The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-02-13
Four City Accounts Which
Have Been Paid
THE AUDITORS REPORT
Say That Dealings With Alderman Cut
Ier, Water Supt. Russell and School
Commissioner Nichols Were
Contrary to Charter.

The riS.t Of city officials 10 enter
into contract with tire city was again
the subject for heated discussion al
special meeting 81 the council last
night, the talk being precipitated BY
the annual report OF the auditors, in
which they claim that four bills we're
Illegally contracted. For this reason the
auditors assumed that the responsibility
for the bills should be borne by the eoun+
cll, inasmuch as the warrants to pay
them were signed by the mayor and ap-
proved by the finance committee and
ordered paid, The upshot of the matter
was that the report of the auditors was
accepted, including the statement regard
ing the Illegal contracts.
The sections Of the auditors report
over which the old question arose are
these:
"We submit for your consideration
four city vouchers which we cannot con
slider perfect Not that they fail to
prove payment OF the sums for which
the warrants were drawn, but rather
that, according to the charter, these OBJ
legations were Illegally contracted. This
is our Interpretation of the article in
which city officials are debarred from
having any interest in contracts with
the city
"We think, therefore, that the respon-
sibility of these bills should be borne
by the council, as they were presented
to your body, the warrants for pay
ment being drawn by the mayor, the
bills approved by the finance committee
and ordered paid, Thre Of these bills
were for account of an alderman. One
bill for merchandise, ordered and O.
KID BY the water superintendent, when
purchased from himself We might also
mention here two small bills, amounting
to $3.10 to the school department, con-
tTacted with one Of the commissioners
1--WE may mention that the bills re-
ferred to viii. to the best Of our belief,
bear the closest scrutiny, and exception
To these il made solely for the reason
already stated.
"The clause referred 10 in charter,
page 81 section IS, states that an Off
cial cannot be party TO any city
contract and il we have not correctly
interpreted the meaning, it would be
we'll, by some action on the part OF the
council, to determine the scope Of the
article now, rather than allow any pre-
eeients to be established"
The alderman referred to il Alderman
Cutler of the second ward, the wat er
superintendent Is o. G. Russell and the
senool superintendent Frank W. Nichols
The bills OF the last two were quite
small, and in fact those OF Alderman
Cutler were not large. His were charges
for team hire at his stable, and it il
stated that since last ,Iiine when this
matter was thoroughly aired no more
contracts for team hire have been made
with Alderman Cutler The discussion
drifted into personalities which were
more or less disagreeable but when the
auditors report was put upon its adop
tion, there were no dissenting votes. lt
IS recalled in this connection that Mayor
Barclay has some granite blocks lying
on his hands through this same clause
Of the city charter which prevents Off
cials from entering upon contracts with
tine city. When the central fire station
was being erected Mayor Barclay cut
some blocks on sub-contract, and the
delivery was refused on the ground that
the contract would be illegal. So be had
to take them back.
Ii is different with the bills. which
tae auditors now declare were ILLEGAL, be-
cause they haye been approved and paid.
Inc auditors wished to throw the re-
sponsibility on tho council.
The auditors report further shows
that the total city bonds outstanding
are $tG2 800; thr city notes, $4l,937.o1;
water debt, S2I5,OO0.
The opera lDuse rent Il paid up to
December 1906 the postoifice rene
up TO December ~, 1906; Crandall Post,
due $3.50: r. w. Cumings. due s385.03; /;
salvation Army, paid up 70 date; Pen
tecostal church, paid to December 81,
1905; G. a. Wilkinson paid to Deem
Der 91. 1906; T. L. Hayden, due $50
rent city pasture; Cyrus X. Hall, rent
due. 500; Barre and Montpelier Trsc-
tion company. due S2sT20; street as
sessments, due S6,36a.10
The auditors are O. ]. T. Mathews,
James n Higgins and A. B, Lane.