Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1911-03-10
TOWN MEETING.
MiddIebury Votes to Cooperate
with Library Association for
Free Public Library.

The annual March meeting of the
town of Middlebury was held in the
town hall on Tuesday with a small
attendance, 245 being the highest vote
cast on any ballot between candidates
and 355 votes on the license question.
Yet it was fine, bright day and the
sleighing outside of the village fairly
good.
Moderator James B. Donoway called
the meeting to order at 1923 O'Clock
and Clerk Joseph M. Burke read the
warning. Mr.. Donoway was reelected
moderator and Mr.. Burke clerk with
out opposition in either case.
No time was wasted and no questions
were asked concerning the reports of
the town officers, and without discus
sion they were accepted on motion of
Willis N. Cady. Article 3, Ito see
what sum of money, if any, the town
would appropriate for the observance
of Decoration day. was also quickly
disposed of. Prof. Thomas E. Boyce
moved to appropriate the sum of 500
for the use of the old soldiers-$65 for
the village and $35 for East Middle
bury, the same as last year. This mo-
ton was carried with a rush.
Article 4, "to see if the town would
build or pay for the building of
cement sidewalk from Main street
north to the school house in the village
of East Middlebury," was next taken
up. j. A. Douglas detailed what the
people of East Middlebury had done in
the way of improvements at their own
expense within the past few years, and
thought that now they ought to have
some help from the town. He con-
cluded by moving that sum not to
exceed $3.50 be appropriated for the
purpose specified, and the motion was
adopted.
Next came Article 5, "to see if the
town would vote to cooperate with the
Ladies Library association of Middle
bury in the establishment of a free
public library in Middlebury,' etc.
There was good deal of talk of an
explanatory kind on this question.
John f. Weeks took the floor first. He
stated that the Ladies Library asso-
citation had been in existence for more
than 40 years and have more than 1000
books on hand, with an annual income
of between $500 and 5000, which they
were willing to turn in towards public
library. The Ladies association were
not thinking of benefiting themselves
but of benefting the village and town,
and while the village would be bene-
fitted most yet East Middlebury and the
outside school districts would be bene-
fitted by travelling libraries, if only pro-
vision was made for taking care of the
books. A two and one-half per cent.
tax on the grand list would raise $780,
enough to enable the association to give
free use of the books in the library and
pay for its care, and this, with the in
come from the Ladies fund and 500
Believing the cause to be a worthy one
and that the ladies were giving US a
great opportunity, he moved to levy
tax of two and one-half per cent for
the purpose of keeping the library open
more days than now, paying the libra
rian and paying for rents, fuel, lights,
etc
Charles |. Button seconded the reso-
purpose of the proposed library, he
said, was to increase the reading of
books, especially among the pupils of
the schools, who have no access to any
public library now. AS for the eX
pense, it would be trifling, for a poll
taxpayer would have to pay only five