St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-02-18
new men NAMED
A. F. Lawrence For SeIectman, D.
E. Porter School Commissioner, A.
L. Douglass Road Commissioner.

The caucus to nominate town of
ficers held last Saturday afternoon
was one of the largest gatherings OF
voters in the history of the primary
total of 415 ballots being cast on
one vote. The school department
came in for a liberal amount of dis
cussion and criticism, and the spirit
of change seemed to prevail through
out the meeting, and as a result
several new names appear on the list
of nominations.
Robert w. Simonds was elected
moderator, and G. G.. Braley was
nominated for town clerk, town treas
urer, and trustee of the public money.
The first contest was over the posi-
ton of selectmen, for three years, the
names of B. A. Farnham, Charles
Weeks and A. F. Lawrence being pre-
sented. The ballot box was opened,
and one voter dropped five ballots
into the hat at one time, and chair
man Simonds declared the ballot
void, and the voting was begun over
again.
as follows: Whole number of votes
CoSI, OOAS H0CSSSdIy lOr cuOlCS,
167. OF these A. F. Lawrence had
1873, Charles Weeks 100, B. A. Farm
ham 95, scattering 4.
AS soon as the result was an
nounced, B. A. Farnham withdrew
his name in favor of Mr.. Lawrence,
and the result of the second ballot
was: Whole number of votes cast,
3S3; necessary for choice, 1872. OF
these A. F. Lawrence had 274, Char
les Weeks 107, scattering 2, and Mr..
Lawrence was declared the nominee
of the caucus.
w. H. H. Robie was unanimously
re-nominated as overseer of the poor
as was also Preston E. May for first
constable and collector of taxes, and
Charles Whitney for lister for three
years.
H. H. Carr, John F. Puffer, and H.
M. Nelson were unanimously named
for auditors, and James B. Campbell
and Harry w. Writers for town grand
jurors.
Discussion of Schools.
When nominations for school direc-
tor for three years were reached
George w. Caldbeck said that he
would like before names were pre-
sented to have a general discussion of
the school situation. This was
granted, and Mr.. Caldbeck said he
wished to ask Charles w. Steele two
questions. The first was whether Mr..
Steele considered it necessary to pay
more on the dollar for an architect
on the remodelling of a school build
ing, when Mr.. Gray, who had spent |
S14, 100000 remodelIing the old Pres
nh GtOrT7 qUQnnR /
had paid the same architect only |
$4,000.
Mr.. Steele, in answer to the ques-
ion, said that the terms of the archi-
,ect were % for complete super
Vision of a new building, and 10 %
IN the repairing of old buildings.
These terms were first made to the
school directors by architect F. L.
Austin, of Burlington, and they also
rot the same terms from the Boston
Board of Architects. Mr.. Newton's
erms were the same as the others.
When the school directors found that
he bids for the repairs were too high,
hey cut out everything that was pos
ibYe to bring the work within the
limits of the appropriation, and the
.rchitect then agreed that his ser I
ices should not cost over 1O9 on
he S3O,OOO.OO appropriated. In ad-
ition to this he agreed to oversee
he installation of the heating plant. I
Mr.. Caldbeck then stated that [
vhen the appropriation for repairs {
vas made, many favored new build /
no. hut voted in favor of an appropri- /
tion for S3O,OOO.OO for repairs, and s
hen told how Mr.. Fletcher, while act
ng as school director, when he found ]
hat the Portland Street School was /
D cost more than was authorized by ]
he voters, called a special town meet ]
1g for a new appropriation. He 6
han put this question to Mr.. Steele:
If Swift & Company should author
ze you to spend $3O,OOO.OO in the
of their buildings, and
ou should spend $45, 100000, what ]
-ould Swift & Company do to you?"
Mr.. Steele replied that it was nee
ssary to get the vote of the town to
rect any new school buildings, but :
OF necessary to secure money to :
lake repairs. While the repairs ex- :
seded the appropriation made, the :
,hool directors expected to care for i
from the general school fund. a
Mr.. Caldbeck stated that the :
nances were if the voters had known :
hat it would cost to repair the old :
uildings, they would have ordered :
new building, and claimed that it :
ould now take $1,000 to complete :
le work. Chairman Steele replied
lat he was in error, and that it G
ould cost only $4,000 for the ad r
Itional work required. i
He was then asked regarding the
eating capacity of the school at pres T
ut, as compared to what it was be- :
ire the repairs were made. Mr.. !
teele said that there were 109 more )
Eats in the Summer Street School
,day than there were a year ago,
nd they are distributed in a way i
lat the children can use them to
stter advantage.
A running debate ensued between
II. Caldbeck and Mr.. Steele, and Mr.. Z
teele stated that when the contract r
as let, the school directors knew U
le work would cost $4,000 more than O
ad been appropriated, and expected c