Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-03-24
VOTE TO ISSUE BONDS
Very Little Opposition at satur'
day Nights City Meeting.
City Council instructed TO Issue Bonds
for $50 900 TO Hun - Years at Four
ucr Ccnt.--Mnyor Says Expenses
Cannot tie Reduced.

Ey practically unanimous vote the
citizens gathered at the city meeting held
Saturday evening in the city hall voted
to authorize the city council to issue
bonds for the sum of $1,000 to pay the
temporary loans of the city up TO January
/. 1901 to pay for the completion of the
new library and for opening the new
streets already ordered.
The meeting was not n largely attended
one, the hall being far from full. There
was no enthusiasm, the only speakers be-
ing Mayor Purke and r. II. Brown both
of whom favored bonding. The meeting
was called to order by Mayor Burke ard
City Clerk Macomber was elected clerk
of the meeting. After reading the petition
and call for the meeting Mayor Burke
made n long speech advocating the iSsu-
ancc OF bonds.
He said the city was facing a condition
that must be met and that there were but
three ways of meeting it: BY raising tax
sufficient to pay all this year. by ncreas-
ing the tax rate enough so that the in
debteduoss would be disposed of In d few
years ana by issuing bonds. He said
that he had talked with many people and
that he believed the majority of the voters
| were in favor of issuing bonds.
He dwelt at length upon the reputation
| of the city % Burlington and said he
| would be the last man to take a back
| ward step. He said that the city must
! be conducted along progressive lines and
| that II would be impossible to reduce the
| EXPENDITURES in the various departments.
| He referred to the amounts required by
| the various city departments and spoke
! of tho police department in particular.
| He said the expense in that department
| could not he reduced because the city de-
handed all the protection it was getting
| now. In this connection be referred to
| causes for added protection mentioning,
f'f.,.t
| Ethan Allen and the great number Of dis
| Solutc characters on TIE streets who con-
stantlY bothered the people in residential
| sections of the city.
When Mayor Burke had ceased speak
ing Mr. Brown took the floor and offered
tho following resolution
| Resolved that the city council be and
said council is hereby authorized tn plodg,
the crcdit Of the city by issuing its no.
| rotiablr bonds for the sum of So 600 il
accordance with tho provisions of the city
charter for the purpose of paying th'
| outstanding temporary loans up to Jan
udry |. 1904. and to pay the EXPENSE O
compile ting 'he new library building, anc
tho expense Of street extensions alro n dl
ordorc ]. said bonds to RIM for a tern
not exceeding p years, and to bear inter
est not exceeding four per centum pc
anrnm, payable scmi-annualy.
After the resolution bad been read Mr.
It's passage. Mr.. Brown said he believed
the issuance of bonds was the only praC
tiCal way out Of the present difficulty
He WAS opposed to raising the taN rate
as he said that future generations woulC
reap the benefit o' the improvements ant
that he was willing they should help pa!
for them. Tie said the floating debt up t,
Janucrv I amounted to $4,000. that i
would take $1,000 to complete the librar,
and $4,000 to open the new streets. VI
said that ne believed tho mayor was TAX
inE tho right stand in the present mat
ter nnd that he should always support tn
mayor when he took such stand
The motion was seconded and was pass
5 ID almost una nimously. there being but
few scattering mega: tive votes.
| After the vote Mayor Burke spoke ahOu
C the payment of the dog tax and rcterrc
to tho prosecutions that would have t
be brought in event of failure to pay TIL
tax. Tho gathering broke up without he
r ing adjourned.