The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-03-08
HOOKER is
DEFEA TED
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAdE)


Wednesday morning, In determining
the vote for each candidate tabulatlng
sheets with spaces for 100 votes on
oneh were used. According to the
sheets used Tuesday Mr.. Vinton leu
Mr.. Hooker by vote or two on an
but one. On this particular sheet the
vote stood Hooker 60, Vinton 30. On
the tally sheets used Wednesday Mr..
Vinton lead Mr.. Hooker by small
margin on all but one and in that ease
tho vote was tie. That such glar'
inc mistake should have been made ON
one sheet Tuesday is annoying to say
the least, and the person VINO maze IL
IL really responsible for the adjourn.
ment of the meeting. If the vote had
heon counted correctly in the first place
il would have been found that ohiy
two officers lacked election and thelr
places could have been filled forth,
with. Another unusual feature Oh
Tuesday evenings counting was the
discovery, after the final footings had
been made, that there were more votes
than the total showed. When Dr. Hol'
ton was about TO announce the election
of Messrs. Walker, Putnam and YIN,
ton. one of the vOte-counters conveyed
IN him the information that the count
was wrong, although how this knowl'
cdgc was secured is difficult to under
stand. The ensuing count showed that
there were 10 ballots more than haa
been counted in the total, ana assuhl,
ing that the votes on these ballots hau
bcen assigned to the various candidates
tbe number was added to the total
vote with the result that Mr.. Nlnton
fell short of majority.
Considerable important business be-
sides the election of officers was trans,
acted during the day, "A town TAX Oh
AZ cents was voted with an additional
. cent tax for permanent work on
HIGHWAYS in addition to regular ~
cent highway tax. The annual aPpro'
priation for the Brattleboro Free IL
brarv was increased to $4,000. Inc
articles relative to grading the Pros
meet Hill road and Vernon street were
passed over. 1t was voted to return
the town Is share of the United States
deposit money to the state and an is
sue of bonds in payment therefor was
voted. The Australian ballot system
was laid on the shelf and next year
meeting will be held in the old-tash-
toned way.
The Proceedings in Detail.
When the meeting was called TO or
der at 9 clock by Moderator II. d.
Holton considerable number of Vot-
ers was on hand and when article l,
"to see if the town will vote to have
one or two road commissioners, was
brought up, motion was made IN favor
of two j. G. Stafford and j. L. Sar'
gent spoke in favor of this plan, say
ing that under the present system west
Brattleboro was not well cared lor,
and il was then voted to have two
commissioners instead of one. inns
brought up the question as to whether
n second commissioner could legally be
chosen under the Australian ballot, but
it was finally held by the moderator
that this might be done by writing IN
the name. D. T. Perry was first noml-
mated for the office, but he refused to
take it and j. p. Sargent was then
made the nominee. 1t was then voted
TO Law articles Is and l6, relative to
town school matters, on the table ana
to consider them at a meeting to be
held in Academy hall, West Brattle-
boro. next Tuesday evening at
o clock The balloting then began.
There were fewer voters than usual
in the hall-three or four hundred
perhaps-when the meeting was called
to order at clock by Moderator IL.
d Holton for the transaction of the
regular business. The first article to
be considered was No. relative to ac-
cepting the auditors report. 1t was
accepted without discussion. In rela-
ton to article "to see if the town
will vote to raise money to defray the
expenses and liabilities of said town, "
James +. Hooker moved a tax of 80
cents payable July l be raised. John
Calvin stated that he didn't wish to
curtail the selectmen in any way or
hamper them in their work, but by
looking through the town report and
comparing it with those of former
wears he believed that a tax OF 30
cents would be sufficient, and he
amended Mr.. Hooker's motion to that
effect. Mr.. Calvin called attention to
various items in the estimated eX-
penses for the coming year showing
that they were considerably more than
the same items had amounted to in
the past. Ha believed a tax of 30
cents would raise enough money to pay
all expenses for the coming year and
leave balance of over s 800 to meet
any unforeseen contingencies. W. IL.
Vinton dissented from Mr.. Galvin's
figures and called attention to some
items in the report which Mr.. Calvin
had not included in his list. To this
Mr.. Calvin replied that these items,
which referred to the cost of surface
drainage sewers on various streets,
were more than offset by the difference
between the balance on hand on the
first of last year, $2,526.31, and the
balance on hand at the end of the
year, $1,15441. George W. Pierce
thought that the town could not afford
to be penurious in the matter of taxa
ton, but he was of the opinion that 30
cents was too much and he offered an
amendment to the amendment of Mr.
Calvin to the effect that the tax be
33 cents, stating that he should later
offer resolution calling for 2-cent
additional tax for permanent highway
work. Mr. Pierce s amendment was
carried by a small majority. Mr..
Calvin s amendment was then carried
as was also Mr.. Hooker's amended
resolution. Mr.. Pierce then stated
that in former years the selectmen had
always levied the tax for the support
and maintenance of the highways, but
according to statute passed by the
last session of the legislature, it is
now necessary that the town take ac
ton on this matter He moved,
+boroforo tbo+ n TOW Of on oap+c ba low