The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-24
THE LAST BLOCK
PIPE EXTENSION
Official of Company Points Out That
Village Is Not Asked to Paw
Guaranty Only Wanted.

We have read the comment in the
Meddler column in your valued paper.
under yesterday S date, in regard to-
the article in the warrant for the. vii
lage meeting calling for contribu-
tion of 500 pear year for ten years
toward the cost of extending the vii
lage water service to our plant. As
there may be some misapprehension
among your readers on this subject we
wish to ask the privilege of stating the
facts of the case, and our views in con
nection Herewith.
Although cur plant is within the vii
lage limits and as soon as our exemp-
tion expires will be subject to the same
taxation as all other plants in town en-
joying full village privileges and pro-
lection, we actually have none of the
services of various sorts that other
plants located nearer the center of the
village enjoy. For example, we have
neither mail nor express delivery. Tel
egrams may be telephoned, but would
not be delivered by messenger. The
street railway is of no service to us.
These items are not vital, but would
add greatly to the enjoyment of doing
business.
The greatest drawback we have is
the lack of public water service. We
have an excellent system of our own
in the shape of large pump and stor-
age tank, which supplies us with water
for our manufacturing purposes, and
for fire protection, but this is depend
ent on the water in the meadow pond
between US and the river. When the
water is drawn down at the dam in
Vernon. as If is today and has been
frequently of late, it is likely to in
terfere with our supply And, what is
more important, it makes it impossible
for the village fire engines to be of
any service to MS even If they were
on the ground in case of bad fire, as
they could not pump water from the
pond. We feel that we are entitled,
in view of the large investment we
have made here, and the amount of our
contribution to the weekly payrolls of
the village, to at least adequate emer-
gency protection in ease of fire.
The water company IS willing to eX-
tend its mains to us if it is sure of 4
certain return on the amount of its in
vestment This return we are willing
to guarantee them. but they feel that
as theirs is public function, of lasting
benefit to the village, their guarantee
should be from the village instead of
from q private corporation. AS far rs
the costs to the village are concerned
so long as we are in business, and we
expect to be here for an indefinite
time. there will be none. Our rates
| for water that we shall use from the
mains will always more than cover the
amount required by the water company
as a guarantee The item in the vii
| lage meeting warrant IS simply as we
| understand it, a guarantee endorsing
our promise to use the required mini,
mum amount of water. We feel that
we can say without reserve that sc
| long as we are in business there will
be no expense to the village on ac.
count of this guarantee.
As to the ultimate use of the mains
by other interests, that is n matter foi
individual opinion We believe that the
mains will be required in the near flu
| ture by other users; in which case, OF
| course. we would be relieved of the
| sole responsibility of the guarantee
| Anv great extension in the manufae
turing interests of the town would nat
urallv be in the direction of our plant
| We believe that other new industries
were in view before the present dis
turbod conditions set in, and TINT wheI
the situation clears up they will locate
here However that may be, we be
lieve that when the ease is understood
as we have presented it. there shoulC
be no serious objection to the village
granting the guarantee requested IL
the warrant for the meeting.
Verv truly yours,
| VERMONT LAST BLOCK co.
Frederic H. Sanford, Sec.-Treas.
| April "a, 1914.