St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-02-17


the same and the town had over $4,000
more money in the bank Feb l, 1909,
than on Feb. /, 1908. 1t is also to be
noted that the past year there was a
special county tax of $4,000 which repre-
csented the towns share in the new
ounty jail building.
The selectmen have issued the follow
ing letter to the voters Of St. Johnsbury:
The subject OF the income of our town
clerk and treasurer from fees and salary
has become of such apparent interest
during the past few days that it seems
but fair and just to all who are in any
way responsible for this condition that
you should be fairly appraised of the pre-
else situation and how it came about.
especially as some appear to be laboring
under the impression that Mr. Blodgett
has done something legally or morally |
wrong. Neither Mr.. BlOdgett nor any |
OF his predecessors, so far as we know. |
ever received any salary as town clerk
Both he and they have been paid by the
town each year for certain services
according to the services rendered, vary
ing in amount from $50 or $40 to about
$50 a year. Besides this they have all
received certain fees which are fixed by
statute for recording deeds, mortgages,
etc. These fees, as everyone knows, are
paid by the person filing such nstru-
nents for record, and are not subject to
your control or ours The income from
this source varies considerably, ranging
from $3.50 to $500 a year. So much for ;
the income of the clerks office. As town
treasurer Mr.. Blodgett received $500 a 8
year up to January, 1908. This was the ,
same sum that had been previously paid !
his predecessors. Our town taxes that
pass through the hands Of our treasurer
annually average about 100000 He is T
the custodian of that money. He has to !
distribute it among the various depart ;,
ments, namely school, highway, ETC., /;
and maintain system of books sufficient :,
to show the receipts and disbursements /;
through the several channels 1t was Il
considered by many that $500 was i
nserly compensation for this work. ~
Your attention was directed to this +,
natter by an article in the call for the a
town meeting one year ago. And in this c
you should keep in mind that u
the treasurer is not entitled to any A
salary unless the voters directly or in I;
directly vote to pay one. AT the annual a.
meeting one year ago you had the
to vote to pay Mr.. Blodgett 7
uch sum as you thought Just or YOU
ould have cut off his compensation alto -.
gether. You in fact voted to leave the nj
natter with us, your seectmen. sc
Believing, as did many others, that &c
our treasurer was not properly paid for dc
he work he was doing, we as your ser r.
ants and under your authorization, tn
lade contract with him for $1,000 a nc
ear. We believed, and still believe, that re
ur course was justified as the matter 10
hen stood. II we erred it was an error n
! Judgment, but one which we and not DI
lr. Blodgett are accountable for Some Sc
me after making this contract you mi
oted at special town meeting to have I'm
he taxes assessed on the grand list for no
9OS paid in to the treasurer. The law an
this state provides, and has for years hi
lat for doing this work the treasurer ! Ht
lall receive one per cent of the money LII
)llected. We understand that he re. tri
lived from this source $57221, but he Eu
My received what the law gave him las
hen by your vote you directed that the DIRE
lxes be collected in that way We mo
1derstand that Mr.. Blodgett receives a the
Ilary OF $500 as treasurer of the village. Kel
I'd that since the vote of the village che
ithorizlng the payment of the village "A
xes IN to the treasurer he has received -,
e statutory fee for that work We saw III
you frankly that had the town and /
llage voted to adopt this method of loo
llecting our respective taxes before we wo
ade our contract with Mr.. Blodgett so mil
lat he had been assured OF that element COT
income, we probably should not have of
such an increase in his salary. no
lr 90 we think he would have asked IT, tat
1t is apparently thought by some that No
e services for which Preston Z. Nav car
rs been paid during the past year are red
rvices which should have been per. mes
rmed by MIR. Blodgett either as clerk the
treasurer, and that therefore the me
mount paid Mr.. May goes to swell the w;
.pense OF these two offices. This is not Ger
lie fact. Mr.. Mays services were con- TIL
ected with the work of the listers. cal
,amination Of the tax accounts of f.
Gorge r. Crosby, and the work of re. wa
dexlng your town records. Mr.. Nav Ce
ay have occasionally done some work
} accommodate Mr.. Blodgett, but Mr.. Y.
lodgett on the other hand spent DAYS
n the re-index work, for which he never l
sked or received any compensation. M'
We are not advocating the cause of an
ny candidate, but we feel that much of ia
ne talk about Mr. Blodgett is due to a pc
OF the true situation. me
is for you to say whether you wish to no
hange men for these offices, but don't oc
lame Mr.. Blodgett when your own |
ction is responsible for every dollar me
hat he has received, except the recording. at
res above referred to. The contract Fo
which we made with him can be ter MI
minated at any time by you or your to
uccessors. be-
WESLEY SARGENT, ais
FRED ID. GILMAN, S.
LUMAN A. LADD. nit
Selectmen. to