Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-02-28
The MESSAGE
Mayor Gordon Makes His
Annual Statement
NEARLY HALF A MILLION
City's Indebtedness Amounts
to Almost That Figure
the Mayor Explains.

1
The material prosperity of the city
during the last year has been as mark
ed as during any former year. The
number of structures erected has been
large. The quality of these structures
so far as they are represented by dwell
lings has greatly improved. The out
put of the granite industry has been
unprecedented. The consolidation in
the hands of syndicate has not been
effected. For the good of the com
munity we believe that it's failure is a
matter of congratulation, yes of felici-
tation. Our growth has hitherto rest
ed upon the broad basis of individual
initiative. The opportunities for en-
| terpriSe have never been restricted to
the will of a single corporation or per-
son. The young man at majority has a
freedom of selection for the applica-
tiOn of his talents and labor as wide
as our favored social conditions will
permit. Industry and thrift easily
make the transition from service to
management, from non-Ownership to
ownership. In nature there is a per-
petual conservation of energy. A
force may manifest itself differently.
but it is never lost. The subtle power
| of electricity turns wheel, cooks a
steak, or lights the printed page 1t
is useful in all it's varied manifesta-
tions The power of hand and brain
is like unto it. Syndicate your indus
tries and it singularizesthe individuals
opportunities. He cannot say to him
self .'my thrift has put me in possess
sion OF thousand dollars: my well
earned credit puts at my command a
Thousand more.
"With this combined capital, consist
ing of ownership and credit, | will
buy and build and trade. The profit of
my business shall rear my family, pro-
tect mine age, and be my material
substitute when the "golden bowl is
broken" My expenditures in the
community where reside Shall be a
stimulus to the efforts of Others. My
contribution to the support of the
government shall aid the pursuit of
life, liberty and happiness. On the
other hand, he would be forced to re-
fleet. Success is a corporate favor:
and livelihood a servitude. A capaci-
ty for management and enterprise
would be useless, because unused.
The profits that legimately belong to
the locality where they are made,
| that should build the school, the
church and the home on the very
spot of their creation, would be with
drawn to distance, would cease to
promote the local welfare, to subserve
perhaps the secondary purpose of de-
corating the sea shore or the noun
tain resort"
Let the curse pass. The temporary
advantage to the present owners
would be a small compensation for
the general and permanent loss. "A
century ago a great nation went
through bloody revolution to equal
ize opportunities. Let the spirit of
our little city render no aid to the
repitltion of such history. Distribu-
button not Capitalization should be
the watchword. The broader the
base of the pyramid, the longer shall
the sunlight play upon it's summit.
BURNS MONUMENT.
One of the most interesting occa-
sions during the year was the dedlca-
tion of the Burns monument. Credit
for the accomplishment of SO laudable
a purpose is principally due to the
Burns club. 1t is the first public
monument erected in the city. 1t is
a matter of remark that such should
be the case. In city where the
principal industry is the manufactur-
ing of monuments, one would not
naturally expect to see the ancient
and ordinary method of illustrating
history entirely disregarded.
Even if the city has not been the
scene of a great historical event, we
are part of country and race that
furnish abundant subjects for COM
memoration. AS a community we
were in existence at the time OF the