The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-10-08
HYDRANT MEN IN
GREAT MAJORITY
Special Village Meeting Was Big
Victory for Them.
FEW IN FAVOR OF Resembling.

Action Taken at Previous Meeting Rati
fed by Vote of 219 to s9-Figures
Showing What Additional Fire Pro
lection Will Cost Taxpayers.
At the special village meeting held Fri
DAY evening to see if the village would
resclnd the vote taken Sept. 8 to install
% additional hydrants 2l9 votes were cas-
TOR Col: J. G.. Estey's motion to dismis.
the article against. SO votes in the mega
tive, thus leaving the matter Just as if tn,
meeting had not been called The meet
ing was called to order at $50 by Chairman
~ ). Waterman and Village Clerk Will
liam II. Perry read the warning. Colone
Estey at once arose and moved to dismiss
the first article in the warning which
called for the resembling of the vote taker
Sept. 8. He said that all present doubtless
were aware of the purpose of the meeting
and suggested that there was no need fol
any extended discussion. L. E. Holden
moved, to amend the motion of Colonel
Estey and offered the following resolu
ton:
Resolved, that the vote of September 9th
to install 53 hydrants at such places within
said village as the board of bailiffs together
with the chief engineer deem most conven.
lent, provided sufficient water and neces.
sary pressure are furnished by the Brattle
bore, Water Works company, be and is
hereby rescinded, and the board of bailiffs
are hereby instructed to install not ex-
ceeding. Is hydrants where most needed on
the higher levels in the village of Brattle-
boro, provided the Brattleboro Water
Works company connects all hydrants with
six-inch main, and bring the working
pressure in case of fire, to at least fifty
pounds, and provided the rentals on said
fifteen hydrants does not exceed $50 each
per year.
Mr.. Holden submitted suggestion that
the taxes of the village would be mater
tally increased if So MIGRANTS were installed
at this time and while he conceded the need
OF more hydrants, which he said was ap-
parent at the recent fire ON Forest street,
he wanted demonstration of what the
pressure would be before the village con-
tracted for more
Col. kittredge Haskins raised the point
OF order that Mr.. Holden's motion was out
.of order as the article of the warrant I'M
der discussion was to see whether the vii
lage would rescind the vote of Sept. 9 and
Colonel Esteys motion was to decide this
matter if vote was taken. Colonel Has
kins contended that there was no license
under parliamentary law to permit an
amendment to be offered to such a motion
as Colonel Estey had offered. Chairman
Waterman sustained the point of order
and ballot being demanded the chairman
called the following men to the platform
to handle the checklist: S. A. Daniels,
Charles G. Staples, j. G. Henkel, Ell. L.
Piper, ". A. Gilbert, G. S. Hopkins.
Lest there be misunderstanding upon the
part Of those voting Chairman Waterman
mean. Colonel Haskins added few words
to drive the fact home that Eyes" vote
was vote in favor of more hydrants. G.
l.. Durham was warmly applauded when
to what Colonel Haskins had said he added
the remark that Eyes" vote would mean
hydrants and a mo- vote mo hydrants."
Clerk Perry read the first article in the
warrant again and the voting proceeded,
two ballot boxes being used as usual. The
chair appointed Colonel Estey, L. E. Hol-
den, G.. L.. Durham and John Calvin to
count the ballots. When the result was
announced and those interested in install
ing more hydrants found that they had
won out by over two to one the applause
was heavy. That finished the business of
the meeting and adjournment was taken
To those who voted for the installation
those opposed the following figures COM
piled by Colonel Haskins will be of inter
est. 1t is known that the village is now
paying an annual rental of $22S0 for the
service supplied by Al hydrants The prop
osition to increase the hydrant service to
100 by installing So increases the annual
rental for such service 1920, and makes
the cost of maintenance for 100 hydrants
$4,000 per year. This additional expense
guarantees to the village an adequate water
pressure on the higher levels or the village
has nothing to pay. This sort of propo-
sition cannot but appeal to the conserva-
tive element of the townspeople. In addi-
ton to the, increase in the expense of the
service. for the first year there will be the
cost of the hydrants and the cost of in
stallation. The hydrants are to cost the
each hydrant with the mains will be SIS
OF, $40 for each hydrant. The following
table tells the story briefly as to the in
crease in taxation which has been made
prominent factor in discussing this matter
of hydrants by those opposed to the pur-
chase Of So hydrants:
Additional Expense First Year.
Installation SO hydrants at $40
each ....................... $2,l2000
Additional cost water service. -. l,720.00
Total first year. So, $40. 90
Village grand list $46,99O19
Tax of cents and 3 mills will
raise ............,.... ~, 9O0. IL
Upon the superstition that it will cost
go to attach each hydrant to the water |
mains, as some claim will be the case, the
of the SO hydrants will amount
to $2650.00 and the additional cost of the |
water service for the first year, $l720, will |
make the total cost for the first year
$4,000. tax of cents and mills will
raise $44ll.06. After the first year tax
of cents and mills will raise Sl7S5.63 to |
meet the annual rental of $l720.00. There |
is absolutely no reason to believe that the |
village grand list will drop in size and !
make the rate of taxation higher on this |
particular item in our annual expense ac-
count. On the contrary there is every rea-
son to believe that the list will continue to |
increase as it is doing yearly.
The cost of installing hydrants after the |
30 have been put in, making total of |
100, will be $40 each and so additional n.y. |
drants above the 100 planned for will make |
the annual cost for water service $4500. A |
tax of 10 cents on the dollar will raise |
1869 The increase over the present an
cents on the present grand list will raise |
s2349.5O. When the hydrant equipment to-
tails $50 the cost per hydrant will have been /
reduced to $50 per hydrant or total of |
s4500.
That individual taxpayers may get clear |
idea of how heavy the burden is going to |
be when the So hydrants are installed it |
may be stated that it will cost the poll tax |
payer a cents to install the hydrants, So |
Of them, and pay for the additional water |
service the first year. If it should cost SIS |
10 connect each hydrant with the water |
mains as is claimed by some will be the |
case the payer of a poll tax will have to !
nav 10 cents the first wear After the first i