The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-07-23
FROM OUR EXCHANGES.
(St. Adams Messenger


Now that pretty much all the
features of the Champlain tercen-
tenary celebration have been re-
viewed and the popular verdict is
that it was a most successful af-
fair, it is eminently just and fit
ting that the public should be re-
minded of the personnel of the
state commission to whose public
spirited and tireless service that
success is largely due. Vermont's
commissioners in charge of the
celebration were: Gov. George II.
Prouty, of Newport, Walter H
Crockett, of st. Adams, Lynn NJ.
Hays, of Essex Junction, Horace
w. Bailey, of Rutland, John M.
Thomas, of Middlebury, w. j. Van
Patten and F. o. Beaupre, of YER
gennes, Arthur F. Stone, of st.
Johnsbury, George T. Jarvis, of
Rutland. The public will probably
never adequately appreciate the
amount of hard labor and sacrifice
of personal leisure that some of
these men have contributed to the
credit of the state in planning the
multitude of details for this cele-
bration, and in so adjusting an in
finite variety of little things, ex-
pected and unexpected, foreseen
and unforeseeable, that the fl
nality should be a celebration
whose general features were not
only very appropriate to the dig
nifty of the occasion and the COM
monwealths that commemorated it
but of a character to form an in
ternational occasion gratifying to
the pride of both.
Barre Times.)
"Is the village of Middlebury to
be controlled by the owners of 10
automobiles, not one of whom has
ever been prominent in any way
in the advancement of either VIII
lage or town, and whose grand list
is but trifle over $4,000, in a to-
tai of over $4,000, OOO-less than one
siXty-siXth 2"
With such a tactless broadside
as the above does Editor Joseph
Battell, of the Middlebury Regis
ter, attack the use of automobiles
in the village streets of Middle
bury If Editor Battell were as
good Judge of human nature as
he is of Morgan horseflesh, he
would know that his utterance is
calculated to make automobilists
take serious offense and perhaps
attempt to block whatever reason
able steps may be taken in Middle
bury to maintain the safety of the
public thoroughfares. The para
graph is, figuratively speaking, a
chip on the shoulder deliberately
knocked off by Mr.. Battell. It is
an insult arising from an arro-
gance which would not be brook
ed in most communities and I'M
less the users of automobiles in
Middlebury are particularly mild
hammered, it will be resented.
The article goes on in a puerile
manner to state that if the village
trustees won't restrict the speed
of the motor cars to six miles an
hour on a certain business street,
then he (Mr. BattelD will not erect
a business block which he has
contemplated erecting as an addi-
ton to his present block. Mr..
Battell may be right, the street
may be particularly dangerous for
automobile traffic and the cars
should be restricted to six miles
an hour or thereabouts but he
never will get his wish by the use
OI CluD dS ne Is NOW uOl0S.
Moreover, of what binding value
is temporary speed regulation
for the street -? Another Xear
there may be a new board of trus-
tees and they might remove the
and meanwhile Mr..
Battell might have erected his
block. Would he tear down the
block. His attempted arrest of
progress through his
antipathy to automobiles is not
reasonable or just.