The Somerset reporter., 1902-03-06
Town Meeting


ed the meeting to order at the hour des-
ignated, 10 o'clock a. m. Notwithstand-
ing the going was not the best, the at
tendance was large.
L. l.. Walton Esq. was elected moder-
ator, receiving 81 of the IS votes thrown
for that office. He was sworn by the
the clerk.
On motion of Col. A. 6. Blunt the
moderator appointed Messrs. A. G. Blunt,
j. o. Smith and J. X. Webb a committee
to assist in sorting and counting the bal
lots for the several officers to be elected.
George S. Webb was unanimously
elected town clerk and was sworn by the
moderator.
Quite a warm contest developed in the
choice of first on the board of selectmen,
which resulted in the choice of r.
F. Parker, he receiving 426 votes to
300 for L. c. Emery and two scattering,
w. D. Bradbury was unanimously
elected second on the board of selectmen.
There was was lively contest for third
on the board of selectmen resulting in
the choice of A. H. Wyman, he receiving
$50 votes to $50 for w. II. Davis, 35 for
c. II. Gardner, and IL for A. f. Jewett.
George E. Sampson was elected, treas
Geo. w. Cover, agent; F. A. Nolin,
auditor, without opposition.
Gawuor v,oc alantod rnnrnbar of
the board of school committee, receiving
175 votes to l0l for Nathan Fowler.
George H. Webb was elected, road
commissioner he receiving 1888 votes to
173 for Edgar l.. Ford and scattering
Mrs. L. w. Weston was elected park
commissioner by unanimous vote.
The choice of the superintendent of
schools was left to the school committee.
Article 9Th 40 see if the town will
vote to instruct the selectmen to enforce
the prohibitory law came up just be-
fore noon adjournment. Rev. H, +.
Huse opened the discussion in brief but
earnest remarks in favor of an express
sion of the town for enforcement of the
law. E. F. Fairbrother moved that the
article be passed over and spoke warmly
in favor of this action. He was the
only one who advocated this motion.
Remarks were made in favor of in
Mr.. Huse by E. N. Merrill, w. II. Paine,
Lewis Anderson, X. L. Patten, Rev. Fl.
w. Kimball, S. j. Walton and G. H. Gar
dner. Sheriff Pencil also spoke favor
ably to an expression of the voters pres
ent on the issue, making certain per-
sonal explanation and asking whether
hotels should be included with saloons 10
the instruction to the selectmen. Incl
dentally he stated II the vote should be
in favor of instructing the selectmen he
should take it as practically instruction
to him that citizens of Skowhegsn want
the law enforced here and he should do
it.
The question of passing over the arti-
Gle was defeated by very large vote on
a division of the house, those in favor Of
passing over the article going to the
easterly side of the hall aud those OPP
posed to the westerly side The vote
was so largely against passing over the
article that a count was not deemed nee
essary and it was declared not a vote
without count being made. The ques-
ton required on the instruction of the
selectmen to enforce the prohibitory law
and it was so voted by practically the
same overwhelming strength, of about
six to one. Evidently many who were
opposed to nstrueting the selectmen
lodged the question and left the hall for
the time, but we Judge fully $50 voters
stood up in favor of the instruction.
Adjournment was taken at l2.45 until
100. In the afternoon appropriations
were made for various purposes, as fol-
lows.