Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-05-09
TEMPEST IN A TEA POT
CoUpes and Job Teams Under
Fire in Village Meeting.

5ailiffs Finally Given Control Over
Them on Close Vote-Austraian
Voting System Contnued-No Con-
test in Elections.
The few voters who saw the finish
of the village meeting Tuesday after
noon were RECALLED with a tempest in
a teapot, the innocent looking para
graph in the warrant in reference to
giving the bailiffs control over the
coupes, hacks, job teams, ETC., on the
streets provoking three-quarters of
an hour of spicy discussion Finally,
after oratorical javelins had been
hurled back and forth the vote. on
division of the house, was declared
80 to 30 in favor of the proposed
amendment. so that carriages for pub
lie hire will be subjected to such pro-
visions as the village fathers may
elect.
The meeting opened at o'clock on
schedule time, without fril's or fur
bellows, when Mayor Blodgett raped
to order, read the warrant, and de-
clared the polls open under the Aus
tralian system. People struggled in
throughout the forenoon, but in the
checkers. counters and assistant
markers-was larger than the number
of voters present.
About 40 voters were present at 2
o'clock, when Mayor Bodgett asked
for the consideration of the other
articles aside of the one calling for
the election of officers. Other voters
came in a little later and the high
water mark of attendance was about
20.
On motion of l.. f Adams the re-
ports of the bailffs, treasurer and
chief engineer were accepted and
adopted. On motion of c. F.
Thompson the tax for the coming
year was fixed at 40 cents on a dol
lar of the grand list payable July LIST,
in accordance with the recommends
tion of the bailiffs. On motion of
George w. Pierce $500 was appropri-
ated for a series of 16 concerts to be
given in the village limits during the
ensuing year by the First Regiment
band
Mayor Blodgett then called for the
consideration of the fifth article of
the warrant, as follows;
Article s. To sec II the village will
amend and add TO its bylaws by passing
enacting and adding thereto. the follow
ing:
Article l. No person shall keep or keep
standing in any public highway. street or
lane in the village Of Brattleboro, any
horse, team, hack coupe. carriage, sleigh
express team or job team. for public use
or hire. without the written consent OF
/, the bailiffs therefor. and under such
regulations and conditions as the bailiffs
in such written consent shall make.
Article Q If any person shall viola Il
any Of the provisions of the preceding
section. he shall forfeit and pay to and
for the use of the village of BrattleborC
the sum OF ten dollars and costs.
c. F. Thompson thought the article
could be construed in too broad 6
manner and moved that it be dismiss
ed. r. C. Bacon of the board OF
r bailiffs then explained that the article
was not for the purpose of chasing the
. coupes off the street. The public
. property should not be used without
some direction. he said. 4 public
carriage should not be allowed tC
stand upon a crossing. and the spots
where carriages stand should be KEEP
clean. There was such thing. h'
E said. as running a business and ais,
such a thing as making a business
a nuisance. The people had som,
, IlSUNS III lHe matter. Ailtl \. +
Thompson had made further re
marks which showed that he though
= all carriages were TO be ordered OF
4 the streets Mr. Bacon pointed out tina
; the article referred only TO vehicle
: the article referred only to vehicles 70
, public hire. Then followed a colloquo,
: which eventually developed into a dc
, bate with rising temperatures and a
q "a of % W ppl
J. flag waving J.L Martin, c. +. ThomI
5 son. f. ID. f. Stowe, Mr., Gates and 7
, S. Chase spoke on different phases il
behalf of the owners of public ven
1 cles, while c. r. Crosby, L. w. Haw
V ley, l.. f. Adams and L. d. TAYLOR pre-
e scented arguments for the other side
!. Mr.. Adams took up the subject as
business proposition. and told of tn
, blocking of the entrances to stores an
!, the Brooks House. and Mr. Taylor
. discussion was along similar lines, tn
> latter stating that at times nine pull
lie vehicles, coupes. job wagons. etc
:, were stationed in front of Crosb
= block, so that people alighting froI
c teams had to get out into the mud i
;, the middle of the street. On the ye
, and nay vote the result seemed to b
: in doubt and a division of the hous
j.. was called for. with James F. Hooke
- and F. d. f. Stowe acting as tellers
make the count. The vote was 80
q 80 for the adoption of the amend
:, ment to the bylaws.
n Article six, to see If the village wi
continue the Australian system of vo
ing at its annual meeting, was finall
Il acted upon by a division of the hal
o after the question had been put an
Il debated several minutes under di
:, ferent shadows of misapprehensiol
e The vote was 2S to % in favor {
VI continuing the Australian system.
IS Most of the voters had filed ont {
i the hall before the Mayor announce
p the result of the ballot for village o
n ficers. The total number of vote
;. cast for bailiffs was III. the nun
e. Der for the several members of tn
d board being as follows; E. w Blod
9. EFT log, c. r. Crosby 107, L. w. HAY
n ley 100, R. c. Bacon 100, L. M. How
.. 107, scattering g The vote for w.
% Perry as clerk and treasurer and
m e. Gordon as collector was unanimou
E. each receiving III votes. For audit(
c. A. Harris had 109, and for chi,
. engineer H. w. Sanders had 100 an
q G. G. Turner 3. The meeting a
. journed about 3:15.