Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-04-02
RESOLUTION RESCINDED
Aldermen Refuse Nine Hours and
$3.50 to City Employees.
Resolution introduced to Withdraw
Lake Front Suits and to Abolish
Pay Of Aldermen Discus, sion over
Carnegie Library Bills.

| the close matters of moro than ordinary
J importance developed heated discussions
| during which several members INDUCED IN
| personalities. 1t was voted to reScind the
resolution passed at a previous meeting
| granting Il nine hour day with a minimum
wage of $3.50 per day to city employees. a
resolution was introduced to withdraw the
| pending litigation against the Champlain
| Transportation Co., and the Shepard *
| Morse Lumber Co; a resolution was in
! troducod to abolish the pay of the alder
| men, ana matters relative to the library
were discussed. 1t was expected that it
would be the last meeting OF the old board
but as the the matter of IA municipal light
ing plant has not yet been acted upon
another meeting will be held before Mon
day night. All the aldermen were present
last night.
After the minutes of the previous meet
ing had been read President Taft read a
number of bills which had become due.
Among them Alderman Shea discovered
two in payment for work done on the new
i library building. one was from Architect
w. II. Il. Wilcox for the sum of 81 PIG. %
for drawing the plans etc, and the other
was from the street department for the
sum of S12i29 for grading the grounds.
Alderman Shea objected to the payment
Of the bills by the city on the ground
that the library was to be built with the
$4,000 donated by Andrew Carnegie.
Alderman Beach said that the bills had
been due for a long time and that the
members of the library commission
thought they should be paid. He said that
$4,000 had been received from Mr.. Car
negie but that the sum had been ex-
pended in the purchase of structural steel
and in paying for work done by the con-
ractor upon the foundations Under Mr.
Carnegie ) offer it is impossible to secure
1,A
amount of 5000 has been done. Alderman
Beach said that the library building would
he built within the $4,000 appropriation
from Mr.. Carnegie Alderman Sinclair
voiced Alderman Bcach's remarks
Alderman Shea wanted to know If the
money with interest would be repaid to
the city from the Carnegie fund when it
was received. lie said that the city was
doing business on borrowed money and he
did not think it was right to pay library
bills when the conditions under which the
gift was accepted were that the building
should be built with the $4,000.
Alderman Beach replied that the bills
with interest would be paid out of the
Carnegie fund. He then moved that the
bills he paid. Alderman Shea then offered
an amendment which provided that the
money should be returned to the city with
interest from the Carnegie fund. The
amendment was accepted by Alderman
Beach as far as Mr.. WillcoXs bill WAS
concerned and it was voted to pay that
bill lie refused to accept the amendment
rs far as the bill from the street depart
ment was concerned, saying that when
the gift was accepted it was provided that
the city furnish a suitable lot and that
under those conditions the city must pay
Tor the grading. This put a new light on
the matter and Alderman shea withdrew
his amendment, whercupon the bill was
ordered paid.
The next matter brought up was the
communication received several weeks ago
from II. G.. Young. president of the Cham
plain Ira nsportation Co.. who made
proposition that if the city would with
draw the suit against the company the
company would in return allow the city
TO build an overhead Viaduct from King
street to the dock. The communication
HAD been referred to City Attorney Brow n
for an opinion. He stated that he had re-
turned no written opinion as he could find
no legal question to he considered. tie
said that the only point where a legal
question might arise was that relative to
withdrawing the suit He said the suit
was in tile name Of the state ana was
being conducted by the states attorney
and the city could not therefore agree to
discontinue it. The communication was
then laid upon the table until the next
regular meeting.
The following resolution was introduced
by Alderman Wood;
"Resolvcd That the attorneys employed
by the city to assist in the prosecution
against the Champlain Transportation
and the Shepard & Morse Lum
her company be- instructed to ask the
States attorney of Chttcnden county to
enter a mol pros in the said prosecutions
at the present term of Chittcnden county
court.
Alderman Wood said that this resolution
had nothing to do with the communica-
ton from President Young. lie said that
the city had a right to construct and
a city dock at the termination
of any street leading to the lake front
except King street, during the pending
litigation. He said that if the suits
against the Champlain Transportation
company and the Shepard x Morse Lum-
Der company were withdrawn that street
would be in the same position as the
others and that the city could establish a
dock there if it chose
Alderman Shea said the resolution ought
not to be railroadcd through the boa rd
and moved that it be referred to the dock
After some discussion this
was done and the committee is to report
at another meeting of the board to be held
this week
Alderman Taft recalled a resolution in
troduccd by him several months ago which
provided that the aldermen should re-
ccive no pay after April l. 1903 This i'm
aroused the ire of Alderman