Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-03-10
WATER! WATER !
The Special Village Meeting ON
Tuesday Evening.

The Report Of the Committee Adopted,
with n supplementary HesoIution--.
Two Hours OF Lively Discussion.
Several hundred voters were present at
the special village meeting at the town hall
Tuesday evening to act on the report Of
the committee regarding an additional wa.
ter supply. Col. Hooker presided. Hon.
b. ID. Harris, the chairman of the CON.
mittee, read the report which had been cir
cuated in pamphlet form, and was printed
in full in The Phoenix last week. +. G.
Crosby said that since the committee had
locked over the matter thoroughly he
would move that the report and resolutions
be adopted. The question being open for
discussion, G. G. Fits INTERCEPTED Mr..
Harris on the following points: LIST, what
did the report of the analysis of the Chest
nut Hill reservoir show? I'd, does the
statement that 200 families use this water
include those who use it in part, or only
those who use it for all purposes? Sd, what
are the present rentals of the Chestnut
Hill reservoir company? 4th, for what sum
can the Chestnut Hill plant be bought?
9Th, with what other towns did the com
mittee make their comparisons in stating
prices? 9Th, at what price can the rights on
Stickney brook be bought?
Mr.. Harris said, in answer, (1) that an
analysis of the reservoir water was made.
but the committee did not consider it prop.
er TO make comparisons, such action not
being within the scope of their duties; u
for domestic purposes, as understood; (3l
he had no means of knowing; (D the plant
was not for sale in the sense that 1t was
seeking a purchaser, but 1t could probably
be bought for reasonable sum, if the vii.
lage wished to buyit; (5) Montpelier, Frank
lin, n. H., Ware, Mass, West Randolph,
Bellows Falls, Greenfield, Keene, Wellesley,
Mass, and other places; (6) he had no idea
what the Stickney brook water right would
cost.
Upon interrogation by Mr.. Martin it ap-
peared that the price for water in the
places named was less than in Brattleboro.
especially for domestic uses, the average
rate per family for all the towns being
S7.06, while in Brattleboro it is $40. With
bath tubs, the average price was about Sl3.
and in Brattleboro S14. Mr.. Harris stated
that the price for public uses of water here
was lower than the average. When ques-
toned by Commander Brown as to whcth.
er Mr.. Crowell intended to make the West
river his main or supplementary supply.
-hi- mains ooih az liz ull-
derstood.
L. F. Adams thought that there was ey.
cry reason why the report should be &C.
cepted and adopted. He thought it was
evident that the cost of the system from
Stickney brook would be from $3.50. 900 to
5000, 900.
Mr.. Martin said what was wanted was
not only pure, ample supply, but reason
able rates, especially for domestic uses.
In % towns in Massachusetts, the highest
rate for family use was $3.50. The fair
test was with towns having a water supply
owned by private corporations, and not
with towns that own their systems and
simply pay back the water rents into their
own treasury. Simply procuring pump
did not have much significance. The dan
er is that poor men, the men with small
houses and small incomes, will have to pay
higher rates for an indispensable article
than they can afford. The committee SAYS,
it is true, that water-takers who are az.
grieved have remedy through the courts.
but this Is poor consolation. If the con-
plainant gets beaten he will have the priv
ilege OF paying his own costs, and in any
case 1t will cost the poor man more money
than he can afford to pay. The committee
have acted promptly, wisely and WELL but
the trouble is that their instructions, at the
first meeting, were not broad enough
They should have been authorized to in.
vestigate a little further. We want 10
know what the income of the reservoir
company is. If the company is paying the
interest on its bonds the POO families are
paying pretty well for their water Mr.
Martin moved in closing that Mr.. Crosbys
motion and the report and resolutions be
ordered to lie.
L. w. Stoddard, after paying a tribute
to the faithful and impartial work of the
committee, said that the purpose of Mr.
Crosby's motion was to adopt the report Of
the committee, with resolutions that would
hold Mr.. Crowell up TO his agreement. IT,
ON the contrary, you refuse to accept the
report, and practically serve notice on Mr.
Crowell that you don't want him to supply
the water, would you expect him to 20 on
and put in supplementary supply at
cost of 5000 or $4,000? Would YOU
think it wise for him to do it? There is
no probability that new water system
could be put in for less than Sl50OOO
More likely the cost would be 500, 900 or
S25O,OOO. But call it $500, 900, and the in
terest on the investment and the salary Of
the superintendent would mean a larger
amount OF money to raise annually than
the whole amount for all purposes that the
village now raises. In earnest terms Mr.
Stoddard urged that the village be fair and
just toward Mr.. Crowell and toward the
taxpayers also.
Mr.. Harris then stated the situation as
1t appeared from the committees stand
point. In their view nothing would be
lost by adopting the report and giving Mr.
Crowell a chance to put in his supplement.
taIy supply. In any case the village could
not put in new system to be of service
the coming season. If Mr.. Crowell failed
TO furnish the water the way would then
be still open to act on the information
gained. No one would advise Mr.. CroweI
to add an expenditure, not of 5000 OF
$4,000, but of $4,000 or S25, 900, for
supplementary supply, should the village
serve notice that it doesn't want his wateT
Z. +. Thompson spoke of Mr. Crowers
public spirit and service for the town, and
reminded the meeting that two years ago he
mad told the committee on watering the
streets that his system was never INTENDED
for street-watering, but only for domestic
supply. But the village needed the watei
Tor the streets, Mr.. Crowell allowed him
self to be over-persuaded, and the result