Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1901-02-21
Mayor Hersey's Message to Barre.

Mayor HerSey OF Barre secured an IN
junction against the Barre printer who
was getting out the city report, and
work on the document was stopped.
The mayor has, however, issued a
message of his own, in which he sets
forth the condition of the city from his
point of view, and gives the story of his
conflict with the board of aldermen.
The mayor charges that the city has
twenty-four law SUITS on the docket and
has suffered by the continuance of cases
for the benefit of the law officer He
wanted new man who could do some
thing" In one case he took the matter
into his own hands and saved the city a
large sum. In less than 4S hours a Jailed
citizen, languishing in confinement and
costing the city board bill of $3.50, was
released.
The mayor gives the details of alleged
abuses in the street and water delsAss.
ments in which the city has suffered
He recounts the circumstances of the at
tempted assassination of Chief of Police
Brown, which he lays at the door of the
aldermen for providing an insufficient
force of patrolmen.
The mayor recounts his efforts to put
"a check on lawlessness'' in the miSap-
preparation of funds. He cites specific
instances of ''lawlessness'' as for ex-
ample, in 1899, 81, 100 was paid into the
city treasury to be paid over to the state
in June, 1900, but 'swhen the time came
the funds were missing The treasury
was empty, the debt limit reached, the
city could not borrow and was reported
as ''tax delinquent" "The city jails
its tax delinquents; what should the
state do with the city?T suggests the
mayor. The aldermen rejected his reso.
lutions looking to remedy for ''lawless
ness, adopted one of their own and re-
scinded it, and thus ''lawlessness must
go unchecked" So he appealed to the
grand jury, which took no notice of his
complaints.
The mayor gives the newspapers Of
Barre passing notice, charging then
with contempt of court, contempt Of
city and city council, and incidently Of
the mayor himself. SO the reporters
were excluded from the mayors office
One day these lawless scribes 'srudely
burst into the official precincts, 'tas il
under the influence of something better
than city water, anxious to know some
thing about crazy man in the lookup,
who the mayor believed twas not half as
crazy as they were drunk So he ex
PEELED them. His honor believes the re-
porters are doing more injury than GOOD
to the city. 'tIf Barre merchants coulC
combine to issue weekly advertising
Sheet says the message, 1.-The advertis
ing would be done better and cheaper al
quarter the expense, and on the tomb
stones OF the two city newspapers woulC
be seen the fitting epitaph Died tC
please the city,
mayor Hersey presents figures tC
snow that Barrels total city debt June
1900, was 1914, 1873 %, which will be in
creased on March 6 to 1881, 1925, show
ing reduction during the year of S36,
3o9.o6, which he claims as the result o.
the policy of the new administration
Inc tax rate the past year was $2.45, but
under right management tax rate Of
81 the coming year will be sufficient
Ihe grand list will probably be not less
than S37, 800.
In conclusion the mayor hopes "a
check has been placed on the spirit Of
lawlessness, but from the indications Of
the aldermanic spirit is inclined to think
that .'We have scotched the snake, moi
killed it,
On the title page of this remarkable
document appears the suggestive quota
ton, Il, too have fought with beasts al
Ephesus."