Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-11-02
The VILLAGE Charter Amendments.

The present understanding is that the
committee on corporations will take up
the proposed amendments to the Brattle-
boro village charter, legally authorizing
the construction or acquisition of a NUM-
cipal water system, next week, and will
give a public hearing when citizens in
terested may appear and be heard. Just
how far the committee or the legislature
may choose to go in defining the steps
which the village must take'in this mat
ter we do not know. but the committee
ought to be in possession of all the facts
to guide their judgment. and the charter
as finally enacted ought not to contem-
plate anything other than that the viii
lage shall deal justly and honorably with
Mr.. Crowell. Morally. IL not legally. the
village is bound to carry out its agree
ment with Mr.. Crowell to take his system
at it's fair valuation IL a municipal sys-
TEN Is to be established. and the charter
ought not to make it easy to avoid this
obligation.
With the present water board so divid-
ed against itself as it is known to be IT
would not be for the best interests of the
village to leglslate the board into perma-
for the construction of a new system as
the bill for the charter provides. A board
of not more than three or FIVE members
woul0 be much more practical and eff
cient Moreover, board which is really
to undertake the purchase or construction
of a municipal system ought to be free
from all the antagonisms which have
been aroused during the past summer.
On this point we may add the conviction,
which We know to be that OF men familiar
with this whole matter that almost any
three good business men, with the disposi-
ton and the authority TO do so. could
doubtless conclude satisfactory and
equitable agreement with Mr. Crowell for
the purchase of his system by the vii
lage without recourse to arbitration or
the intervention of any person outside.
Special attention should be called to the
extraordinary powers which the charter
revision proposes to place in the hands
of the water board by authorizing this
board lin section 81 10 determine the
, amount OF bonds necessary TO be issued
within the $4,000 limit and to prepare
such honds for issue, and then making 1t
the duty Of the officers OF the village to
sign such bonds. Officials who are to
have such a degree Of control over $780,
900 OF the peoples money ought at least
to be chosen with the greatest care. and
with full understanding that they are to
have such authority 1t is not probable
that the legislature will enact this revised
charter into a law with the provision as
1t now stands that it shall take effect
from it's passage" 1t will be an unusual
procedure II provision is not made for a
vote by the village on its adoption or
rejection.
There is one other important consid-
GRAFTON. A debt of $4,000 is a large one
for a village like BrattIeboro to assume
The situation might easily become such
that il would affect vitality the property
interests and the business prosperity Of
the village and we believe it ought not
to be left solely for the vote of any pub
lie meeting to incur such an Indebtedness,
but In addition to such vote II ought to
be provided that the consent in writing
of a majority of the grand list shall be
obtained before the vote becomes effec-
tive and binding.