The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-03-20

kins was nominated clerk by Rev, l.. Nj.
Keneston and was elected. The first ar.
ticle was the election of town school
director. ]. G. Stafford nominated +. ID.
n Stowe and and he was elected without
o,pusition Article 20 which had TO 40
with the sale of the schoolhouses not used
was called up and Chester l.. FISHER
moved that the article be dismissed; DE,
fore the vote was put Moderator STOWE
held that this article should not be con
sidered at this time but that considera-
ton Of the auditors report was IN OF.
der This question was reached alter
Warren L. Walker asked about the
financial standing of the district. MT;
Walker wanted to know why the SlyOo
that was spent the year before above the ,le
amount appropriated by the voters did
not show in the town reports and ASKED
inst what the standing was on Feb. l.
To this Clerk Hopkins said that, the
total Indebtedness of the town school DIS
tr;ct was about $4,000, which included the
$1,000. but that Tax Collector Shumway
turned over to the district about rep.
/. $4,000 The $1,000 was paid ana the
remainder went for salaries to scn mo,
teachers and for running expenses; Ing
directors had borrowed $1,000 according so oo
the report to meet the expenses ana Slooo
of the amount received from the ta1
collector went to defray expenses incurred
s;nno Feb | In regard to the exact stand
inc ON Feb. Mr.. Hopkins said 1T was
an impossibility to tell as the town year
and the school year did not terminate at
the same time. g A.
q Stafford wanted to know If the
town district was not at present IN deD OI
s35o1 saving that he understood that $5oo
had been borrowed recently. Mr. hop
Inns replied no. Albert Newton want
Cd to know Just how much more the
town was in debt at the present time
than at the same time last year. lie was
told that last year the amount OF indeot-
edness was $ll4O4S and that at the pres
emit time it was 5000 greater. r. y;
Bacon wanted to know why, the AUDITORS
report did not contain statement Oh Lnt
liabilities ON Feb. !. He maintained that
= was the custom of all reports to con-
ta;n an itemized account of the liabilities.
This question was met by Clerk Hopkins,
who said again that it was impossible, to
tell lust what the town owed at that
time. Then Mr.. Stafford querie,d5 the clerk l
hv asking "Then you can't tell just how
ny stand can you?" Mr.. Hopkins then
s M that of the $4,000 turned over by the
town $1,000 was paid on an outstanding
note and that the remaining $lOOO was al
most used up. Selectman Walker then
moved that the auditors report be ac-
cepted and it was carried.
The fourth article was next brought up
for discussion and to a question OF NE.
Walker, who wanted to know pelore the
matter of tax assessment was decideu Jus'
What the estimated expenses for the en-
suing wear were, Clerk Hopkins said that
fhe EXPENSES for the coming year had been
estimated at S7,763. j. G.. Stafford then
moved that so cents on the dollar pe
raised to meet the expenses OF the coming
vaar II was then explained by the clerk
That that would not defray the estimated
exnenses and that it would leave the
school district in worse condition than
at present. The grand list was said to %, be
about $4,000, and so cents on the dollar
would give but $4,000 for the use OF the
directors to pay debts amounting to over
$500. The clerk then went on to say
that if a tax of go cents on the grand hst
the state paid $3.50, the income OF the
academy amounted to $3.50 and the
.--sS,sount received from the state on the
r.lai,, the superintendent came to S4oo;
svs.:iI,ts Would make a total OF SS4oo ana
lave balance of over 800 to pay on the
present indebtedness. ~
MI Stafford then argued that the ex
,omses Of the town ought to be cut down
81 least $1,000. He questioned the right
90 the legislature to tell this school dis
tr;ct what it should do. He said that the
e avn, were increasing and he could
r not see from what he could learn from
the superintendent's report OF TINS ano
nreceding years that there were any bet
Tor schools now than there were under
the old system when each little district
had its own school. To go back to the
old system was, he thought, the cheaper
and better way.
John Wood thought that one reason
whv the hin farms were being abandoned
was on account of the small centers Of