Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-23

proper commissioners to care for the
interests of the county.
Citizens Committee.
Brattleboro, May %, 1902.
Answer to Another Taxpayer.
Editor Reformer:
"Another Taxpayer comes forward
in your last issue with what he terms
an answer in general way to letter
of the week before signed Brattleboro
Taxpayer. As he answers for the law
yers and tells what they would do, we
will presume him to be one. 1t is not
to be expected that 'hayseed" like
myself can bear up in fine argument
with one accustomed to turning state
ments and evidence into finished SEN
fences He brings out some of my
points stronger than did. In the first
/ place he says that | place myself on
record as opposed to moving the coun-
/ ty buildings to Brattleboro. ] ask him
/ to find any such statement in the let
] ter Did not say that if it was best
for the county that the buildings should
be here, that In my opinion the whole
county should pay the cost? He speaks
of the county clerk S Office and probate
boro ever been asked to pay the rental
of the rooms used for those offices?
| Has the county ever objected to paying
that rent? He says the lawyers would
go wherever the buildings are. True
enough, and there he comes to another
strong point from our side. Don't they
get pay for their attendance at court
and pay enough so that they can stop
h., bnt hot
alone bring out the fact that the eX-
pense of litigation would be greater
with courts held in Brattleboro than
in Newfane: How would it be with
the iurymen and witnesses, would they
get any more pay for their attendance
and would not the cost be greater:
Pray wherein does his talk about the
Cheshire county court house apply to
this case: He asks if Keene, the shire
town of Cheshire county, would like to
have the county buildings moved to
Chesterfield. Upon my word have new /.
er heard that there was any talk of NOV /
ing those buildings to Chesterfield. I
Anyone would conclude by that argu
ment, who did not know the situation,
that Brattleboro was now the county
seat and that there was talk of moving
the buildings to Newfane. He also
asks if Greenfield would like to give
up the county seat of Franklin county,
not a similar situation, as Brattlehoro
is not asked to give up anything. Did
Keene pay the full cost of the Ches
hire county buildings: Did Greenfield
pay the full cost of the Franklin coun-
ty buildings:
No one wants to take anything away
Rrat 1ah
may be as much as the one who signs
- Another Taxpayer" and on account
Of the interest | have and not on ac-
count of a few dollars in taxes, |
asked the question Wherein Brattle
ooro as business center. depending as
.he does largely upon the surrounding
owns would derive any lasting benefit
n burdening herself with heavy taxes
o grasp from the smaller towns the lit !
lie they now have to make them feed
,rs for our business interests:'
By the letters written from the Vest
River towns it is plain to be seen that +
hey do not approve of the move. and :
~ our actions in saying that Brattle
Joro must have the county buildings :
lere we may drive away more trade
rom our merchants than good many +
erms of court would bring. People /;
coming to court would not by any .
means come to trade with our mer- +
hants. Rockingham people and those a
.diacent to Bellows Falls would do +
heir trading at Bellows Falls anyway i,
Those who naturally come to Brattle n
,oro to trade would do their trading +
lere anyway, People come in large |
numbers and long distances to the Val :
ey Fair, but | am told by our mer-
hants that they get but very little
rade during the days of the fair. With
J. S. court houses at Burlington,
1ontpelier, Rutland and Windsor, and ?
u appropriation for new government L
uilding at Newport, how much oppor 5
unity would there be for jury sessions c
f the L. S. court here? He says v
%, 600 to $50, 600 will be sufficient to >
ut up the buildings. The Bennington D
curt house which was simply mill y
obstruction" cost fully that and the D
ounty has been continually laying II
ut money on it and only a short time u
90 had to paper the Jail to make it G
trong. The Burlington court house q
ost so, 600 which did not include the 1t
tie. If the time comes when Brattle- @
orc decides to bear the whole expense @
le does not want to be deceived by
eing led to believe that set of build
lgs such as would be appropriate can
e built for nominal sum. Another la
axpayer" can call me narrow minded p
he chooses. if he finds anything in h
~ former letter to warrant it, but | Ii
elieve my statements have been broad Ell
lough to be agreed with by a large lo
umber of the taxpayers of Brattleboro m
no cannot see wherein such an outlay h
outlined will benefit the whole com tC
unity at time when there is no call n,
n the change other than an accommo- 81
alton to a few. "
Brattleboro Taxpayer. ii
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