Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-04-11
The Proposed Removal Of the Wind.

'"S T'oPoseu heWoNdt OF the Wind
ham County Shire.
Since the fact has been made public
that an attempt will be made to secure
an enabling act from the legislature
OF 1902 for the removal of the Wind.
ham county buildings to Brattleboro.
1t is due the people OF the county that
full statement of the subject be
made. The movement, as stated by
its promoters, proceeds upon the idea
that the general convenience of the
county would be conserved by the re-
moval of the shire to Brattleboro
Further than this, II is claimed that
new jail. built upon modern plans.
has become, or will soon become. a
necessary expense which the county
must meet. The proposal. as now
formulated, is that Brattleboro shall
furnish the site and build the court
house. bearing the whole expense of
this, and that the county shall build
the Jail. The plan would be to build
the Jail on some site away from the
courthouse.
The movement, as stated in brief
last week, first took definite form
about two months ago, when a meet.
ing OF 25 or 80 representative business
men of Brattleboro was held, and the
plan was laid before, them. After dis.
cussion, 1t was decided to take the
necessary steps toward asking the leg.
islature Of 1902 for an enabling act to
carry out this plan. 1t is to be noted
that this proposal differs from anv pre-
viously made for the removal of the
county buildings in that it proceeds on
the ground that Brattleboro must bear
the main burden of expense If the
change is made. The enabling act TO
be asked for will provide in substance
that the shire shall be removed to
Brattleboro when that town has com.
piled with the provisions of the act in
providing suitable and acceptable
courthouse.
When the question of the removal
OF a county shire has been before the
legislature in the past, the usual
method has been to refer the bill intro
duced for this purpose to a committee
consisting of the representatives from
that county for their consideration II
approved by a majority, the legislature
has accepted their report. and passed
the bill. If disapproved by a majority.
the matter has been dropped. That
would probably be the procedure in
this case. Should an enabling act be
passed, 1t will then be left for the
town of Brattleboro to say whether II
wishes to provide the money by bond.
ing or by direct taxation for the ex.
pense which would be involved. II Is
probable that this expense, for a suit
able site and for a court building
would reach at least $35,000. It can.
not be said in advance that the town
OF Brattleboro would wish to incur this
expense in addition to its present
bonded Indebtedness. and in addition
to the large sum which must be spent
this year for new Hinsdale bridge.
This could be decided only after the
enabling act has been passed and the
question has come definitely before
our people.
without entering now upon any dis
cussion of the question beyond this
statement of fact, we think it due to
be said that the question is one upon
which the whole county has a right to
the fullest information, and its con-
sideration ought to be entered on in
the fairest and openest way. 1t will
be more than four months before the
representatives to the legislature of
1902 are elected. During this time the
question can be fully discussed, and
each town will have the privilege of
instructing its representative for or
against the project. There ought not
to be, and we believe there will not be,
any attempt to coerce or unduly to
influence the sentiment of the county
or of any town in the county. The
question is as to the greatest good of
the greatest number, and every town
and every individual has a voice in it.
1t is not a question of Brattleboro's
benefit or Rockingham's convenience,
but of the benefit and convenience of
the county as a whole. 1t would
doubtless be for the greater conven-
ience Of most of the larger towns of
the county if the court sessions were
held at Brattleboro, but it is equally
true that the modern tendency to con-
centration of all business and social