Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-09
N D DECISION ON
AlL-T|ME HEALTH
OFFICER QUESTION
Gasoline Tank on Pearl ST., New
Garage Contract, Petitions
for Street Lights Are
Considered.

The regular monthly meeting of the
board of aldermen, Monday evening, was
fraught with much excitement. The idea
OF having a health officer for Burlington
who would devote all of his time to the
health conditions in this city. was talked
over but no definite action was taken
1t being the opinion of the members that
the board of finance and local board OF
health would be able to get together on
the subject before action on the board
or aldermen was necessary. petition
from c. l.. Woodbury. to put I'm pump
and gasolene tank on Pearl street In
front of the Studebaker garage also called
forth talk of a very interesting nature.
ALL-TIME HEALTH OFFICER.
DR.. f. w. Sears, chairman of the local
board of health, was present and the
members of the city council took the
| opportunity to question him about an
| all-time health officer for Burlington The
State law provides that Burlington shall
have such a health officer and the State
board OF health will appoint any man
who is recommended by the local board.
The local board sees that the health
officer does his duty but the aldermen
are the ones who must pay the bill. DR..
Sears stated that his board thought the
work would be better accomplished II
one efficient man were paid for all OF
/ his time. that 1t would be economy to pay
one man sl,JO0 or sl.SOO per year for all
time than to pay another 5000 per year
| for part of his time. Alderman Luck
was of the opinion that the COMMITTEES
on finance and the board of health would
| be able to get together. Letters from
| the klifa club and from the social survey
committee were read, petitionlng for an
all-time health officer.
| GASOLINE TANK ON PEARL STREET
| A petition from C. l.. Woodbury. was
| read in which he asked that license be
| granted to install gasoline tank and
| pump to furnish gasoline to automobiles
In front of the Studebaker garage at
| $50 Pearl street Alderman Bayles gave
IT as his opinion that no such licenses
| had been granted for various other
| tanks which have been sunk beneath the
streets In various parts Of the city.
| Elihu B. Taft was present at the meet
| ing and took advantage Of his opportun-
ity to acquaint the members Of the
board In regard to the use of the public
| highway. The highways. he said. are
| for public travel and not for private
| business interests. The board has no
| right to give license for the erection Of
anything upon them, according to law,
but Mr.. Taft wanted. il plums were
| being passed to special ones to obtain
the privilege of building upon the land
now used as tulip bed in front Of
Memorial hall one-story office building
| ic In q
granting OF such favors and even II
there were they would be of no avail
unless made possible by the Legislature.
| The pumps are not ornamental and 1t Is
simply a case OF business man moving
| his business into the street to obtain
more business. Alderman Buell. raised
| the question as to what would happen
IL those who had placed them in the
| streets We're ordered to take them out
and 1t was Mr.. Taft's opinion that they
| would have to move them. Other ar
engagements might be made where the
gas could be carried in cans to tho
car. Alderman Woodbury. brought out
| the point that owing to insurance rates
gas could not be kept in the buildings.
| Alderman Buell. said he was ready to
clean up the streets OF Burlington. talk
there under the law. This would include
the display Of vegetables on the side
walks. many signs. automobiles stand
ing in the streets for hours at a time.
etc. Alderman Boucher was of the opin-
ion that the license should be granted
and that no unfairness be shown any
| one. Mr.. Taft stated II was not a case
| Of fairness. but one Of the law which
l Ll ~
purpose OF public travel and nothing
else.
The motion to grant the license was
put before the board and an aye and nay
vote called for. which resulted in the
license being granted. Aldermen Luck.
Mansur. Baylies. Dwyer voting nay and
Aldermen Kieslich. Boucher, Buell.. Wal
ker and Lessor voting aye. Alderman
Woodbury. was excused from voting
| This. however, does not necessarily
grant the license, which has yet to be
signed by Mayor Drew and which could
be vetoed II he refused to sign.
KLIFA CLUB ASKS FOR LIGHT.
A petition signed by about IS residents
was read. asking for a light in front
OF the Klifa club on Pearl street. which
Is about half way between Willard and
| Williams streets Mr.. Taft said that
the light was not necessary that the
street was not particularly dark and
that all Of the signers We're connected
with the Klifa club which club should
maintain the light II they desired It In
front OF their house, Alderman Lessor
stated that lights had been placed In
front OF churches where they were need
ed Tor the people at large and he
thought that enough people were inter-
ested 80 that it should be granted. AL
dermen Buell. and Woodbury. both spoke
In favor Of granting the request On
motion of Alderman Boucher the COM
munication was referred to a committee
or three to he appointed by the chair to
investigate the need of the light and
report back. Alderman Kieslich favored
a regulation space between lamps which
others on the board thought might be-
come expensive as everyone who could
do so under the restrictions would ask
for light, A petition for light on
Park avenue at Lakeside coming from
smith r. Henry. president of the YER
mont hardware company, the light to
be situated near that plant west OF the
railroad tracks, was referred to the
electric light commissioners.
NEW GARBAGE CONTRACT
new contract for the collection OF gar
page IN Burlington was read and adopted
me only difference between the new con-
tract and the one which f. S. Hathaway
IaEreed to last mopth that the term