The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-07-13
Board Of Aldermen Will Pro-
hibit Them 10 Barre
"DFBASING TO MORALS"
Is the Opinion Of the City Government.
Chief Of Police Ordered Not to
Allow Them in Barre Pic
ture Halls.

Whether tie Jcifries-Jollnson fghs
pictures should be allowed to be exhibit
ed IN this city was the principal bone
Of contention at The regular meeting Of
the board Of alderman held last even
ing with all OF the members present.
This question was put before the board
BY Mayor Match, who had received a
copy Of resolutions passed at joint
meeting Of three young peoples religious
societies in the city and letter from
Rev. J. NJ Barnett pastor Of the Con-
sregtional church, bearing witness that
an the churches in the city considered
that the showing Of the pictures would
be demoralizing and that they prote.t-
ed against allowing them 70 be shown
here. Both sides OF the question found
supporters among the aldermen though
after considerable discussion The board
voted to pfohibit the pictures being
seen here on motion OF Alderman VIII
ley and seconded by Alderman Even.
The motion was to the effect that it
was lhe sense Of this board that the
exhibiting OF the jeffries johnson fight
pictures IS debasing TO the morals Of
the public and that the chief of police
be authorized and dictated to step any
exhibition Of these pictures in Barre.
Alderman Hoyi raised the question as to
whether the city could stop the pictures
and the question wac put up to City
Attorney j. Ward Carver, VINO happened
to be present when the discussion came
up. The city attorney informed the
board that there was nothing in the
ordirnnces which legislated against pic
tures being shown in view OF the fact
that the city licensed moving pic
ture houses and could stop the pictures
only by taking away the licenses. He
.aid that the general law provided for
prosecution OF parties showing immoral
or degrading pictures. Whether the JET
fries-Johnson fight pictures were degad
ing he said was a question OF fact rasii-
En- than a question Of law and that ques-
tiOn would have To be decided first.
The resolution was from the Young
peoples societies of the Baptist Metho-
/ dist and Congregational ehurches AMI
was passed at joint meeting held last
Sunday The substance Of the resolu-
ton was: Rejoicing IN the fine public
t1titAtH|ftt AatltA Hlf4tlE II Alt tt1riLtt tRf
~ nsisessslssl,.ss2n fehf t. take place
and also rejoicing u the efoNiffF seisa {.
ment against the fight pictures being ex-
hibiicd in moving picture houses
through the country, be it resolved
That the young peoples societies OF the
Baptist. Methodist and Congregational
churches protest against the pictures be-
ing allowed to be shown in Barre. and
that the mayor and board Of aldermen
be requested TO use their power to pro-
hibit it. The resolution was signed by
Miss Marion Stiekney, w. S. Milne and
G. S. Cushman. Aldermen Brown and
Rossi both stated that as far as these
pictures being degrading was concerned.
they claimed that there were pictures
being shown here right along that were
good deal more harmful than the
fight pictures were They considered
that in the South was the only place
where the exhibition OF the pictures
would ever cause any trouble Alder
man Wiley said that he was against
prize fights Of any kind and it was not
q race question with him but ques-
tion Of principle. He considered that
to allow these pictures to be shown in
a state which prohibited the fight to
take place, was just as bad as having
the fight
Other business transacted by the board
was as follows: In his report Of ths
condition Of the citys reservoirs the en-
gineer stated that he found them all
in good shape and that the new Orange
brook reservoir was now very nearly
He reported that the wa
ter was turned into the reservoir on
July | and that in ten days there were
2l feet Of water in the reservoir or with
in seven feet Of being full With no
water running over the top the old RES
ervoir and only the leakage from this
reservoir running into the new one raised
the water in the new reservoir about
two inches per day. This leakage from
the old reservoir he said had always be-
fore been a waste.
The health officer reported that there
had been 20 births in the city in June
and Is deaths
The water superintendent reported
that he had made seven new connections
On the water system in June and had
made 7s0 feet of extensions
The street committee reported favor
ably on the petition for a srface sewer
extension on Franklin street and on
motion Of Alderman Hoyt the report
was accepted and the recommendation
ordered carried out The engineer esti.
mated the cost at Sl85 for the exten-
sion of 260 feet with three receivers
AT The close Of the meeting the mayor
.alled special meeting Of the city
,ouncil for 1880 o'clock Thursday even
ng for Che purpose Of meeting the abut
.ers on the river question. Alderman
Wiley stated that he understood tlat
he abutters would have something def
rite to present to the council which he
hought would mean the settlement of
III the questions as to funds for carry
ne the project % that the work could
,e begun at any time.