The Somerset reporter., 1909-03-04
Town Meeting Next Monday.

The custom of printing the town
warrant with the annual town report
seems O have been adopted in 1892
and the number of articles presented
to the meeting of that year was
twenty-six. The number Of articles
in the warrant for succeeding years
seems to have varied but little until
1898 when there was suddep rise to
thirty -four. In 1907 there were 63
articles in the warrant, last year
there were 40 and for Monday next
we have business on hand that breaks
the record with total OF SO articles.
A certain number of these articles
pertain to the election of town officers
and others to schools, highways and
the fire department, while the re-
naming may be classed as miscellane-
Gus, though by that designation it is
not intended to mean that they are
unimportant.
In the matter of schools there is
very little out of the ordinary, practi-
cally the only matter out of the gen
eral routine being covered by the
articles on the question of supplying
the schoolhouses with suitable drink
ing water. The report of the super
intending school committee points
out the fact that the aqueducts are
available for the buildings on Leavitt
street but that it may require a driven
we'll at the Park building at cost of
something like $500.
In the highway department, outside
of the usual appropriations, there are
requests for sidewalks on Bloomfield
street from Main to Mcclellan, on
Madison avenue, above Russell road
on Turner avenue, from Bridge street
northerly to its termination, on Cen
ter street from Mt. Pleasant avenue
to Milburn street, and on the Water
vile Road for portion of the dis
lance up the Nutter Hill. Other
highway matters pertain to the ex-
tension of Turner avenue from its
present limit to form a junction
with Alder street extension, also
the matchmaking of High street,
between North avenue and Water
streets, End for the acceptance OF
a street to be called Dartmouth
street in Edgewood Park.
In matters pertaining to fire pro-
lection we shall have to decide upon
a fire district within which no wood
Ell buildings shall hereafter be built
and also to determine if hereafter the
matters of the fire department shall
be placed i'll the hands of fire com
mission.
Sewers are asked for in two sec
tions in the vicinity of Milburn street
One article, No. 81, should not be
overlooked. 1t provides for the APP
pointment of a 9ommittee of five
who shall be charged with the duty oil
studying the articles of the town war
rant for 1910, and of reporting recon-
mendations thereon to tho meeting oil
that year. This has been tried II
other towns with unquestioned ad.
vantage, and is perhaps one of the
wisest steps that can be taken. Sucf
a committee would naturally confer
with the municipal officers to some
extent and their report could not fai
to aid the town meetingin their deci.
sions on the business presented. The
REPORTER would suggest that nomin'
atoms be handed to the moderator
during town meeting day for mem
bership on this committee.
One thing is very pleasant to con
template, we shall have the spacious
auditorium in the new municipal
building in which to hold the meeting
this year and, no matter how long the
session, it can be passed in compare
tive comfort. The balcony, too
offers perfect advantages for mem
bers OF the SkoWhegan High and o
other schools to attend or for the
women of the town. The ladies ant
the school children, in the days o
Coburn hall, used to form avery inter
ested audience, watching proceeding
from the galleries, and it is to be hop
ed they will renew the custom, OF
Monday next.