The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-02
City Believes They Should
Join in Movement
TO TURN RIVER COURSE
On the Ground That They Will Receive
Largely Of the Benefits to Accrue
Only One Man Answered the
Summons to Appear.

The attorneys for the Barre railroad
and the Central Vermont and all the pro-
moters Of the project to change the river
bed back of the business blocks on Main
street were notified to be present at the
meeting Of the city council last evening
for a hearing as TO whether they would
agree to enter into the scheme jointly
with the city and stand for their share
Of the responsibility. II. G. ShurtIeff
of Montpelier, representing the Barre
railroad, was the only person to appear
before the council
Mayor Robins stated that since tho
council had gone ahead and drawn up the
bill now before the Legislature, which,
If passed, win give the city the power
to condemn such land needed for the
new river bed and now owned by the
Central Vermont, that their views in
regard to taking the initiative in the
work had changed somewhat, and that
they did not now believe that the city
should take the whole matter on its own
shoulders; that they had decided that
the proposed change was not entirely a
public benefit, but was more OF a private
benefit and for this reason the abutters
sholud get together and If the work Is
done stand jointly with the city.
The mayor said that the change meant
an expenditure OF over $4,000. ALI Of
the landowners and abutters, he said,
were not together on the question. and
il was not best for the city to 90 ahead
with the matter and bear the whole re-
sponsibility OF expense and any htiga
ton that might arise. Mr.. Shurtleff said
that he thought that aa far as the
railroad was concerned it would be of no
benefit to them with the exception of
doing away with two bridges, and did
not think that they would feel like con-
tributing anything to the expense of the
work.
AS none Of the other interested parties
appeared. the council then voted on
motion by Alderman Alexander to in
struct the city representative to have the
bin which is now in the hands OF the
committee on municipal corporations
held up in the committee until further
notice. The council took this action in
order that il the abutters wanted to get
together jointly with the city, the bill
would then be allowed to go through;
otherwise it would be smothered.
Before taking up the discussion of the
river bed question, the council transacted
the following business: a communica-
ton from Mrs. Phoebe Gale was read
asking for rebate Of SIS from her hose
rent bill. as she claimed that she had
not been able to use the hose but four
times during the year on account of be-
ing forbidden to use it by the city. On
motion of Alderman Thurston, the mat
ter was referred to the water committee
to investigate and report.
The following reports from the build
ing inspector were read and accepted and
permits ordered granted: Edwin earle
ton to patch the roof Of his horse shed
in the rear Of the Baptist church; J. ].
Sowles, to patch the roof of a shed; d.
Perletti, to put in new window in his
house A. Broggini made application
for permit to move small house on
Berlin street owned by Al. II. Sortwell
to Sixth street Referred to the street
committee to investigate.
On motion of Alderman Ladd, it was
voted to turn over to the treasurer of the
Aldrich library trustees the $3.50 which
the city appropriated for the mainte-
nance of the library, $3.50 to go towards
paying the expense Of cataloguing the
books and $500 to the maintenance of
the library.