Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-04
ANNUAL REPORT.
Cuttings of Interest from a 218
Page Pamphlet.
Legal Opinion on Leicester Academy
Question Subject for General
Discussion.

Leicester March S.-The annual town
report was received at the post office
this morning The report contains 21S
pages, and has many unique features,
among which is a colored picture of the
town hall as it may look some time, and
a blank page for the report of the COM
mittee chosen to assist the selectmen
in settling with abutters on the third
section of state road The selectmen's
report comes first and contains many
different features. During the year 70S
orders were drawn. amounting to S6S,-
1929. The report on the Illegal selling
of liquor is very encoura ging, and the
statement is made without reservation
that there is not a place in town where
liquor is illegally sold, The report In re-
lation to the graves OF revolutionary SOL
diers, prepared by George o. Currier, is
very interesting, and gives the full list
of their graves, as published in the Spy
some time ago.
During the year the expenses Of the
town hall have exceeded the receipts by
$770.1S, and the method suggested to
avoid this in the future is for the c. A.
r., w. r. G. and the town officers to meet
in the vacant room at the public library
building, which would make very large
heating at the hall
A legal opinion from the town counsel
is presented by which the town clerk
shall be voted for on the ballot with the
other town officers, and the voting will
not close at 1.3O o'clock. as last March
The report of the committee chosen to
assist the selectmen in settling with
abutters on the third section of the
state road is left blank, as Hon, c. A,
he oI,a fe. ~, TtaI
and the report is locked in his safe. An
illustrated page is a special feature,
showing the front of the town hall.
The estimates for the coming year ag-
gregate $S4,375, including $4,000 for tho
highways $4,000 for schools, $1,000 for
school contingent, $3100 for street lights,
and $4,000 for contingent expenses.
The report of the overseers of the poor
shows an unexpended balance of $278. r.
The second annual report of the park
commissioners shows good work which
has been done in the park, and gives a
list of the subscribers to the park COM
mission fund.
The report of H. E. Sargent chief OF
the fire department, asks for $500, in
stead Of $500, as in 1897. made necessary
by needed improvements. 1t recon-
mends that fire alarm boxes in the diff
ferent villages should be connected with
the whistle at the power station, thus
making a fine system.
The treasurer's report shows bal
ance of $1.80, and town debt of SIS, s92
This is an increase of $4,000 over last
years debt.
The report of the school committee is
particularly full, and contains an opin-
ion from Blackmer & Vaughan, saying
that in the agreement between the town
and the academy, by which the tuition
of high school pupils is paid by the
| town at Leicester Academy, Is illegal,
and that in consideration of other
phases of the law, the only safe course
for the town to pursue is to furnish high
school instruction to the pupils residing
| in your town at such high schools in
surroundings towns as the parents Of
the pupils may themselves determine.
The attitude of the trustees is under
stood as maintaining that Leicester
Academy is still a private institution
and the school committee has no author
| ity. AS both sides have a firm opinion,
and the legal opinion of Blackmer &
| Vaughan entirely upholds the commit
tee, 1t looks as though something would
be done, and a warm breeze at town
meeting is looked for.