Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-03-08
Selectman

Brattleboro's progressive attitude and
generous spirit was manifested again
Tuesday in the annual town meeting in
Festival hall, when everything asked for
in the way of financial appropriation was
granted, with but little opposition from
any quarter. larger general tax rate
was voted, but 1t was onset by the
adoption of a smaller rate for highway
purposes. bond issue of 100000 for
new cement sidewalks was voted, also
n $4,000 bond issue to pay for road
work in the southern part of the town
and to cover the cost of the library ad-
dition. The selectmen were instructed
to have the bounds Of the streets per-
manently marked, a committee was
elected to see about widening Main and
Flat streets near the Judge and Ray
buildings, and committee was appoint
ed to look into the question of providing
better town hall facilities. An extra
appropriation of $500 was made for
maintaining the Free library. j. Edgar
Mellen was elected selectman to succeed
the late John Calvin and 1t was voted
to have the selectmen fill the office OF
road commissioner by appointment. Os-
car T. Ware is the new overseer of the
poor. By the surprising majority of
400 the town showed itself to be more
strongly intrenched in the no-license
column than ever before. The hall was
well filled soon after the meeting opened
at 8 o'clock and practically all remained
until the business was over.
Following the formal opening by the
moderator, Dr. II. D. Holton, and the
reading of the warrant by Town Clerk
Carl s. Hopkins, the moderator declared
the ballot boxes open for the reception
OF votes on the license question, under
article 1, and proceeded to article 2,
ITO act on the auditors report" The
report was subjected to some criticism
and was not acted upon until all other
articles of business were out of the
Uhnn hn
lectman ]. G.. Stafford replied to some
insinuations that had been made pre-
vious to the meeting, particularly with
reference to neglecting the town hall
building and to wasting $175 in securing
plans for a viaduct over the railroad
tracks on Bridge street. He showed that
the selectmen were not neglecting the
town hall building, having it's needs
under considera ton, and that the rail-
road plans were gotten out at the sug-
gestion of Attorney General Sargent,
and he said that the indications were
that those were the very plans that
would be used ',.nen the prospective rail-
road deys.5pments were made. He paid
tribute to the memory of the late Sc
lectman John Calvin and referred to the
increased expense at the town farm as
being a necessary increase, calling at
tention to conditions there that were
discreditable to the town and needed to
be remedied, whatever the cost.
E. C. Crosby moved that the report be
accepted L. E. Holden said there were
between 80 and 100 mistakes in figures
in the report, and he cited several in
stances, principally in figuring out totals
for a certain number of hours labor.
On motion of Scion A. Richmond Mr..
Crosby's motion was amended so that
the article was laid on the table, to be
called up later
The first real contest of the day came
when article was taken up. statute
enacted in 1910 provides that at each an
nual town meeting the voters shall decide
whether to empower the selectmen to
appoint one or two road commissioners
or whether they shall elect from the floor.
Article was to act under this statute.
Mr.. Richmond noted that Road Com
missioner d. T. Perry's time, for the
town and for the state, the past year
amounted to 3691s days or more than
full year He asked if it was customary
or legal to charge the town and the state
both at the same time.
Mr.. Perry replied that through an error
seven days labor performed by another
man named Perry had been credited to
him, and in other ways the report APP
peared to show 10 days more work by
him than he performed, or 20 days in
all. and that through necessity in the
matter of state work he often worked
several hours over time, which account
ed for the extra days. He said that in
no instance had he charged twice for
his work. In regard to the errors to
which Mr. Holden called attention Mr.
Perry said that some of the items Of
payments for work included different
rates per hour and that while the items
might appear to be errors he would
guarantee that the totals in money paid
were correct. 1t should be stated that
the items of payments to Mr. Perry in
the seectmens account are duplicates Of
the items in the road commissioners &C.
cound and should not be added together
in determining the total amount of SER
vice rendered by Mr. Perry.
Without wishing to cast any reflection
upon any town official Mr.. Richmond
said the taxpayers paid for report they
could understand. He moved that the
appointment of road commissioner be
made by the selectmen Just what fol-
lowed Is subject upon which men dis
agree. Somebody moved that two COM
missioners be appointed. Mr.. Crosby
moved to amend by having one appoint
ed George L. Durham. thought we
didn't need two road commissioners any
more than a cat needed two tails, that
we ought to have only one and that one
ought to be elected from the floor, that
the town was going wrong in trying to
educate a new commissioner every year,
that the roads in the Roman empire be-
fore the time of Christ were better than
the modern highways of tarvia, ma
cadam and other preparations and that
highways were the most practical. He
seconded Mr. Crosby's motion to amend
by having one road commissioner.
The amendment was carried and then
Mr.. Durham moved that the voters elect
from the floor. The newspaper men who
were taking notes and many others un-
derstood that that motion was put and
carried and they were surprised to hear
Mr.. Richmond renew his motion that the
office be filled by appointment Things
were coming thick and fast, however, and
as there was a misunderstanding the
chair referred to the town clerks notes,
which did not show that the voters had
voted to elect. In order to clear the
air Mr.. Durham withdrew his motion
and Mr.. Richmond and others called for
a ballot, the yes votes to mean that the
selectmen should appoint, the no votes
TO mean that the office should be filled
by election The result was: Yes 1914,
no 1873.
Tn tho election of officers under article