Putnam patriot., 1910-10-07
The Annual Town Meeting

| ABc NO>lftc>> faft cl NStS altlAa8 tAe II
 meeting was called to order hy the
 moderator, lehn J. McGarry, in Ham,
 mond hall, al ? o'clock Monday after. noon.
 The seleetmen were authorized to borrow such sums of money AS may be necessary 10 defray the expenses of the town until the next annual town meet ing.
 Voted, that $500 he appropriated for the repair Of highways.
 Voted, that x2ss 500 be appropriated for the High and common schools, in- cluding instruction of music and the purchase of books and supplies. Dr. omer LaRue took the floor and asked If the tustruction of music could not lAalnde the Catholic common schools. n Dald that the parochial schools eaSo1 for from i've to six hundred pu- rils, thus lessening the burden of the town, which would have to provide many more teachers snd new quarters for thsec pupils t sAsy wire nut cared for as they now arc. "They give . whole loaf and only ask afew crumbs, he said. E. H. Johnson said that he thought the matter would have to be left with the school board, as It was not one for the meeting to decide as the call did not provide for 1t. Hut, he said, If it can be legally done he would be glad to see thst his Catholic friends had just as much benefit as the com mon schools. Others agreed with Mir. Johnson and the doctor thanked them. Voted, that the sum of SIPS be ap- propriated for Memorial Day.
 Voted, that $500 Dc appropriated for the Womans Board, and sioo for Il free bed at the Day kimhall hospital When the matter of the usual appro- priation of si.oo for iihe Public Libra " was taken up, G. D. Bates objected to Il on the grounds that there was no report from the trustees of the library as to the manner in which the appro- priation had been spent. Others coin. cided with his views. IL was finally voted that the sum of 5000 be appro- priA,ed for the public library and that the trustees De directed to give finan. cial report of the library at the next annual town meeting.
 There was considerable argument over the appropriation for the I'm. provement of the old cemetery. l.. H. Fuller favored an appropriation of $l0o giving as his reasons that the ladies had done a good work in beautifying this spot, and they needed the money 10 build wall that some past genera ton of selectmen had allowed to be torn down for building purposes. He said that the statute called for anex- pendilure of S25 which could be made without any vote. Thls had not been expended for good many past years, and he thought it very little to ask an additional $55. c. D. Bates thought the usual ls2b was enough. He said that Putnam had reached time when it should call halt in It's expendi- lures. The indebtedness of the town would soon be S400,0 ,00o, and 1t would take all the tax money to pay the ln- terest. He moved that x26 be appro- priated. Upon verbal vote on the question It was doubted. A standing vote was taken and 1t was carried, 12 voting for and 10 against the motion. The article regarding the Long Bridge was then taken up. selectman Pierce reported that the bridge was In very bad condition, snd that it would take s5, ,i65 to repair lit properly. He said he had procured estimates for new bridge as follows: Steel bridge
 with plank flooring. S2s ,500, with con
 crete floor. $s0 900, reinforced concrete 1 bridge with 22 feet driveway, tl6,000.
 The first vote on the question was that the town build new bridge. It was l then voted to consider the width of the bridge and considerable discussion en-
 sued. 1t was finally voted to build reinforced concrete bridge the full width of the street including side. ! walks, and a sum not 10 exceed sis, GOO
 WAS appropriated therefor. Mir. Dem
 man. Of Springfield, was present. He
 had submitted plans for . concrete
 bridge with three piers, four arches, the spans to be sixty feet. He said the bridge as voted could be constructed for sis,000. The piers could be got ready right away, but owing to the winter coming on 1t would mot be ad- visabie to build the bridge q once, but that 1t could bs completed by the first of June. Voted, that the seiectmen be empowered 10 carry out the construc- ton of the bridge e soon sas prscticar bic.
 Voted that selectmen be authorized to borrow such sums of money ,,incIud- ing the appropriations made at this meeting, e may be necessary from time to ume. uo
 Voted, that sa0o be appropriated for the sepais of bridges.
 Voted that . F 1-Z mill tax be laid upoo the grand list next 10 bs conn plssed and that said tax be collected on or bsfore the frst Apfii, 1911. The vote resulted e follows: There were S80 votes east, of which 100 were rejscssd fos vsstous eausn. Thsfs were lss straight rspubliean, and zts ssraisbt democratic vosss eass.