St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-10-22
Looking Towards a City.

Looking Towards City.
Ia response to a call for village meet
ing about 300 voters of the village me
ia Town Hall Monday evening to dis
cuss the proposed plan of changing oul
form Of government from village to {
city. The meeting was called to order
by the clerk, Clinton B. Weeks, and or
ganized by electing Edwin L. Hovey
chairman.
E'more T. Ide introduced the following
resolution and moved its adoption:
Resolved, That the time has arrived
when the affairs of the village can be
better administered under some form oi
city charter. To that end we instruct
the chairman of this meeting to appoint
committee Of five to prepare bill to
be presented to our General Assembly
granting city charter that shall best
be adapted to our needs.
Mr.. Ide said he had favored the city
charter ever since the time 10 years ago
when the other towns in this state
changed to a city and he thought this
was an excellent time to make the
change.
H. A. Farrham said the present village
charter and bylaws had proven wholly
inadequate to our present needs and If
we wished to remain next to the largest
village in the state we must have more
force to our charter and it's bylaws
But he believed that this could best bt
accomplished by becoming a city anc
read a letter from George W. Wing o
Montpelier in favor of a city govern
ment.
w. S. Boynton said as former trus
tee he recognized the inability of the
trustees or the other officers of the vii
lage to enforce any laws regarding the
management of the village and believed
some change ought to be made either ii
our charter or to another form of gov.
ernment.
At the request Of the chairman of tht
meeting, Mr.. Farnham read letters from
7. w. Brock and l.. Bart Cross OF Mont
pelier, both of whom heartily opposed
the change from a village to city il
Montpelier and said many of the voter
regretted change had ever been made.
George H. Cross favored the resolu
ton and said he could only account 70
his brothers opposition on the groun
that he and lin Brock had run the vii
lage affairs OF Montpelier so long tina
they were disgruntled because neither @
them were elected mayor.
Conrad Beck, who lived in st. Alban
when the village became a city, sal,
every one wanted the change and he dlt
not believe any one now would want tt
change back.
Alexander Dunnett was the only speak
er who favored the retention of the vii
lage government. He said he was prouC
of the village of St. Johnsbury and sug
gested that a change in the village char
ter would bring about the desired re
suits as we'll as to change to a city. H
said that the best form of city charte
that any committee could devise woul'
be faulty and reminded the voters tha
a city charter might furnish lots of iroli
tor the lawyers for many years to come
The resolution was then adopted wit
a few dissenting votes and the chai
appointed on the committee Elmore 7
Ide, H. A. Farnham, L. N. Smythe, H. F
Howe and A. II. Mcleod. The meetin
then adjourned.
The committee are at work on a pla
which includes the present village with
little addition, as the limits of the pre-
posed city. They are anxious to receiv
suggestions from those interested or an
other feature of their work.