The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-31
PROPOSE TO BUY RAILS
FOR STREET CAR LINE
Because Barre & Montpelier Traction &
Power Co. Has Persistcntly Refused
TO Make the Purchase in Order
TO Permit Laying of Perma-
nent Street.

In the face of refusal on the part Of
the Barre & Montpelier Traction & Pow
err Go, TO assume its legal share of th
expense incident to building perman' !,
highways on Washington and S =
Main streets, the aldermanie street
mittee went TO the city council II e
eial session last night for auth. to
buy the type of car rails that must be
used wherever paving or cement highway
is introduced. BY a margin of one vote
the committee obtained the necessary
sanction. Opponents to the proposal
based their objection on the ground that
the railway is legally bound by its fran
chise to furnish the rails and that the
finances of the city will not permit the
additional expenditure.
On the rolleall Mayor Gordon and Al
dermen Glysson. Healy and Bruce voted
in favor OF authorization and they were
opposed by Aldermen Shurtleif, Reynolds
and Rossi.
Chairman Glysson, reporting for the
street committee, stated that the trac-
tion people had repeatedly refused TO
abide by the franchise to the extent of
buying the rails and that the committee
had discovered a place where rails may
be purchased. even though steel rails are
scarcity at this time. II was repre-
sented that the rails needed, if perma-
nent highways are to be built on Wash
ington and South Main streets must be
nine inches high and weigh l06 pounds
to the yard. They are of the type known
as girder rails, which are heavier and
higher than the traction rails used in
gravel roadbed The committee strongly
recommended the purchase for the rea-
son that the scarcity of rails may CON
tinue indefinitely. Moreover, it was in
timated that the cement highway on
Washington street may be put in this
fall
Opposition to the report was grounded
in the belief on the part of Aldermen
Shurtleff, Reynolds and Rossi that the
street department finances are at an un-
low ebb. with four months Of
the fiscal year remaining. The claim was
made that all Of the $4,000 appropriated
for streets in the yearly budget has been
expended, in addition to an extra appro-
priation Of s3,l0O for a street department
motor truck. The opposition figured
that the rails will mean an extra expen
iiture Of $500 over and above the ST.,
900 appropriated by the city for the
South Main street projects and the state
aid money. council appropriation and
abutters' portion OF the money needed
to finance the Washington street high
way. The sum of $500 expended for
rails, 1t was said represented money
which the traction company should pay
instead Of the city, unless it chooses to
sbrogate the franchise granted when the
-oad was esta blished
Stress was laid on the delays already
encountered in bringing plans for the two
proposed highways to a head and the
street committee went on record as IA |
foring any move that would hasten the |
lay when two much discussed projects |
ire completed.
Before adjournment came, the council |
,layed hammer tattoo on the Tenney |
for alleged derelication in the /
natter Of furnishing adequate street |
ights. It was asserted that the COM |
,any officials are notoriously careless in |
he matter of replacing incandescent |
amps that have outlived their usefulness
nd by way of showing the illumination
'eople that they mean business in the
natter of enforcing their contract with
he house of Tenney, the councilmen
oted to levy charge OF 81 for the alb
ence of illumination at the farther end
i Beckley street. At the rate OF 81 per
light for every night that inhabitants in
hat section were without street light,
t was decided to subtract ST from the
ext lighting bill.
Previous to the council meeting the
ldermane finance committee came to-
ether to pass on number of bills rem
cred since last week. While the com >
litteemen were at work it was stated
hat warrants necessary to cancel out
tanding bills in the street department /
-ould exhaust the appropriation for the
ear.
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