Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-10-02
THE SPECIAL VILLAGE MEETING.

The special adjourned village meeting
held at the town hall Tuesday evening to
hear the report of the committee al
pointed to look over the books and ac-
counts of the water commissioners did
not draw out large crowd. The COM
mittee's report showed that the commits
sioners had done their business properly,
and that the charges of remissness in the
discharge of their duties which have been
current in the community and have been
referred to in these columns had no
foundation whatever i'm fact.
DIR. Sheldon, the moderator. presided
and John II. Stewart was appointed
clerk.
Judge Slade, in presenting the report
of the committee appointed at the special
meeting two weeks before to look into
the accounts of the water commission
ers, said that the committee, which con-
sisted of himself, b. 5. Becllwith and G..
ID. Miner. had gone over the books from
the time they went into the hands of Mr..
Hope, in January, 1898. Mr.. Hope had
assisted in the examination, which was
perfectly satisfactory to himself and he
believed to the other members of the
committee.
The report is not complete, owing to
the absence from town of Mr.. WilGs,
who is the sole authority on the finances
of the construction account of the water
works; so we shall not print the formal
report till next week. The report shows,
in substance, that Mr.. Hope collected
from Jan. !, 1895. to Sept. 10. 1896,
water rents to the amount of $3425. 16.
He deposited S2422 of this in the bank,
disbursed S94S.52 and had S55.24 on
hand. During the same period the com
missIoners drew orders on the treasurer
to the amount of Sl2G4.75 and adding to
this the S94S.j2 above referred to, the
total disbursements are found to be
$22l327. There are l67 water takers
and the annual rentals amount to S235O.-
IS. The amount of rents uncollected is
SG7 10.
There was a long discussion of the var
ious facts brought out in the report. Mr..
Beckwith said, and Judge Slade agreed
with him, that all monies collected ought
to so into the treasury and all eXpendi-
lures should be made by orders on the
treasurer. Mr.. Slade said that so far
everything paid out had been accounted
for, but he advised change to the order
system.
Mr.. Beckwith moved. and it was voted.
that on or before the Sd day of January
of each year the water commissioners
and the collector Ofwater rents shall
submit to the auditor all books, vouchers
and papers belonging to the water de-
partment.
Water Commissioner Sargent stated
for the board that the Court street eXten-
sion authorized at the previous meeting
was SS4 feet in length and if one-inch
/ pipe were laid the expense would not eX-
ceed $50. while yearly income of Sl5
had been guaranteed. The commission
ers had found that the proposed eXten-
sion to the hay barn was 300 feet long
and with four-lnch pipe would cost SlG0
the hydrant at the terminus included. 1t
had been suggested. he said. that the first
300 feet of the Court street extension be
land with four-inch pipe ard hydrant
be put at the end of the large pipe, the
balance of the piping to be one-inch. The
cost of doing this would be $40 more
than to lay one inch the whole distance
or Sl95. Thomas & Weeks had agreed tC
take Sc worth of water a year and Mr.
Langworthy talked of putting in water
motor, which would add, from $25 to S4(
to the departments income.
1t was voted, on motion of w. II. Dun
can, that the commissioners be authOrz
ed to put in the hay barn extension anC
a hydrant at its terminus, at cost not tC
exceed Sl60. 1t was also voted, on mo
tion of Charles Flint, to authorize thu
commissioners to lay four-inch pipe fol
the first 300 feet of the Court street eX
tension and put in hydrant