Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-05
STATEMENT FROM JOHN CALVIN.

To the Editor of The Phoenix:
l wish to submit the following i'm
portant facts for the consideration of the
voters of the village and ask that a care
fun study of the same be made so that
both sides of the water question may be
fully understood at the special meeting
to be held the 10th of January
1st In the winter of 1892 the water
pipes supplying the Chestnut Hill reser-
voir became frozen. The result was that
the supply became exhausted and tenn
porary relief was given by placing one of
the steamers at the brook on Frost street,
connecting the same with one of the fire
hydrants. A special village meeting was
called Dec. 20, 1892. and a committee was
appointed consisting of b. ID. Harris, L.
X. Fuller. George F. Gale, George S. Dow
ley and o. A. Marshall to investigate and
| report, which report was made March T.
1898. Included in that report were the
following prices considered as fair for
hydrant service:
For any number of hydrants less than
30. $50 each.
For 30 and less than 80, s45 each.
For 80 and less than 40. $40 each.
For 40 and less than so. $3.50 each.
For so and less than co. 1873 each.
For 60 and upward $50 each.
The following resolutions We're accept
ed and adopted.
1. Resolved-That the baiffs be and
hereby are authorized to make the neces-
sary contracts for water for hydrant SER
vice with the Chestnut Hin Reservoir
company, in accordance with the intent
and spirit of this report.
. Resolved-That i'm case Of failure for
any cause promptly to agree upon the
terms and conditions of such contracts.
or Of obvious neglect to use all reasonable
means and energy to push to completion
the necessary plant to carry out such
contracts in good faith. the bailffs are
hereby requested to call a special village
meeting forthwith to take such further
action in the premises as the then exist
ing circumstances may seem to demand.
In a letter written by Mr.. Crowell to
the above committee under date of Dec
81, 1892, among other things Mr.. Crowell
said; THE village is now using % hy-
drants at $50 per hydrant. If many more
were used the same should be furnished
at a less rate" There are now 40 hy-
drants that Mr.. Crowell is charging $50
each for and this overcharge and over
payment has been going on for several
years on 10 of these MIGRANTS. and Mr..
Crowell will no doubt reimburse the viii
lage when the matter can be looked up
The line of pipe that was promised to
be laid down Union hill after the Smith
& Hunt fire when the hydrant service was
n complete failure has never been put in
In view of these facts and many others
I could mention but for want of space
how many of the present generation will
In all probability live to see the plan as
stated in Mr.. Crowells letter to the last
meeting carried out? II they do, what
does it mean? Simply this, in cold fig
The f.,,, I. I.t,
By per cent or $3.50 a year and $500 900
at per cent. or $4,000 a year. The diff
ference of $1l.250 is just about $40 year
for each average family, and no family
can dodge its share of water rates and
rents that will settle down on them as
inevitably as the pressure of the at
mosphere reaches all No ledgerdemain,
no filibustering in village meetings can
befog the people, because they are awake
to the issue and are onto some parts of
the game. My resolutions pending at the
adjournment Of the late meeting proposed
to offer Mr.. Crowell $3.50, 900 for his Sun
set lake system complete, provided the
water proved all right. and, unless 1t is,
the village does not want 1t at any price
gave Mr.. Crowell at least $25, 900 to put
In his inside pocket. This is more money
than he will have when he gets through
with Mr.. Fits, in view of the fact (and
l am creditablv informed) that Mr. Fits
leges he CFitts) owned for at least $500
more than they cost him, and all this
time acting as Mr.. Crowell's counsel Mr.
Fits stated at the last meeting that my
resolutions would ruin Mr.. Crowell He
knows better he knows that 1t is the last
proposition that Mr.. Crowell will get.
Those who are ready to support this
proposition are fighting for Mr. Crowelrs
interests as well as the village. Those
who are fighting against 1t, including his
able attorney, are the ones (many I'M
consciously who. If their scheme is car
ried out, will be the cause of his financial
ruin.
If a fair arrangement cannot be made
with the present water companies, then
let the village turn at once to the Broad
brook or South pond schemes, one OF
which can be installed for $230000 and
the other for $250,O00 The time has
come for the village to own and operate
its own water system, at price 1t can
afford to. The water rates for the past
year have been greatly increased owing
to the fact that meters are being put on
as fast as possible. The Brattleboro
House paid for water last winter 1892.
One consumer who was paying SIS per
quarter after being put on a meter had q
bill for $49,S5 for the next quarter. The
price for furnishing the schools will be
ten times more this year than any
previous one. No wonder Mr. Fits wants
courts commission Wnen with the work
completed and the eXorbitant rates charg-
ed to show fair returns on the investment
of $500 900 the village will have to settle
for a big price. What Mr.. Fits and the
bond holders want, the village does not
want. The statement in the local press
that the village cannot proceed until after
the next session of the legislature is
wrong. The amendment to the village
charter in 1892 drawn by Hon. ]. L. Mar
tin, then our representative, gives us as
complete power as any legislature can
confer either to purchase or construct a
system. Under it the village can go
ahead without paying any attention to
either of the water companies. No one
can enjoin them and no one knows this
better than Mr.. Fits. If Mr.. Crowell is
going to meter the water for private con-
sumers he of course will be willing to
use the largest single taker (the villagel
the same and meter the water for hydrant
service.
JOHN CALVIN.
Brattleboro, Jan. 8, 1906.