Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-02-23

The annual town report will be issued
tomorrow from The Phoenix Job Printing
Office The selectmen say:
In making our report for the year end
ing Jan. 81, 1900, we are pleased to state
that all the bills of the town have been
paid, leaving a balance in the hands of the
treasurer of 1884 As, making good mar
Gin to commence a new year with.
The income from the town house for the
past year has more than paid the expense
of its maintenance, to the amount OF S233.-
so. The building has been painted on the
outside during this year. and will not have
to be done again for several years.
Your selectmen have, during the past
year, rebuilt six bridges, five of them with
new abutmeujs and OF iron. The Main
street bridge has been completed by putting
on concrete sidewalks.
Your selectmen would call the attention
of the tax payers of the town to the Main
street sewer for the surface water. II is
not large enough to take and carry off the
water that collects 10 our streets during an
ordinary shower, much less one OF the
heavy showers that we have every season.
There ought to be a sewer OF more than
double the capacity of the present one
built, extending from the bridge to High
street, with enough openings into it to
take all the water that any shower would
produce, and prevent the excessive wash
ings of our streets that they get at present
The Canal street hill, near Maple street
corner, has been improved by widening,
and a bank wall and tile sewer built at an
expense of Sl13G 90. The hill in district
No. /, near J. B. Frost's, has been cut
down about five feet at an expense of s1O5.-
1G
Again the expenses upon our highways
have exceeded the tax assessed, so that
the selectmen called a special town meet
ing Dec. Is, 1899, to raise money to pay
all the bills of the road commissioner that
the town was liable for and also to leave
enough in the treasurer's hands to pay the
expenses of the highway to Feb. l, 1900
At that meeting your selectmen were di-
reCted to borrow $500 for the use of the
road commissioner. They have done so,
as your treasurer's report will show
As directed by vote at the last March
meeting, your selectmen have contracted
with the Brattleboro Gas Light company
for lights on Western avenue and in West
BrattleborO for a term of five years.
The tax collector has done better this
year than last, as he has been able to col
ltCJ nearly all Vi IuG ldA VI 1CJOs lSdNluS
only $50 to be collected, of which it is es
timated that $3.50 is good and can be col
lected
The finances of the town are in good con-
dition. Our bonded debt has been de-
creased $1,000 this year, and there is no
floating indebtedness to our knowledge, all
bills having been paid when presented.
Every year loans, of from $4,000 to
ST, 000 have to be made to meet the run
ming expenses of the town, making an in
terest expense of from $500 to $500 each
year, which could be prevented if the town
would raise little more tax and make a
surplus, instead of just paying the eX-
penses each year. A tax of 30 cents on
dollar of the grand list will raise Sl4,6S9.-
A, making a small amount over the esti-
mated expenses for the year. Your select
men would recommend that a tax of 30
cents on dollar of the grand list be raised.
The grand list is $4S, 964.50.
The school directors recommend raising
tax of 80 cents on dollar of the grand
list of the town school district for the com
ing year.
The following are the estimated expenses
and resources of the town for the coming
year: