St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-03-22


the takers stop wasting the water.
Every man that misappropriates
water that belongs to somebody
else is in my opinion committing a
crime. The committee find that
there is a tremendous waste of
water.
Finally your committee would
recommend, 1st. That in retaining
the same the village increase it's eff
hciency by the construction of
reservoir, to be supplied direct from
the pump, or from such other source
as may present itself later.
I'd, That specially ruinously low
rates be discontinued and a more
equitable schedule be adopted.
Sd, That one or a board of say
three water commissioners be elect
ed by the people with full power to
act in his or their judgment may be
for the interest of the village in
maintaining its water supply.
In commenting on these recon-
mendations Capt. Griswold said
that a reservoir would double the
capacity of our system in case of
fire, and where weIhad FIVE streams
now we could then have five streams
from the pump house and five from
the reservoir. The pressure would
also be about what was guaranteed
by the Aqueduct Company with
double the efficiency. In speaking of
the rates he said either they were not
collected or else the village has a
variable scale of rates. The COM
mittee found that the latter supposi-
| ton was true and were unable to
tell what the rates really were, as
| they had been lowered in so many
cases to get customers away from
| the Fairbanks system.
At the conclusion of the COM
mittee's report DIR. Bullard moved
! that the whole matter be dismissed.
! This motion was seconded. Harry
! Blodgett then called for the reading
| of the warning. The clerk then
read the warning, after which Mr..
Blodgett asked for ruling from the
chair as to whether DR.. Billiards.
motion was in order. Mr.. Blod-
gett said the meeting was called to
accept or reject contract and
therefore Dr. Billiards. motion was
out of order.
The chair ruled that a motion to
dismiss the whole matter was out of
order.
A motion to accept and adopt the
report of the committee was also
declared out of order, but the chair
ruled that motion to accept the
report would be in order and was
highly proper.
Capt. Hovev then moved that the
report be accepted and the COM
mittee discharged. This was second
ed and carried by a unanimous vote.
Mr.. Sweeney said the meeting was
called for direct vote and that was
all it was called for; the sooner we
take the vote the better. He thought
the trustees had acted unfairly in not
allowing the question to be dis
cussed before a vote was taken.
The chair ruled that the matter
was open for discussion and any one
could speak that wished.
Capt. Hovey then moved that the
article in the warning be dismissed.
This was promptly seconded by DR..
Bullard and one or two others. By
request of the chair Capt. Hovey
altered the wording of his motion to
conform to the ballots that had been
prepared. The motion before the
house and the one that was finally
voted on was, that the village do not
sell.
Alexander Dunnett asked to make
another motion that the clerk be in
structed to call another meeting
within three weeks to consider the
special committees report. Mr..
Dunnett, however, withdrew this
motion.
Prof. Henry Fairbanks said he had
given this matter much thought and
he believed that the trustees had
driven a very sharp bargain with
the Aqueduct Company. AS far as
he was concerned he had no other
interest in the matter than as an in
dividual taxpayer. AS a Fairbanks
he had no interest in the matter. The
tax clause sounded offensive and he
did not like it himself He was
afraid that we would not get
adequate fire protection under the
plan proposed by the special COM
mittee. 1t also made him feel sore to
have to pay taxes on water that
was wasted. He did not think it
was fair to have a thrust made at
the Fairbankses as avaricious monop-
olists when they were parties to a
contract that the village trustees
thought was a good bargain for the
village.
Wendell P Stafford was the next
speaker and made an eloquent speech
in favor of carrying out the con-
tract. Mr.. Stafford spoke some
what as follows:
1 am not going to speak to change
any votes, but because I believe that
what 1 am going to say ought to be
said before a vote is taken. The
vote ought to be taken intelligent
| I1ya Il