The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-01
F. N. CRAWFORO'S
RECORD IN TOWN
AFFAIRS
Correspondent Thinks He Ought
To Be Turned Out
HAS SERVED FOR IS YEARS
While He Has Been in Office Town
Debt Has Decreased $4,000 and
Tax Rate Has Been Reduced

Editor of The Banner: There
doesn't seem to be much interest In
town meeting which comes next Tues
day and | suppose the voters will go
M 10 Library hall as usual and vote
for Frank Crawford just as though ne
was the only man in town competent
to be first selectman. Talk about
third term for president-this must
be Crawfords 18th term. How much
longer are the voters going to let him
run the town and draw pay from the
town when uere are plenty OF other
men who would like the place, and
who can do the town business just as
well as Frank Crawford, and, | think,
better.
Independent Voter.
Bennington, Vt, Feb. %, 1912.
The above letter from Bennington
voter and taxpayer is deserving OF
| little attention for it undoubtedly
represents the attitude of some vot-
ers who intend to act for the best,
but are not very familiar with town
affairs.
Since receiving the above letter
The Banner has spent some time look
ing np town matters and especially
town finances just TO see whether the
"independent voter was justified in
wanting to turn out Mr. Crawford.
Frank NJ. Crawford was first elected
selectman in 1892, which was twenty
years ago, and in the twenty years
since 1892 he has served as select
man Is years and during ten years he
has been chairman of the board. He
has not done It all by any means, but
during the past twenty years he has
had more to do with town affairs than
any other man.
In 1892. when Crawford was first
elected, the town debt of the town OF
Bennington was Sl9S.SG744 Accord
ing to the report Of the auditors this
year the present debt Of the town Is
b S1O7074.47.
r The reduction in town debt there
y fore in 90 years during 10 Of which
1 Mr. Crawford has been in Office is
T s91.792.97 Actually, however. the
, showing is even better for in 1898 the
I big freshet cost the town an addit-
ional extra debt of over 100000 which
/ has all been wiped So that the actual
, debt reduction is over $4,000. Dur
ing the past year the town debt has
q been reduced $500 In spite OF the fact
q that the town had to build new
/ bridge on School street that cost over
$4,000
?. Nor is the reduction of debt the
y whole story. The tale told by the Tar
o rate is even more remarkable. In
o 1892 the town tax. not including th'
highway tax. was 1875 cents on dol
n lar. Last year the rate was only n
>. cents on dollar and the same rate II
II recommended by the auditors for thii
s year
Taking the leading part in wipinl
out the town debt to the amount o
over S120,000 and at the same TIM
reducing the town tax nearly on
>, half, is really not a very strong argu
ment in favor of retiring Mr.. Craw
ford even II he did build the SchOo
TO street bridge six inches too high o
s six inches too low; or il he appraise
Of John Does sheep killed by dogs at
c. cents apiece less than they wer
X, really worth.
he or course II is possible for the vo
5; ers to turn out Mr.. Crawford mex
r. Tuesday II they wish to- They ca
H. also close the schools and burn I'll
be public library II they insist on It, BIT
"a II seems hardly likely
de Mr.. Crawford's opponent is one {
he the leading citizens of Bennington
w He is patriotic and public spirited an
ay II elected will do his best for the pu
he lie welfare. but the question
at whether the voters wish to defeat
his man who has served the town as We
nd as the records show that Mr.. GRAY
ey ford has. Petty jealousies and par
politics should not enter into the
sue In the least.