The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-16
City Council Proceeds to IN
sure City Hall Sep
arately
CUTTING INSURA' ,sss
TO $1,000 rICY
School Commissioners OPP
posed to More Insurance
on School Buildings

Insurance on the city hall is cut from
S5l,ooo to $4,000 for the coming year.
the aldermanic property committee will
proceed along the usual lines to indem-
nifty other city property from fire loss,
land the proposal to overspread the city's
insurable realty with blanket schedule
is dismissed for year. at least, as the
result of action taken at special meet
ing of the city council Saturday night.
The city fathers met at o'clock in
Joint session with the school commits
sioners and it took but few moments
for the two bodies to reach an under
standing on the insurance question.
Both got right down to business and
made q plain statement OF the respec-
tive concessions they would make on an
issue that has been debated in two adj
ministrations.
Briefly, the school commissioners re-
fused Co fatten the insurance ON the
schoolhouses at a higher rate for the
mere purpose of lowering the rate on
the city hall. Against this declaration,
Chairman Bancroft Of the property com
mlttee argued that the proposed sched-
nle would mean little or no saving to
the city il the commission persisted in
its stand The commission persisted.
and Alderman Cooks motion to reduce
the insurance on the city hall and to
continue the present method of insuring
other municipal property automatically
shelved the much discussed blanket prop
osition. The motion was seconded by
Alderman Keefe and those who did not
vote TO sustain it did not vote at all
Saturday nights proceedings brought
an end to a question that has pcrplexed
the city council since the beginning OF
the year. Whether the vanishing blan-
ket schedule in its propositionai stage
leaves vacancy or a vacuum in the
council chamber Is a question for those
who favored or fought it TO discuss.
Since its appearance in the deliberations
OF the council if has been the subject
of more discussion and inquiry than any
other measure in year. Recent de-
velopments indicate that much of the
time devoted to its consideration has
been i'll spent. A counter offer from a
local agency held in allegiance for some
time any action which its supporters
may have contemplated. At the elev-
enth hour the second offer was with
drawn and attention was again rivetted
on single proposition. !, In the mean
time the policies on the city hall had
expired and the insurance for several
weeks has been carried by insurance
men of this city. From the first it was
stated that the city could get an in
crease of S97 600 in its insurance at
decrease in cost OF S2,l00 for fve-year
term. One of the essential drawbacks
to the scheme was the necessity for pay
ing a large portion of the premium in
advance.
AS d matter of fact, the school com
missioners Joined with certain OF tie
councillors in declaring that the citys
insurable structures were already carry
ine enough protection. At the meeting
Commissioner II. G. Woodruff
said the schedule plan would entail an
extra cost of Sl,700, an increase wholly
inasmueh as the school
are sufficiently protected at
the present time. Mayor Ward and Al
derman Hoban, who have opposed the
measure, looked at it in the
light OF a holdup since the men who
drafted the schedule virtually consid-
cred the city hall a poor fire risk only
so long as the city refused to let them
Jack the rates on the schoolhouses and
lower the rate on the city building.
They went so far as to advocate boldly
the proposal of Alderman Cook to slice
the amount of insurance now carried
IN the municipal building. Four school
and every member of the
council were present when the mayor
,aIled the meeting to order at Z o'clock
4 half-hour later a final disposition OF
he measure had been made.