Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1893-02-09
CORPORATION MEETING.
Water Ra.es Considered and Revised, and
Minor Business Transacted.

water iSa -es COnslueieu anu ANcNieous anu
Minor Business Transacted.
Well, of all the picnics ever saw, that spe-
cial corporation meeting last Friday evening
beat them all way out Of sight. The voters
present acted like pack Of school boys rum
ming debating club on go-as. you-please
plan, though boys from any school in this
vicinity would have exhibited far more sense
than the majority did at that meeting. Some
men evidently went there with the idea that the
rates were too high, but wished conservative
action. Others wanted to make clean sweep
and cut rates down to nothing, and that was
Just about what was done. The ball opened
by vote being passed to consider each art-
Gle separately and the first article brought be-
fore the meeting, DR.. Whitman took the floor
and offered as amendment to the family rate
limited TO four persons, that II be "for the
ordinary use Of each family, 49," He quoted
from one family of five persons, having two
bath tubs and two water closets in the house.
who have only used 1900 gallons of water
the past year, and said that Judge l.. M.
Reads water would only cost him 81 IS If
furnished at the actual cost to the corpora
ton. He figured that the water cost the cor
pOratiOn little less than ten cents per 1000
gallons. Amos Brown spoke against such
reduction, stating that the village could not
afford to sell the water at actual cost, as there
is debt which must soon be paid, and the
''wherewithal" should come from the water
department. He had hardly regained his
seat before DR.. Whitman was on his feet pro-
testing against some of the statements made
by Mr.. Brown. Personal matters were
brought nto the discussion and when he sat
down again MIR. Brown got up and made a
few personal remarks. Things began to look
rather warm, but the moderator called them
both down and said that in future personal
matters must be kept out of the debate. H.
d. Ryder then got up and argued against a
reduction, giving figures to show that il all
the Inhabitants were as careful as that family
OF five before alluded TO, the village would
use only Il, 700, 900 gallons year, but it would
cost just AS much to run the department
while the revenue, at metre rates, would be
only about one-seventh the present sum.
DR.. Whitman, MIR. Brown and others fol-
lowed with arguments pro and con. DR..
whitman said it didn't make any difference
whether there was two or % in the family,
the rate should he the same. Evidently
majority of the voters present believed with
him, for on vote the amendment was
adopted.
When man gets to going down hill, it
doesn't take much to keep him going. And
it was the same with that meeting. The
items calling fora charge for persons board
Ing or rooming in the house were struck out,
as was the one for rooms with additional fix
lures. Now family can use all the water
they want for % year.
Bath tubs were reduced to 81, and
you can have as many Of them as you wish,
and invite in your friends and neighbors to
help use them, aud it won't cost cent extra.
Water closets were reduced from SO to 81, |
and no extra charge made for additional
ones, or for their use by large number of per-
sons. Hopper water closets are now 80 and
closets having connection with the sink are |
the same and no limit placed on the number
OF persons using them.
Ii people go around with dirty clothes In |
future, it will not be because of the excessive |
price charged for water. In future there is |
to De no charge made for set laundry tubs,
and you can have as many as you wish. The
same With boilers for heating private resi-
dences by steam or hot water; all struck out. |
Boarding houses will pay the same private
dwellings or he metred. The hotel rate was
also adopted. The rate for public bath tubs |
was cut down from $40 to $5. Public cistern
water closets are to he $40 or metred. Rooms
used As club rooms or offices are not to be |
charged. Restaurants will pay $40 or have a
metre. ApOthecaries' stores, photographers, |
etc., $5 or metred. Printing offices, So for |
five persons, no charge for additional en- |
plOyees. Foundry rates are the same. For I
the first two horses in private stables, each
$1;and 30 cents for each additional horse.
Oxen and cattle are the same. The charge
for washing carriages in q private stable will
be 81. The rates for hotel stables were
adopted. For livery and sale stables the rate |
was changed to 81, with SO cents for each ad-
ditional stall. Water for washing carriages,
without hose, Included in the above; with
hose, $2.
The rates for school houses were struck
out. Ornamental fountains Of 1-16 inch orr
flee will lie charged $18, and is iuch orifice,
$50. Rotary lawn sprinklers, $l2. Hose for
watering gardens, 81, aud can be used as
much as desired.
Public Iaundries will pay $12, or be
metred; soda fountains, So, or metred |
bakeries, ~ or metred; motors, $40. A vote |
was passed to charge the village $25 for each
hydrant, but the mater WAS reconsdered
later and struck out. The police station was
also exempted from charge and the article re-
1ating to stand pipes for watering the streets
was dismissed.
Then came the time when DR.. Whitman
was intending to make star play, and if his
motion had been adopted it would have been
the most sensible thing done at the meeting
and that was to have no connection with the
main that did not earn ut least 81 annually.
His reason for this, after being in favor of
a reduction all along the line, and especially
for private families and water closets, was to
get more water closets in. The rate being
the Same without as with, many who have
heretofore considered them too expensive
never have had connections with the sewer.
Had the doctors scheme gone through, it
would doubtless have caused great sanitary
improvements about the village. But it went
the way Of many other good things, and was
struck out.
Public drinking fountains will not be
charged. The special rates, as recommended
by the committee, were adopted and the one
permitting any person whose rate is more
than $15 to have metre.
A long and interesting debate on the metre
rates followed, and the matter was thorough
ly discussed. A rate of Is cents per 1000
gallons was finally agreed upon.
The corporation reserved the right to stop
the use Of water for manufacturing purposes,
steam aud hot water boilers and various
other purposes, whenever it was deemed
necessary because of low water in the pond.
Article OF the warrant was then taken up
and the bailiffs were authorized to make such
charges for peddIers' licenses as they see fit.
The resolutions presented by the board of
health, asking for more power to compel bet.
ter plumbing, were rejected, and the board
wss instructed to revise them and report at
future meeting.
Article 8, relating to additional fire alarm
boxes, was dismissed.
Under Article 4, Towns hotel was re-
funded $3.50 of the last August water assess
ment, aud the Commercial house was refund
ed $50.
Article s, relating to the increase Of the
water service by bringing in the Ellis brook
was dismissed and the meeting adjourned.