Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-03-04
MIppLEBuRY Town MEETING.
WHAT WAS DONE BY THE VOTERS A
THEIR ANNUAL GATHERING.

MIppLEeuRY Town MEETING.
WHAT WAS DONE BY THE VOTERS AT
THEIR ANNUAL GATHERING.
The annual town meeting, held at the
town hall on Tuesday, was wen attended.
1t was voted to build an iron bridge over
the creek in the village, and Prof. Boyce,
j. 4. Dewey and j. B. Benedict were
elected a committee to act with the Sc
lectmen in the matter. Ten thousand
dollars is to be raised by taxation, $4,000
for current expenses and State and State
school taxes and $4,000 to 60 toward pay
ing for the bridge. The town officers
were in the main reelected. There is
one new selectman, Hon. John w. Stew
art, who succeeds G. Ii. Balm.
PLEA FOR ECONOMY.
The meeting was called to order
promptly at 10 o'clock by G. M. Wilds,
and Town Clerk M. A. Brooks read the
warning. Mr.. Wilds was reelected
moderator and Mr.. Brooks town clerk.
Hon. John w. Stewart took the floor
when article 3 of the warning, "To act
on reports submitted" was reached. He
called the attention of the voters to sew
eral items in the report. 1t had, he said,
cost the town Sl65 the past year for med
ical attendance of paupers. These peo-
pie ought not to be neglected, but the
doctoring should be done according to
some system. 1t looked as if town charg-
es had called in doctors whenever they
liked and as if the doctors had charged
whatever they pleased. The whole thing
should be under the personal supervision
of the oyerseer of the poor. Mr.. Stew
art offered the following resolution,
which was passed.
RESOLVED, That no bill for medical services
to the poor of the town shall be allowed un:
less such service shall have been rendered
upon direct personal employment by the
Oyerseer OF the poor.
Mr.. Stewart also criticised the accounts
of the selectmen for services rendered by
them. A few years ago, he said. select
men served without pay, but latterly it
has been the custom to charge for time
employed in the towns service, and these
charges are increasing from year to year.
Probably they should be paid, but it
should be fixed amount, and fixed by
the voters, not by the selectmen them
selves. He noticed, Also that 500 year
was paid the treasurer, but was informed
that the town had voted such compensa-
ton.
Selectman Matthews said the select
men of Bennington were Paid over $500
for their services last year, but Mr. Stew
art said that was a much larger town
than this. He submitted the following
resolution:
Resolved, That the annual compensation of
the selectmen shall. be $l5 each which shall
be in full tor official service as such.
Albert Chapman moved to make the
compensation $25. l.. G. Barrows asked
if the amount of work done from year to
year did not vary.
w. II. Bliss said he did not believe in
the principle of fixed compensation for
varying services. His idea was that a
public officer should be paid reasonable
sum for actual services rendered. When
the town becomes too poor to pay for
what is done for it, it should get along
without any organization.
Mr.. Stewart thought Mr.. Bliss argu-
ment was based on a wrong theory. For
nearly 100 years the selectmen never
charged cent for their services. They
thought in those days that they were do
ing public service which as citizens they
ought to render free. If selectmen did
special work, they could trust to the
town to pay them for it. The present
method of charging and paying them
selves was, he thought, vicious. He
did not think, either, that it was neces-
sary for the selectmen to meet monthly
and charge the town a full day for it. 1t
had cost nearly S75 the past year for this
business.
After remarks by j. E. Dewey and
John w. Martin, Mr.. Chapman's amend
ment was lost. l.. G. BarrOws moved
that the resolution be laid on the table
and that was lost, too; and the resolu-
ton as offered was passed.
STATE, COUNTY AND HIGHWAY TAX.
1t was voted, on motion of j. w. Mar.
tin. to pay direct from the treasury the
State, county and State school taxes
and, OH motion of B. 5. Beckwith, to pay
the highway tax in money.
EXEMPTION OF FIREMEN.
Mr.. Wilds stated, when article came
up, 'TO see If the town will exempt the
polls of the fire company except for high
way tax" that the village had voted tC
limit the membership of fire companies
to Is and that firemen should be paid 81
cents an hour for work done. AS mat.
tiers now stand there are 30 tiremen, but
there is no reason why the number OF
companies may not be increased.
B. S. Beckwith moved that 30 men be
exempted. John w. Martin thought thai
inasmuch as the men were paid for theil
services they should pay their taxes like
other folks. Locklin Wainwright was
of the opinion that the village had the
benefit of tiremen and should pay fol-
them. j. Il. Kingsley moved that fire
men be exempted. The motion was lost
THE BRIDGE QUESTION.
Article Z of the warning read STE
see if the town will vote to construct
new bridge over Otter creek in the vii
lage of Mddlebury, and, if so, of wha
material; and to provide for the expens'
of constructing the same" When it wa
reached Mr.. Stewart called for the read
Ing of the vote at the last special tow
meeting. 1t was, in substance, that
stone bridge should be erected provided
1t could be done at cost to the town o
not over $4,000. Mr.. Stewart said h
had communicated with Mr. Joseph Bat
tell, and on his return to town the pre-
vious day had found letter from hin
and also one from Mr.. Clinton Smith
He read Mr.. Smiths letter, which fol
lows:
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