Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1911-01-20
VILLAGE MEETING.
Officers Elected and Other Rou-
tine Business Transacted.


The annual meeting of the village of
Middlebury was held in the town hall on
Wednesday afternoon and the attend
ance was extremely small. Only about
quarter of the registered voters of the
village were on hand, 1913 being the
highest number of votes cast on any
BALLOT, whereas there are about 500
legal voters in this village.
Moderator John E. Weeks did not call
the meeting to order until nearly 2:30
O'Clock, as it had been stated in certain
newspapers that the meeting was warn
ed to commence at that time and he did
not want any voters who had been so
misled to lose their privileges. After
Judge Weeks called the meeting to
order, Clerk Joseph M. Burke read the
warning. Then Mr.. Weeks was re-
elected moderator and Mr.. Burke,
clerk, both by acclamation.
Article 2 of the warning-To "act
upon the report of the village officers
submitted by the auditors" was then
taken up. Col. S. A. Ilsley called at
tention to the report of Superintendent
of Streets George Hammond and said
he couldn't underestimate. He instanced
various items which did not seem to be
right, pointed out errors and said he
thought some one ought to look over
the accounts and see if they were
correct.
Treasurer Charles E. Pinney being
called on, said that the totals in the re-
ports agreed with the checks drawn.
The auditors hadn't been able to clas-
sify the orders and couldn't tell how
much had been expended on roads, how
much on sidewalks, etc.
1t was moved that the reports be ac-
cepted and adopted, but Charles l. But
ton protested against this course. He
was willing, he said, to adopt the re-
ports so far as the auditors were con-
cerned, but not the report of the Super
intendent of streets. He then moved
that the reports be laid on the table and |
the motion was unanimously carried. |
Mr.. Button followed this up with
motion that the auditors or other vii
lage officers communicate with Mr. |
Hammond and get his explanation of |
his figures, and this motion was likewise
carried. Superintendent Hammond was |
out of town and, it was understood out |
of the State on government business.
Article gave rise to another lengthy
discussion. This article was "To see
what action the village will take
towards paying Mrs. Sarah Fleming the
sum of $500, being the expenses incur
red by her for injury received by fall
ling upon the sidewalk in said village.
1t will be remembered that in March
last Mrs. Fleming, while on the way
from the town hall to her home on
Washington street, fell on the icy side
walk near Gardner S. Wainwright's and
injured one hip so severely that she was
confined to the house and bed for several
Ex-Gov. John w. Stewart thought we
ought not to vote to pay out money
until we know what for and he said
that an investigation and report should
be made before anything further was
done in this matter. He moved that
this claim be investigated by the trus-
tees and report made at future reg
ular or special meeting.
Lawyer Ira H. LaFleur said that he,
as village attorney, had investigated
this case and had reported to the trus-
tees that no liability attached to the
village in this matter. A great many
similar cases have arisen in Vermont,
but there is no statute making the
liable. He cited and read
from the opinions of the Supreme court
of Vermont in the cases of Welch