Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-11-23

meet with no objection.
Lively Times for One Committee.
None of the minor committees are hay
/ ing more lively times this session than that
on town lines. The largest fight is over
the proposition to enlarge and straighten
the st. Albans village boundary. 1t is op-
posed, not by the outside town, but solely
! by one man who would have a strip of land
a few hundred feet wide and his dwelling
| house taken into the village. His land he
admits would become more valuable as
| building lots, and his taxes would not be
much increased, as he has no personal list.
| The committee have been taken to st. Al
bans to view the premises, and tonight
! prominent lawyers are arguing the merits
and dement's before them.
Another case which has brought many
people here is the proposition to set Gov
entry gore to Newport, The gore adioins
Newport on the south, but is not adjacent
to Coventry The latter town does not
want to keep the gore because of its small
grand list and expensive roads. Newport
village, holding now the balance of power
in the town, does not want the gore an
neXed, because in that case the south part
of Newport town would become stronger
than the village; so the committee have
recommended no change.
A portion of the town of Jay wishes to
be set to Richford because, on account of
an mpassabemountain range, the inhabi-
tants have to travel some twenty miles or
more up into Canada and back again be-
fore they can get to where their town meet
ings are held. Several other proposed
changes are before the committee, each one
being to the parties most in interest the
question of the session, and drawing to
Montpelier delegations of excited citizens
The committee on corporations have
changed their views relative to Mr. Hines S
measure Incorporating the Meeting House
Hill cemetery association of Brattleboro,
being now satisfied that some of the powers
asked for cannot be obtained under the
general law, and have reported from COM
mittee a bill similar to the one previously
slaughtered.
The Westminster Village Charter.
The bill incorporating the village of
Westminster received a favorable report
from this committee, and passed the house.
AT this stage of proceedings the people of
the west part of the town began to make
inquiries as to the proposed boundaries,
and sent up man to look after their in
terests. The claim is made that the pro-
posed line will take into the new village a
very large share of the grand list of the
town without a corresponding portion of
the highways and bridges. Monday after
noon a representative of the village inter-
ests arrived on the ground, and both sides
have since been putting in lively work.
The state Insane Asylum Appropriation.
The BIZ providing for an S1jOOOO ad-
4 81.
bury came up in the senate on Friday and
was the subject of extended debate, with
apparent odds in favor of the bill. The
statement was freely made that the state
was paying the Brattleboro Retreat a much
larger sum for caring for its patients than
the expense for like number of patients
at Waterbury, and that could the state
care for all of its patients, as the compile
ton of the asylum at Waterbury would
enable it to do, enough could be saved to
pay for the new building in from six to
eight years. Senator Reed opposed max
ing an appropriation for the full amount
asked at this time, believing that the state
owed some consideration to the Brattle-
boro institution. Here was an institution
fully equipped, with a present capacity
considerably in excess of demands, which
had always been held open to provide for
the state needs. He gave statistics show
ing the cost of caring for the insane in diff
ferent state Institutions, in comparison
with which the price paid the Brattleboro
Retreat was a low one.
The bill came up in the senate again
yesterday as a special order and was order
ed to be read the third time. 1t will I'M
doubtedly pass the senate, but there seems
more doubt of its success in the house I'M
less the amount called for is considerably
reduced. The large appropriation asked
for two years ago was very materially
scaled down before it could pass the house.
and in the present temper of that body, as
shown by appropriations on other lines, it
will have to be demonstrated to them that
the S150,000 investment will be paying
one to the state The price paid the Brat
tleboro Retreat tor care of state patients is
1913 per week. According to the report
of the superintendent of the state asylum
at Waterbury the expense of running that
institution for the past two years was $56,-
800 10. The average number of patients
for the two years was 1894, making the BIZ
ennial cost SCOTS per capita, or an aver
age weekly per capita cost of S2.SS2.
These are the figures on which the COM
parisons are made here with the So. 70
BrattleborO price.
But one very important fact is omitted
from the calculation. The state has a
plant at Waterbury which cost $205, 900.
Six per cent interest would be a very un-
satisfactory return to the average investor
for property of like character, but it would
amount to the snug sum of $4,000 per
year. Should this be added to the running
expenses to get the actual, real cost? If
so, the figures would stand:
Running expenses for two years, 500 SO9. 10
Interest on plant, g., two years 24600 90
Net, Ss1, ,4O019
Making biennial cost per capita $430.65 /;
weekly cost per capita, S4.14; as against
Bratteboro price, 1915.
The argument is advanced that with
the enlarged buildings the Waterbury in
stitution could be run on more economi-
cal plan, and indeed this would have to be
the fact TO a very material extent to coun-
terbalance the annual interest charge of
| $4,000 on the appropriation asked.
The Fish and Game League.
The Vermont Fish and Game league are
holding their annual banquet at the Pa
| yilion this evening. The event usually
| draws a large number of people, and this
| year proves no exception in that respect.
! 1t is the custom to have the menu composed
of native fish and game in large variety,
| but through an oversight of somebody the
| desired materials are not at hand and the
members and guests are eating just COM
/ oolt tap Hs1 fVgtaa1 Of 4