Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-12
A MOCK MEETING.
Grafton Pupils Discuss Various
Interesting Topics.
The Curfew Bell and Electric Road Come
in for Greater Share of the Time
Other Notes.

GTdIIOn, March ll.-TOday was q prac-
| teal parliamentary day at the Grafton
| high school, the occasion being a mock
town meeting by the scholars. and the
outline Of the business transacted was
principally that of this years town war
rant, with the following additions: To
see If the town will appropriate fifteen
dollars to build and maintain a board
walk about the school building; to see
| II the town will appropriate $3.50 for
the erection of new high school build
ing and equip a gymnasium for the
same at cost of $500; to see if the
town will frant a franchise to the
| Mammoth Electric Railway Company
70 construct an electric road from the
GRAFTON and Upton town line through
| GRAFTON centre to Westboro: to see if
the voters will appropriate a sum of
money to be used in the enforcement Of
| the bylaws of the town, or act there
on; to see if the town will adopt the
custom of a curfew bell, such bell to be
rung at eight o'clock in the winter and
nine O'Clock in the summer for the call
ing home of all children under fifteen
years OF age, or act thereon.
A moderator was chosen to preside
! over the mock meeting, and commenced
ms duties by reading a town warrant
IN the regular manner. The students
| mad received no instruction from the
principal as to the points they should
bring up on the different questions, and
| everything was left to take its course
at the will of the scholars. The article
relative to reducing the number of Graf
| toms selectmen from five to three, which
| is one of the articles on the town war
| rant for discussion tomorrow, and the
curfeW question were the two in which
the students took the most interest
The points brought out in favor of re-
ta1ning five members on the town board
We're that in a town scattered as Graf
ton is, and being practically three COM
munities, one section would be more apt
to be left without representation if only
three were to be elected, and some Of
the southend pupils proposed that that
section should have two representatives
every year, as two-thirds of the voters
live there; one student wittily said that
five minds We're better than three any
day, and the town is much better off as
at present for that reason. The chief
point brought out in favor of reducing
the board to three was that the town
would be saved one hundred dollars a
year. Another point was that II
towns in the state have more than
three, and they are sufficient in one COM
munity as in another.
The curfew met with little real cause
for opposition, although many minor
ideas were sprung in attempting to
down it. The reasons why a curfeW
should be adopted We're embodied in the
words of Arthur F. Williams, as follows:
auckland and Shelbourne held town
meetings Monday, and each enacted a
curfew ordinance. Shelbourne is the
town in which the McCloud tragedy took
place. and the voters propose to stop
breeding loafers like murderer O'Neil,
apparently, and believe that keeping
young people off the streets at night
will accomplish the reform. The ordi-
nance, as adopted by the towns men
toned, provides that all persons under
16 years of age shall be indoors before
8 p. m, in the winter, and p. m, in
the summer, unless accompanied by a
parent or guardian. The question about
the young comes finally to home in
fiuence. If home restraints are lacking,
the community must do its best to apply
the proper restrictions for the young
The constable is poor substitute for
the father, but If outside influence is
necessary, it is wise to apply it early"
AT the close of the session, Prof. Rugg
told the pupils that he wanted as many
as could attend the regular town meet
ing tomorrow to see how near they came
to the way in which many of the arti-
that the meeting of today will have any
detrimental effect ON tomorrow's meet
ing, on the contrary the elders might
easily have learned few points from
the students
COOPERATIVE OFFICERS.
The Grafton Cooperative Bank stock
holders have elected the following Off
GERS for the ensuing year: President,
D. N. Gibbs vice president, Ellsworth
E. Howe; secretary and treasurer, JOS
eph A. Dodge; directors for three years.
J. H. Carpenter, c. L. Pratt and Frank
Stone; auditors for one year. Martin
Hickey, N. Tebo and Fred A. Dodge.
HILL TOWN TOPICS.
The members of the freshman class
of the G. H. S. sent a floral tribute to
the funeral of James e. Littlewood of
Saundersville this morning. Mr.. Little
wood was until six weeks ago a member
Of the class and a favorite among his
fellow students. A letter was also sent
with the floral tribute.
About 25 members Of the Grafton
Grange presented Mr.. and Mrs. Lyman
M Rice a Morris chair at their home
last evening, the occasion being a sur
prise in their honor.
The Grafton ForeSters held their re-
gular meeting last evening.
The Christian Endeavorers met in the
vestry of the west church this after
noon