Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-05-13
The School Meetinq.

Every voter should be out at the adj
journed village school meeting next
Monday night, May 10th. 1t was very
unfortunate and las we think entirely
unnecessary that settlement was made
with the insurance companies for S23, 900,
thereby giving them $4,000, which,
as we understand the explanation, is
supposed to have been allowed for the
walls. We believe there is no question
that the walls, which, when built, were
very remarkably good ones, have not
been seriously injured. But for nearly
forty years the village has paid insur-
ance upon this property and we know of
no good reason why they should not
have received the whole or very nearly
theswhole amount of the insurance. If
it is correct, as has been said, that the
insurance companies offered to rebuild
the building as good as it was for the
insurance money, a village school meet
ing should have been called at once to
decide whether the voters wished to
accept such an offer.
We have no faith ourselves that the
insurance companies would have under
taken to do this, but look at it in the
nature of bluff to accomplish what was
accomplished, large reduction in a
settlement. But however this. may be-
those who have the taxes to pay were
most evidently the proper parties to de-
eide in so importantia matter.
But now, having paid $4,000 for the
walls, and they being practically good,
we think the voters will. decide to use
them to the best possible advantage. AS
it seems to us, this is now unquestion-
ably the proper thing to do.
There has been some suggestion since
the fire, that the village should have a
more stylish school house, or differ
emily built one, and some criticism has
been made in regard to the lightcin the
old building; but so far as we know,
these criticisms have all been made since
the fire. We understand from former
principal that there was no difficulty of
this character encountered to his knowl-
edge. But,in rebuilding, if it should be
thought desirable, as its undoubtedly
would be- to make some alterations in
the interior, this could be included prob
ably without any, and certainly without
much extra expense
1t would. of course, be possible to have
more imposing school house, but to the
day when il burned most of us had SIM
posed that the old school house was an
exceedingly handsome and excellent
building, and one that every citizen was
proud of. Certainly few villages in the
country of the size of Middlebury have
had so good a one.
We have recently examined several
excellent school buildings in towns north
of us. The new high school at Buring-
ton is very splendid three story build
ing, all the stories of which we under
stand to be in use and very acceptable.
This building is much larger than our
school house and larger than we should
need. Its cost, as we understood, was
over 100000. AT Waterbury we saw
an excellent solid brick school house
trimmed with granite, two stories and a
basement. This building is plainly and
substantially and quite recently built at
cost of about $4,000 1t has an excel
lent steep roof, slated, and is every way
a well constructed building, but not
large enough for our wants We could