The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-31
Debated at Some L angth by
Barre City Council
BUT NO ACTION WAS TAKEN
Fire Committee Urged the Purchase o.
Motor-Driven Engine at Once, or
Build New Fire Station at
North End of City.

The proposal to purchase an automo-
bile truck for the Barre fire department,
which first was made nearly year ago.
was revived at the regular meeting of
the city council last night, and FOR up
wards OF two hours the councilmen dis
cussed the matter on the urgent appeal
of the fire committee. But at the end,
no action was taken, and the matter
is really no nearer a solution, an effort
to instruct the fire committee to make
! further investigation and report not be-
| ing seconded and therefore, not being
| presented for acceptance or rejection.
Chairman Rossi of the fire committee
/ brought the matter up at the close OF
the routine business, saying that seven
| or eight months had elapsed since the
committee made its Investigations, and
he thought il time for the city to make
| the purchase. Alderman Thurston inn
/ mediatelv switched the discussion into
the slow speed by declaring pointedly
! that the council doesn't know what it
| really wishes to do; it is very much
in the dark. His idea, therefore, would
/ be to have the manufacturers submit
I titH rDtttilthlApIH anu 10
| the council. let the council select the
more satisfactory makes and then in
yestigatr, thus avoiding what he called
wild goose chase here, there and every
where Alderman Thurston said he un-
derstood St Johnsbury was thinking Of
putting $500 into an auto truck, and,
ii Barre does as much, Barre wants TO
get the best for its money. Moreover
he thought they ought 10 wait until the
tax money comes in to see the where
withal TO pay for the machine.
Alderman Ward objected to the delay
in ordering, saying that it would be sew
era months at least before the machine
could be delivered to Barre He said
further that the fire committee had in.
vestigated and reported the purchase OF
an auto fire truck the most feasible man
ner OF Increasing the efficiency of the
fire department. Therefore, he moved
that the fire committee be empowered
to investigate and to 90 away, il neces
sary, the committee together with the
fire chief to be allowed their expenses
for four days,
Mayor Muteh was inclined to coincide
with Alderman Thurstons position in
going slow ON the purchase until they
knew more about the subject. He
thought the council might pick out the |
makes" which appealed to them and |
later Investigate the most satisfactory, /
Declaring that doubt existed in the /
minds of some citizens as TO the advisa-
bility OF purchasing an auto truck, Al !
derman Wiley thought it would be more |
feasible to shake the automobile manu- /
facturers off their coat-tails and discuss
with dsinterested, but experienced, am
tomobile men as to whether it would 4
be most feasible to purchase an auto
truck As for him, he favored such "a
purchase. although he was still open 20
conviction the other way. For those
who believed to the contrary, he had>full
respect for their opinions. The property (
of the city being scattered, he thought,
made the purchase advisable.
Returning to the discussion of slower
tactics, Alderman Thurston reasserted
that there ought to be full investiga-
tion, and so he would be inclined TO
second Alderman Wards motion ii the
motion should include the understand
ing that they first secure circulars and
specifications "We can't investigate too
before we buy" he conclud-
ed.
Alderman Wiley of the fire committee
then told of the committees investi.
cations and OF about five so-called
standard" machines which they had
seen in action. He agreed that they
blunder into the purchase of
machine but should take expert opinion
Alderman Brown referred to the hard
four horse climb the chemical engine
had that afternoon making the Prospect
street hill and he added that he thought
IN auto truck would be cheaper for the
'ity. Moreover, if he should see an auto
fire truck in Barre he should immedi.
,tely 90 and reduce his insurance. Ii
Clerk Mackay expressed the eonvic-
lion that the members of the council
ire not capable of deciding on what ma {
,hine is best, because they are not ac- {
luainted with automobiles. except per-
laps Alderman Ward. He thought local {
men with ability should be consulted
n the matter. At this point in the dis q
.lisson someone told about the visit of y
he fire committee to Massachusetts {
asst year, at which time they approached
/ man in charge of an auto fire truck
IN exhibition and were told, on inquiry,
hat the machine could climb AZ per
ent grade at a rate of 25 miles an
lour. The members of the committee
ooked dubious and turned away; and =,
alter the man in charge of the machine a
ecanted and said he really didn't know, i
mt had afterwards been told that the ;
rade of which the machine was capable i
vas considerably less. \
The cons and pros, more often the lat :
,,-,r. ,,rasppfal in .,,uoh bn ,,,a T.,
yay for some time further, after which 6
he members of the fire committee dis. Z
laimed any personal interest in the pur- h
hase. saying that all they wanted was h
o increase the efficiency of the fire I
apartment. Alderman Wiley thought Il
BARRE has fine department and he y
oineided with the opinion of man a
rho told him the other day that ''your Q
treet is well protected" II is well pro-
ected, said the alderman, but We have a
ot much property in the outlying dis q
riots. which is not so well protected 4
After the councilmen had apparently ;,
Exhausted the subject, Mayor Mutch t,
sked if there was any seconding to n
alderman Wards motion that the fire K
ommttee be authorized TO investigate a
nd take a four days trip at the city's b
xpense, if necessary; but there was il