Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-05-23
THE COUNTY SHIRE
Local Committe Says Necessity
for Change Is Apparent.
County Hotel is Continual Expense
TO the County-Accommodations in
rattleboro-Expense of Building
New Court House.


Hooker and c. II. Thompson-appointed
TO represent Brattleboros interest in the
nroposition to move the county seat to
Brattleboro. present the following report:
In view of the interest that has been
shown and suggestions made relative to
the proposed change of shire, the com
mittee of citizens Interested in the move,
deem ii proper to now make rev sug-
gestions called out by what has APP
peared in opposition to the plan
First. we must all agree upon careful
thought that the county seat and the
location of it belongs not to any town
but to the whole county. 1t is not like
an industry or institution which has
been built up in a community and which
only selfish interests may take away.
1t is part of the machinery of our
government and should be for the ben
eft of the majority and not for the pri-
Vate emolument of any community we
agree that the burden is upon those ask
ing for the change to show the neces-
sity for it, all things being equal it
ought to remain where it is We be-
lieve however, that the necessity for
the change is apparent, Surprising we
had no county buildings! and new ones
were to be erected where would they
be put? Could Newfane be a formid-
able candidate in that event? Suppose,
too a private individual had a business
scattered over the territory of this
county. with the proportion in each
town that county court business is what
place would he choose. for his head
quarters? This it seems to us, is the
real and substantial question.
, ns,e "eic at oi' .'.'i' ,t,,, ga
.i,t'IIIr,l NJ, w.. 90 astabiisbod
because it better suited the majority of
the population then. Afterward the
county seat was at Westminster. and
Tor me same REASON I,.,, lnen II was re-
HloNeu u NV , nm mn w 500 100. -.
nleht cou'r"liins tien an Io-' - sli
tne chd"Se W F"He'.r me ne, q" W
t the M, Marlhoro or Westminster or the
tlIat Nialt"olu vi w VI ,Ii,,
owners VI pIopeitE ou NcWI'"e ~ ~
nave vested rlsht III tIe shlIe vi tI,Is
county plat'lepulo n"S no 9UVi, Isl
III H. II from !air pdldICt % a.
ment the people OF the county Ieel ma
II Is better 10 nave II III brdttleporo' 1t
ouEht " cohie hels
The suggestion has been made that a
part or all of the towns of Rockingham,
Westminster, Marlboro, Wilmington
Nottingham and Halifax can as handl-
~ or more readily reach Newfane than
Bratteboro. That must be referred TO
the people of those towns; they know
how that is. What do they say about
it? The people can't reach the shlre
town las the crow flies. Take the nat
ural routes of travel and public con-
veyance. which place Is the more ac-
cessible for the great majority?
1t is true the county has expended
several thousand dollars in the last ten
years on it's hotel at Newfane. This
has come not because it is any part of
the ordinary requirements. for the
county seat but because the situation
of the shire at that place made it abso-
lutely necessary. The hotel yields
nothing to the county. 1t is a continual
expense and must be- t is something
that would never be thought of in Brat
tleboro. The question of its mainte-
nance would be entirely cut off If the
shire were here. Had it been moved
here ten years ago, all that has been
put into this hotel since would have
been saved 1t is said there are rooms
fitted up for Jurors sitting on Grim
inal cases where they have to be kept
together. This is So but what is the
saving: 1t all had to be done because
there was no other pace to keep them
We can furnish plenty of such places
in Brattleboro. The state has to pay
50 per dav for each man so kept at the
county hotel 1t would have to pay no
more at the best hotel in Bratteboro
and not so much at several places here
which are lust as good as the county
hotel. Granting that for a county hotel
it has been well run, yet, as an argu-
ment it wholly fails to support the
claim that is made for 1t. The county
seat should be in such a place as has
accommodations for the public without
the county building or running hotel
We ask the question: what man is there
in Windham county who has ever made
anything or ever saved anything al
the county house above what he would
have to pay for as good accommodate
tons in Brattleboro? The need for q
new Jail is conceded. If the county
seat is to remain in Newfane one should
be built without question. but ought the
county to put in its money there? And
another thing must be thought of rel.
alive to the question of people attending
court. We think anyone can be salts.
fed upon investigation that accommo-
dations equally as good can be obtained
in Brattleboro for any rate that Is paiC
in Newfane We will be able to fur
nish a list of places who have for q
long time kept boarders. furnished din
ners and rooms at rates as low as any
We ever heard of at Newfane. But
more than all this, taking the people
who attend court, very large proper
ton of them would be near home OF
within easy reach of home If the county
seat We're here. Take all the people
from the river towns, 1t is not likely
they would at any time stay in Brattle-
boro over night, They would simply
get their dinner here. The people OF
the county know now that We have first
class restaurants that furnish dinners
for twenty-five cents, and as for oul
hotels there are none better in Yer
mont. Take the people from the South
ern part of the county, quite portion
l. 1Vsf IT