The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-23
Barre'S Administration Makes
Formal Protest
AGAINST AUTO TAX BILL
Resolution Adopted at Regular Meeting
Last Night = Street Supt. Fred
Bruce Given a Leave Of
Absence.

The board OF aldermen held short
session at their regular meeting last
evening and at the close Mayor Robins
called a special meeting Of the city
council, at which several important mat.
ters were brought up. All Of the alder
men were present except Alderman Camp
bell. At the meeting of the aldermen
the building inspector made two reports,
one on the application of Thomas Burke
for a permit to remodel the roof of his
house at 10 Short street, and the permit
was ordered granted. The second was on
an application Of A. Tomasi for per-
nit to remodel the barn in the rear OF
his block on Merchant street into tene-
ment.
The Inspector recommended that a
permit he not granted Mr.. Tomasi for
the kind Of a job he wanted TO make
of il. He said that Mr.. Tonasi wanted
to raise up the roof Of the barn and use
IL for the roof Of the tenement. As the
roof was not Of the same pitch as tho
house, with which it was connected, ia
would make a bad looking mess And
furthermore he thought that the roof
should be covered with freproof ma
terial. The matter was referred to the
FIRE committee and the building inspector
to investigate and report Charles Frat
TIM made application for a lunch room
license in his store on River street. On
motion of Alderman Ladd this was re-
ferred to the license committee TO in
yestigate and report.
Meeting of Council.
The board then adjourned and the
council was called together. The first
thing taken up was a resolution in which
the council registered its protest against
the passage of House bill number 43l,
now before the state legislature, which
relates to the taxing of automobiles and
motor vehicles according to their horse
power, and the tax TO be turned, over
to the state. The resolution was to the
effect thst the city could see bo justice
or fairness in the taxing OF automobiles
to their horse power, and, fur
-hermore, that it was an injustice to the
.itv of Barre, where the tax rate is
higher than the average rate in the
state, to take this source of income OUT
If the city's grand list. The resolution
provided that copy of it be sent to
he legislature to be used against the
passage of the bill. On motion of Alder
nan Thurston, the resolution was unani.
nously adopted
Supt. Bruce Gets Leave of Absence.
City Clerk Mackay stated to the ooun-
ii that Street Superintendent Fred
Bruce was making preparations to 60 to
he state sanatorium at Pittsford for
lis health and hoped that in few
months he would be able again to take
Ip his work, and, a. the chances were
,ood that he would get help there, he
id not wish to resign his Office as street
uperintendent, but wished the council
0 grant him a leave of absence of q
ew months. Alderman Ladd said that
here was not better time Of the year
o grant the superintendent a leave of
bsence than now as there was but lit
le to be seen to in the department but
lowing out the streets from snow, and
e made motion which was voted that
ir. Bruce be given leave of absence
two months without pay.
Clerk Mackay also brought to the
ttention of the council proposition for
change in the lights of the city build
lgs that might mean saving of half
ne present expense to the city in it's
1ntract with the electric company for
ghting the buildings. He said that the
ectric company was advertising the
Tungsten lights to give twice the light
/ l6-candle power light, and would
80 but one half the amount of saectric-
u n the statements in regard to this
wv light were true, he thought that it
ould be good thing for the city to
1t them in and the electric company
, back up its claims, for the light
lould cut down one-half its present
,ntract price of over 81 900 year.
Aldermen Hoyt and Alexander stated
lat they were using the new lights in
leir houses and they gave an excellent
yht, but they had not used them long
Tough to tell if they were savers Of
Ie current. On motion of Alderman
ldd. the matter was referred to the
yhting committee to make an investiga-
on as to what could be done and
port.
Alderman Hoyt inquired when the con-
act with the electric company for
,hting the streets and buildings expires
ID was informed by the clerk that the
ntrset expires on November lst, 1909.
le alderman then said that the local
snaper for the gas company had spoken
him in regard TO the lighting contracts
d said that the gas company was now
condition to put in bid for the light
9 of the city and that they could do
at about one-half the price psid for
sctricity and have the street lights
IN all night.
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