Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-09
MESSAGE.

Mayor Bnrkc's message dealt with two
ing at Lakeside and the attendance Of
children at school,. The message was as
follows:
'ln regard to the notice received from
the state railroad commissioners and at
fached herewith for a hearing to be held
on the nth inst. at the Van Ness House I
would that a committee be
appointed TO represent the city's inter-
ests in the matter and that the commit
tee. with other member Of the board,
visit the place during the present week
l,ll thereby become conversant with the
situation.
another important matter wish to
call your attention to is the large lumber
Of children OF school age that frequent
our streets during school hours; a condi-
ton that should and must not exist any
longer. Only last Thursday found four
boys and a girl in ono alleyway off from
Church street pla wing cards during school
hours. You can also find, any pleasant
day. on the Shaw lot in the north part of
the city within n few rods of ourlatest
new school building from Il to % or 30
boys playing ball during school hours.
These same conditions exist more or less
all over our city. Now as to the remedy.
Our Legislature has very wisely enacted
II law having trUant officers appointed
whose duty il is to compel such children
to attend school. Last year ! appointed
two such officers and their work was ia
vorably commented on by the press and
the public. They devoted their whole time
to the work and earned respectively $i23
and 500 during the year. Last fall the
Legislature changed the power of appoint
ment by placing it in the hands of the
school commissioners and last spring they
appointed only one such officer on Il per
diem basis at s. per day with tho above
stated results. Now I have repeatedly
called the attention of the superintendent
and commissioners to this matter. asking
to have one or more officers appointed az
II is utterly impossible for one person of
advanced age to properly perform the du-
ties ut the present time and | would re-
spcctfully request that the board Of al
drrmen ask them to make such appoint
inents."
In compliance with the mayors request
Aldermen Willard. Reeves n Measher
were appointed a committee TO investigate
the Lakeside crossing and at the Same
thine they will consider the King street
IcrOssing with a view of recommending Il
change there. probably an overhead
bridge for teams. All the member Of
the board will go to Lakeside to-day INC
the committee will appear before the rail-
road commissioners at the hearing next
Tuesday.
'rhe matter OF truant officers was re.
fcrred to the committee on schools, con-
sisting of Aldermen Coffey. Morgan and
Parker, who arc to confer with the school
commissioners. Superintendent Wheeler
said last night that he would be glad to
receive any suggestions.
NO MONEY FOR LIGHTS.
whom were referred the petitions for
electric lights or Haswell street and at
the corner Of Pine street and Lyman
avenue reported that they "fnd the pres
cnt number of lights on the streets will
moro than consume the entire appro-
priation for street lights for the year
lSt5 of the sum of s14. 900.
I'm 1901 the appropriation was $751; GO and
an Ovcrdraft remained at the end of the
year OF s535.s3. July I, Ia6, there were
10 street lights in service and since
that date Is street lights have been added.
Your commissioners are not unmindful
NJ The fact that quite a Number OF street
lights might be installed where they
would lie of great benefit to our
citizens II sufficient funds were available
for street lights. In consideration of the
foregoing this board does not m
the ordering of any more street lights
the present year"
Because OF this report the petitions
were not granted. Three new petitions