Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-10

snip or lne present town cOuncll was made plain at the annual financial appropriation recommended, including an increase of $10 a month in the pay of members of the police force, was approved and without question.
 Not over fifty taxpayers were pres ent.
 Eugene B. Pendleton was moderator
 After the reading of the official call by Clerk Everett F. Whipple. Rich ard J. Butler. submitted the report of the auditors which showed the total were $756,771,75. The water depart ment debt is $210,262 .24, and the total debt of the town $594.54197
 Treasurer James M. Pendleton's re- port showed a cash balance on hand of S3.055.67, and receipts of $325,s64.96. crease of $29,672.27.
 In the absence of Senator Louis W. Arnold, president of the board of wa- ter commissioners. the report was Kenzie. The receipts for the year were S4S,693.93, and expenses. $32, 2,617- .06, a balance of $S,655.G5. The total cost of the system to date is S457.- 25S.04. The bonded debt is S23S, 900, the floating debt s4S,200. total of $281,2G0. The sinking fund is $70.- 945.26, and the net debt S210, 0,255. Milo Clarke stated that the town was to be congratulated upon the excellent man. agement of the water department. When the real value of the plant is considered, 1t is big asset to the town, and therefore while the debt of the town seems large it's size is great ly diminished by this valuable asset
 
 Thomas Perry, of the school com mittee, made the annual report show ing total receipts 62,527.70, with a cash balance in hand at the beginning of the year of SPECS. The expenses asked for an increase of $4,000 in ap- propriation to install fire escapes and l other school improvements. adr. Per- ry stated that since the town system of schools had been established the ] accounts had not been audited. He recommended that hereafter the ac- l counts of the school committee be audited as are the other town depart ments.
 The report of EIIery c. Barber. ov- | erseer of the poor, was read by Clerk WhipPle. He was reading it in out 1 line, when the full report was asked for. Then the names of the poor ben etciaries and the amounts each re- l ceived were made public The total receipts by the department, including l the appropriation of $2, 800, was 1 SS,292.64, and the expenses. including l the salary of the overseer, the keeper of the town farm, and all other costs l besides the care of the poor at the farm and the outside poor amounted 1 to $S,292.66, or two cents in excess of l the receipts.
 Councilman Frances 6. HasweIl sub-
 1aItted the report of the highway
 committee, which showed a total of
 receipts of $20, ,3S6. .99. The expenses
 were 19.900.9S. leaving an unexpended l balance of $4,436.01 at the end of the
 fiscal year Included in the report
 and charged to the special appropria- | tion of $65,000 for the Watch Hill | road. was the sum of 500 authorized i by the town council for engineering
 work and for the expenses of the com
 mittee in making investigations in
 connection with the reconstruction of
 that highway.
 James M. PendIeton, chairman of
 the sinking fund conr1iss;on made 1 report that the total amount of the fund was s70.945.2S. Charles Henry
 Crandall asked: What were the net
 earnings of the water works last year MT. Pendleton replied $16.5o0, | which was deposited in the sinking 1 fund It was further explained by l Superintendent Mckenzie that all the 1 net earnings of the water works went
 into the sinking funds and were in 1 vested in the bonds and notes of the 1 town of Westerly. Mir, CrandalI said 1 the explanation was fully satisfac- i tory.
 Clerk WhippIe then read the bud get as prepared by the town council
 which was approved by financial town 1 meeting. as follows:
 1 For schools $56.500: evening schools l S400: highways and bridges. SIS. 900.
 oil for highways. s2.000; police, S7,sOo l street lights, S10,2o0; town officers l $1.oo0: town hall, g, 500; printing and 1 advertising, $1.000; charity, $2, l care of shade trees. $500; books fol | Memorial library. $200: Budlong Post G. A, R.. $150; Brucker Camp U, s l w. ". $25: band concerts S100: moth 1 exterYnination. S200. county agent ex~ 1 tension s200 miscellaneous. s3.625, in. | terest account $17,000. state tax. S12.- 900: assessor plots $500; fox and wood chuck bounties. $500; total, $40, 800 The increases are: schools, S4000; police. $500; town officers, S1,O00; l street lights, $200; state tax, A$3O0o: assessor plots, $500; bounties, s58O.
 The town council referred a petition for improvement of Pearl street to the town meeting which was explained bv Cornelius Haswen To do this work would require quite an expenditure and could not be done without a. spec ial appropriation. No action was
 taken. so the petition is still with the | council It was voted that the rax 1 levy be the same as last year $1 1.5O per $100 of tangible property and 40 cents
 on each $100 of intangible property. John Cato, Of the Bradford section
 made earnest appeal for the improve | n1enf of the highway between Westerly and Bradford stating that it was ab-
 solutely unsafe for traffic, and at cer- tain seasons was impossible. He strongly urged that some provision be
 made to put this road in decent con | dition. and suggested an appropriation | Of S, GOO. Treasurer Pendleton stated i that the appropriations already made | would reach to the full debt limit of
 the town. This matter was generalIy discussed. but the matter was drop- ped when Cornelius Haswell suggested l that in short time the highway work of the town was to be taken from the l town council and assumed by a board of commissioners. to be elected. He believed the commissioners would find | a way to give the needed attention to
 the Westerly Bradford highway. 1 The usual rate was adopted auth | orizing the town council to exempt new | industries from taxation for term oi
 ten years: also, authorizing the treas urer to borrow money for the use oi