr.. Haskins secured the passage of
an act by the legislature of that year CON
verting the village into a highway district
with authority to raise and expend its own
highway money. To equalize taxation this
act added to the village highway district
the West river road and the Guilford road
from Geo. II. Clark's to the Guilford line
When submitted to the village for ratifca-
ton, however. this amendatory act was
rejected.
Col. Haskins doubted the eXpedency of
the proposed move. Last year was an eX-
ceptional one in the amount of money re-
quired to be expended in the village for
highway purposes on account of the Green
street and Elliot street walls. He thought
there was no present emergency for the
proposed action. and he seconded the mo-
ton for the dismissal of the article When
put to vote this motion was carried by a
strong majority
Tax of ~ Cents.
Article four to raise money for VILLAGE
expenses. was next taken up. f. C.. Cros-
by said that while the report recommended
tax of 30 cents he thought a 25-cent tax
would raise all the money needed. and
moved that this be the per cent voted.
Twelve hundred dollars had been paid on
the debt out of last years tax. leaving the
village now free from debt. Some hundreds
OF dollars of old bills were paid last year.
and there was sos cash i'm the treasury.
Col. Haskins seconded this motion. Col.
Hooker expressed doubt as to - Der
cent tax being enough, saying that new
hose was needed on Prospect HILL and that
an engine and hose ought to be stationed
in Esteyville. Col Haskns answered with
figures showing that after deducting from
the estimates for next year the $1,000 for
concrete walks, with no old bills to paw.
and keeping the cost of street lights the
same as last year. a tax of % per cent would
be sufficient. raising S9643, or within So of
the estimated expenses of the year.
p. 5. Chase reminded the meeting that
there was only one reservoir in Esteyvlle.
and that even 800 or 1000 feet of hose
would not begin to reach all the buildings
in that part of the village.
When put to vote the motion to raise a
tax of % per cent was carried.
The Fire Alarm Again.
On motion of Col. Haskins article two.
relating to the electric fire alarm, was tax
EN- from the table, to be finally disposed Of
Capt. Childs moved that, so many people
having come in since the exhibition of the
system, Mr. Decrow be invited to give his
explanation again, and this he did in an
abridged form. Col. Haskins moved to re-
fer the subject to the bailiffs and chief en-
gineer to investigate and report to the vii
lage in due time. O. j. Pratt moved to
dismiss the article At this point Rev. Mr..
Parry took the floor and made an effective
speech in behalf of the fire alarm system
Under our present system, or lack of sys-
TEN, he said, it was impossible for anybody
to tell where a fire was. One of his first
experiences in this town was to follow a
hose cart up High street, only to find that
the fire was down in the. Carpenter organ
shop. 1t isn't necessary, he said, for
everybody to go to fire, but all property
owners have right to know where fire
is, and whether their own property or their
own families are in danger. He was very
sure that the city of Burlington would not
be willing to go back to the BrattleborO
way He thought the matter was entitled
to proper investigation.
E. III. Van Doom argued that the owners
of outlying hOuses-property distant from
the business centres-were entitled to pro-
lection, and he therefore favored the refer
ence of the matter to committee.
Col. Haskins's motion was then taken
up and agreed to.
The remaining article to be acted upon
was the fifth, to elect officers. The hour
was then about 10 minutes of nine, and
the great majority of voters left the hall
without waiting to vote under the Austria
liam system, only one ticket being in the
field, and there being no prospect of con-
test
The voting and counting occupied less
than an hour, the total number of ballots
cast being only 105. The vote stood:
For bailiffs G. W. Hooker 50, &. W. Fuller 81.
Luke Ferriter ~, s. S. Hunt 96, W, d. Perry %,
and Is scattering votes.
For tax collector II. E. Gordon 93-two scatter
ing.
For chief engineered C. Turner Ozone scat
tering.
For clerk and treasurer-A. B. Hall 81,
For auditor {. A. Harris 3d.