The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-03-22
FRANK E. HOWE, Editor and Publisher
Concerning Russell Dunn.

discharged by Street Commissioners
Stewart, and Monday night ordered
reinstated by the board of trustees, is
causing considerable comment and
rightly so. 1t is not so much the per-
sonal point as the principle it in
wolves.
Dunn was first hired by d. +. Moore
when Mr. Moore was street commits
sioner and has continued in the en-
ploy of the village since. His duties
we're principally on the streets when
the team was employed, but inciden-
tally he was called on to drive the
hook and ladder company's truck to
fires.
AS the Banner understands the mat
ter, Dunn has quarreled with Stewart
and has refused to take orders from
him, whereupon Stewart told him that
his services would not be required lon
ger. Commissioner Stewart then hired
Henry G. Camp to take his place.
Monday night Dunn appeared be-
fore the board of trustees and asked to
be reinstated. The principal ground
on which it was urged was that he was
the best qualified to drive the hook
and ladder truck to fires and that
while he was out, the fire truck har-
ness had been tangled up by his sue
cessor so that in case of fire it would
have been almost impossible to get the
team out.
Commissioner Stewart was confined
20 the house by illness so that the
board only got one side of the story.
The reinstatement Of Dunn is only
temporary and the matter will come up
again at the regular meeting of the
trustees the first Monday in April.
To the unprejudiced observer the
question appears to be whether the
trustees will let political pressure in
fuence them to interfere in row be-
tween the street commissioner and one
of his employees.
That Mr. Dunn has been competent
and faithful driver of the fire truck is
not denied, but it is nonsense to as
sumo that there are not scores OF men
in the village just as competent to
drive the team as he.
Moreover it must be evident to any
body who knows anything about such
things that any man familiar with hor-
ses and harness could, in a few min
utes, become familiar with the special
harness used on the fire truck and be
perfectly competent to hitch up the
team.
This fact alone lends color to the
charge made by friends of Mr. Stewart
that somebody in the interest of Mr.
Dunn tempered with the harness and
tangled it up for the very purpose OF
calling on Mr. Dunn to straighten it
out. This charge is made openly
enough so that it ought to be promptly
Investigated by the board of trustees.
The real danger of the situation,
however, lies in the menace to the in
terest OF the village from promoting
continual strife in the most important
department of the village work.
Practically all of Mr. Dunn's work is
on the streets. His services for the
fire department are only incidental.
If he cannot work with Mr. Stewart in
harmony and obey orders, the com
missioner should, in all sense and fair
ness, have the right to say whether OF
not he should be longeremployed, Thu
voters chose Mr. Stewart to take
charge of this work and it seems to the
Banner that he should be allowed full
charge and held accountable.
H the trustees interfere in this, they
will in other matters and the result
will be divided responsibility ant
the voters and taxpayers will not know
whom to blame or praise as the occa
sion may arise,
The Banner cannot be accused of be
ing unduly favorable to Commissioner
oecNdIli do ~ Nlu hOu ouPpoIt Hlu II
the receut local campaign. Neither
are we prejudiced for or against Nj
Dunn. 1t is not a question of MI
Dunns merits or dement's anyway
but the good of the public service.
A house divided against itself can
not stand AMI street department iii
continual snarl will be worse than use
less and we all know that our villag
street department is none too effectiv
at its best.