Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-04-14
THE VILLAGE REPORT
BailiFs Recommend a Tax of 40
Cents.

The Needs Of the Fire Department ana
other Recommendation -- Cash on
Hand sI2I0'Os---Chief OF Police Re
ports ~ Arrests.
The annual village report will be issued
next week from The Phoenix job printing
office 1t opens with the bailiffs' report,
which is given in full herewith.
In submitting our report we wish 10
congratulate the citizens of Brattleboro
that the village expenses are all paid 10
date, and that we have nearly $1,000 at
command to turn over to our successors IN
office.
The general good order that has pre-
vailed during the year indicates that the
police service has been efficient and salts
factory as heretofore.
At the fire on Flat street, Feb. l, our fire
department was severely taxed, and con-
sidering the intense cold and insufficient
supply Of water, did excellent service
The owner of the water supply system as
sures us that new feed pipe will be laid
on Union street this spring, which will i'm
prove the service on Flat street; still the
suggestive fact remains that the entire
water supply of this village for hydrants,
fire spIinklers, elevators, and all other
uses, must pass through a single ten-inch
pipe after leaving the reservoir. During
the winter our attention was called to the
fire extingusher located in Esteyville, and
it was found to be utterly unserviceable,
not having been used or tested for a long
time. Modern appliances for fighting fire
are indispensable, but in order to be of any
use they require constant care. We have
taken no action in regard to selling No.
engine and purchasing fire eXtinguisher,
as voted at the last village meeting, for the
reason that we were not able to find pur-
chaser for the engine, and, second, that
we we're not clear that it was advisable 10
do so. And, furthermore, we we're in
doubt whether the village had the power
to pass such vote under the warrant fol
the village meeting. But we would rec
ommend the purchase of a suitable hose
wagon, with two or more portable extin.
guishers.
During the year one of the contracts fol
street lighting expired, and thus far We
have not been able TO secure a contract
chat we regard as advantageous to the vii
lage. There are many places in the vii
lage, especially on the streets leading out
TO the surrounding towns, where more
light is called for, and we believe that by
judicious arrangement of our lighting
system these additions can be made with
out greatly increasing the present cost Of
street lighting, and before making a long
contract we would recommend a careful
investigation of this whole matter.
At the Smith e Co. fire several hundred
feet of hose was destroyed, and, as we had
surplus funds in the treasury, 1000 feet Of
new hose was purchased.
There is need of better system of sew
erage in the vicinity of Central and Pine
streets. There are cess-basins in that 10
cality that are already a menace to the
health of the people living there.
For the past ten years the village ex.
penses have been on the increase, without
a corresponding growth of the business OF
the town or increase of the grand list, and
IL behooves the tax payers TO be on the
alert to see that we get full value for our
liberal expenditure. "Retrenchment" is
an unpleasant word, and savors of weak
ness, but there is no good reason why the
village should not receive full value for
every dollar that we take from the proper
ty owners of Brattleboro.