Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-03-15
THE TOWN MEETING
Question as to Whether Town
Should Pay State $l2,
Resolutions on This Point introduced by
Judge oibson-Wransle over Election
Of Road Commissioners.

HEeoluAluUe vi MS T1iUh W
Judge eibson-Wransle over Election
Of Road Commissioners.
The adjourned town meeting Monday
morning developed into a three hours
| session before final adjournment was
taken. The question of the legality Of the
election Of p S. Eames as road commits
| sioner was the means OF giving nearly
! every lawyer in town and numerous other
| citizens a chance to express their opin-
| ions, and after they had done so for an
| hour they arrived just where they started.
Mr. Eames was declared elected according
| to the ballot taken last week and John P
| Sargent was elected second road commits
| sioner. The list of auditors was COM
| pleted by the election Of c. L. Piper as
! the third member OF the board
\ far more important matter than the
| legality Of the election Of road commits
! sioner was brought to the attention OF the
voters in a resolution introduced by Judge
f. W. Gibson to the effect that the select
men, before proceeding to bond the town
| for the repayment Of the United States
| deposit money as voted in the meeting |
| last week find out definitely whether the
| town is obliged TO repay the money. The
amount which is to be returned to he
! state is $4,000 and bonds were 10 be is
| sued to meet the demand OF the state
| The contract between the state and the
/ town OF Brattleboro. entered into in 1886
/ caleb lof lne return OF the money on
| reQuisition from the United States govern
| ment or for the purpose OF new appor-
| tiOument. The new school fund act OF
| the last legislature called for the return
| Of the money lent the several towns in
! the state under these same conditions
| The question is being raised whether the
| town is obliged to refund the money as II
| is not required by the United Safes nor is
| 1t TO be re-distributed. The first con-
/ diton was TO protect the state in case a
| demand should ever be made by the ma
| tional government and the second was 10
/ provide for a just apportionment In case
| Of the subsequent growth or decrease in
1 the size Of the towns. The present de-
| mand meets neither Of these contingencies /
| and unless there is some later contract
| between the town and the state to make
= IL binding the town Is not obliged to pay
| back the amount. The town OF Brattle-
/ boTo Is not the only town TO rebel against
| the demand. Arlington has fatty re-
] fused to repay the money, Bennington
| and Manchester have each asked that the
selectmen investigate and Rockingham
| is looking up the matter before taking
definite action. The resolution, which
was passed unanimously. was as follows.
Whereas, on Jan. l. 1887, the money
in the treasury Of the United States. with
the exception Of IS, 0OO. 900 reserved. was
deposited with the several states OF the
United States in proportion to their
respective represen tation in the
Senate and House Of Representative
OF the United States as by law
| authorized, their treasurers to receive the
! money and pledge the faith OF the state
for the safe-keeping and repayment
| thereof. from time to time, whenever the
| same should be required by the secretary
| Of the treasury for the purpose OF defray-
ing any wants Of the public treasury and
| Whereas. the general assembly Of the
! state Of Vermont by Act No. Is OF the
acts OF 1886 provided for the receiving Of
| said money from rho secretary OF the
treasury Of the T.t.3 states. and fur
Their provided for the distribution OF said
money among the several towns Of the
state as might conform 10 the provisions
Of said act. for the safe keeping and re-
turn Of said money and further providing
that said towns 50 receiving said money
shall be accountable for the return OF the
same whenever called for by the state
treasurer upon requIsition OF the United
States government or for the purpose Of
a new appOrtionment and
| Whereas the town OF Brattleboro con-
formed 10 the provisions Of said act and
received, and now holds. a portion Of
said money, to wit, 3l2 600, 10 be returned
20 the state when called for by the United
! states government or for the purpose %
new distribution, and
Whereas, the state has or is now about
to call for said amount so held. and the
town Of Brattleboro by vote at its annual
llarch meeting held March s. 1907. voted
TO issue bonds for the repayment OF the
said sum
Therefore, be it resolved that the Sc
lectmen Of the said town Of Brattleboro.
before issuing said bonds or returning
said money SO held, be, and hereby are
instructed 10 ascertain II the call for said
money so held is in couformance with
law and If the town is legally obliged 70
; return the same and not 10 issue said
r bonds until they are satisfied that the
town is legally holden to repay the
; amount so held"
Dr. II. n Holton called the meeting TO
/ order at 9 o'clock and read the list Of
candidates elected according 10 the re-
count made by the board OF civil author
ity and published last week. He read a
section from the statutes providing that
unless a village should turn over IS per
I | cent. Of its highway tax for use in the
town outside the village limits the voters
| OF the village should not be allowed TO
2 | ballot for road commissioner. The voting
/ | for the second road commissioner was,
4 | therefore, to be limited to voters outside
l | the village. Judge A. F. Schwenk asked
that he read the rest Of the section pro-
viding that the road commissioner could
q | be elected on a separate ballot from the
rest of the officers Balloting began and
, | a few had cast their votes when DR.. Hol-
: | ton started the discussion in earnest by
a
been called to the fact that II the citizens
of the village were not entitled to vote on
! ! the road commissioner question then the
! election of Mr. Eames was illegal. You
did not elect any road commissioner" said
. DIT. Holton. and you fellows in the VIII
! lage can't vote for him either" mo-
! | ton was made to adjourn the meeting
i until Saturday in order TO determine the
, rights OF the matter, but the sentiment
. was plainly for making a decision on the
= | spot
Judge f. w Gibson raised the ques-
> ton as to whether the village had not in
: reality appropriated the Is per cent for
the improvement Of the roads outside the
;. | village which would make II legal for the
= village men to vote. Mr.. Eames said that
. it was not possible to tell without going
over the accounts carefully just how much
had been spent outside the village.
K Neither could any of the seectmen give
o definite information as to how much had
been spent outside.
F. d. z. Stowe said that II was not
3 possible from anything at hand to tell
n whether the village had given is per cent
e or not and it was up TO the village to show
) that IL had II the village citizens wished
T to vote. w. II. Vinton said that II the IL
|, per cent was to be figured exactly a
5 share Of the general expenses Of the high
| ,q.ay, ,rfn