Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-08-11
PASSED OYER MAYORS VETO
Sequestration Proceedings at Foot
Of College Street to Go On.
city Attorney Finds That stone Crush
er Has Dccn nm Expensive Expert
ment and Improperly Managed
The Government Sidewalks.

An adjourned meeting of the board OF
aldermen was held Thursday night, when
Mayor Burke returned with his veto thC
resolution authorizing tho city attorney
10 proceed with the sequestration pro
ceedings at the foot of College street
south OF the Lake Champaign Pacht clus
dock. The resolution was adopted, how
ever, the mayors veto notwithstanding
The only member voting no was Alder
man Mccartney. Aldermen Edwards ant
Gosselin were not present
Mayor Burke stated to the board tina
In his Judgment the seGuostration pro
coedings would be unsuccessful. for tn,
reason that the land in question wa.
needed by the Central Vermont Railway
company for improvements and that 4
would crowd the Shepard & Morse Lum
Der company. He also thought that 4
would be hard for tho city to prove tn,
necessity for that particular site. He ad
vised that the city begin sequestrat ito,
proceedings against the Central Vermont
railway for the yacht club dock. which
the citizens at n recent meeting refused
to purchase for $4,000.
Alderman Clarke thought that the mat.
ter of procuring n dock need not be hur-
ried, for the reason that the city could
now procure all the lake front needed and
could then build a docl, at any time. The
yacht club dock. he said, was so old tina,
It would be worthless for commercial
purposes.
City Attorney Villas explained that the
matter Of sequestration proceedings of
the land south Of the yacht club
dock stood precisely the same as
formerly. ana that the matter of neces-
sty by the city would apply Just the
same to the yacht club dock.
REPORT BY CITY ATTORNEY.
City Attorney Villas also submitted "A
report in behalf OF tho so-called stone
crusher committee. This committee had
under consideration the matter OF cost of
crushed stone, the matter of city officials
transgressinR the city charter by taking
contracts In excess of So other than on
competitive bids and the condition of the
bookkeeping in the street department
At the last regular meeting OF the
board City Attorney Villas stated that
this committee had assigned to him the
work of writing the report ana that the
report had been ready nearly five months
and that he had brought the matter To
the attention of the board and mayor
repeatedly. He also explained that some
members outside the committee had
blamed him for the delay. Under the cir
cumstances he stated that he felt Obliged
to render his report as minority report
IN tloa rtoiy ,Nf ,;,,
Mayor Burke, got tho committee together
and formulated a report before the pres
ent meeting of the board.
No meeting of the committee was called
and so Mr.. Villas handed in his report
which was read by Chairman Dion. AS
Mayor Burke promised to call meeting
of the committee soon, the report was
e-commtted back to the same committee
on motion of Alderman Cowles, who also
added to the motion that the committee
lie instructed to report at the next meet
ing. Alderman Cowles further stated
that the mayor had been neplectful in
not calling the committee together and
that he had repeatedly requested him to
do so.
The report of Mr.. Villas gave in detail
the results Of the Investigation OF the COM
mittee Of last fall, and stated that the city
stone crusher had greatly increased the
cost OF crushed stone 10 the city and that
IT had been improperly managed, in that
highly expensive plant had been erected
upon the LAM of the Willard estate with
out long tern lease. Such a lease, or
the purchase of the site. should have been
made at the outset If the plant wer.
used by the Willar5 estate in private
bushes, their compensation to the city
should be exacted either in a tariff rate
upon each ton crushed and sold or in a
stated sum yeaf, or yet in a decreased
price of stone to the city purchased off
the Willard estate The report stated
that 1t would be cheaper for the city TO
abandon the plant than to continue on as
IN the years past.
The report found that Alderman Cofrey
had not transgressed the city charter in
accepting the work Of inspector of the new
Lakeside school because his contract had
been by the day. subject TO termination
at any time.
The condition Of the books in the street
department, criticized each year by expert
accountants hired by the city, was due
the report said. TO incompetent book
keepers. 1t stated that under tho city
charter the mayor. the chairman Of the
board Of aldermen and the city treasurer,
were made a committee to audit and to
make and establish all adequate system
OF bookkeeping for the departments This
committee should act with the super
intendent Of streets and the board of
street commissioners In the endeavor TO
obtain better bookk coping service in this
important department
OTHER BUSINESS.
A resolution directing that the
mayors warrant be drawn upon the
city treasurer for s25 to be used In
decorating tho city hall during The
tournament of the Vermont State
Firemen's association to be held on
August 10 and IL. was adopted
petition for cement walks on b,th
sides OF Park street from Pearl to
North Bend streets. was referred to
the street commissioners The petit
ton has As slgners
The report of the city attorney upon
the bill of Mrs. Joseph White for. Sl0a
for tho care Of child for one year
M Sc week, stated that the city was
not liable and that the bill should not
be paid