The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-04-28
ASSESSORS GIVEN
MORE PAY, BUT ALL
OTHERS THE SAME
Citizens Meeting Last Evening Was One
of the Most Diverting in Recent
Years, Full of 0ratory and
Other Entertainments.


rain, his plain duty as citizen, missed
by staying indoors. one of the most in
teresting assemblies OF the proletariat il
some years. One of Chaucer's or North
field Bill Shaw's April showers had its
way with a majority of the citizenry, but
some over 100 voters assembled at 1886
! o'clock to hear the warning read by the
/ city clerk and to listen or join in the dis.
| cussion that inevitably marked every
measure in and out of the call. 4. G
| Rowland presided as moderator and
James Maekay was elected clerk
In a very much briefer period that it
| took the voters and the public speakers
to make up their minds it may be said
that the nights doings were summarized
thus; Voted to pay the city clerk and
treasurer 5000 and fees; voted to pay
the aldermen and auditors 80 cents per
hour, as formerly, and the assessors S4
per day, instead Of $3.50, voted. to carry
on the evening drawing school and to
levy special tax Of two cents for its
maintenance; tarticle 6) Ito do any 9TH
er proper business" rejected proposal to
exempt from taxation any new industries
that may be recommended by the Board
of Trade; discussion on daylight saw
ing" tabled; city hall insurance, voted
to accept the recommendation of the
aldermanic property committee that sex
eessive" rate of 1910 per year be discard
ed and that the city carry its own insur-
ance; motion to limit tax levy in 1917
to sl.75, rejected.
Scarcely a measure rustled through or
sank into oblivion without debate. While
the aldermen and the auditors skated by
on 30 cents per hour, the eyes of the in
quiry Office were turned on the salary of
the city clerk and treasurer and the per
diem stipend Of the assessors, Ex Mayor
Harvey Hersey was the speaker of the
evening, but when the venerable Mr..
Hersey left the hall there were others to
don his toga and continue the riot of CAB.
With the perfunctory steps toward or
ganization out of the way. attention was
turned to article 2, and d. NJ. Barclay
moved that the city clerk and treasurer
be paid as in the past, the motion being
seconded by Paul Bianehi. Whereupon
Mr. Hersey offered as a substitute mo-
tion decreeing "that the city clerk and
treasurer be paid a salary of $4,000 per
year with the understanding that the
incumbent provided his own assistants
and pay them aud place to the credit Of
the city all income collected" J. T. Cal
laghan seconded, and II. II. Jackson arose
to point of order, received permission
to state his point, and inquired if the
substitute motion was in order. Mr..
Hersey took the floor and spoke spirited
" of his theory that the clerk and treas
urer should be paid "man's salary" and
no more T. L. Scott got the chairman's
attention long enough to inquire what
the city clerk had been receiving and was
by that official that in late
years his salary amounted TO S3,500
some 81 200 or 81 600 of which had been
paid out for the service of assistants.
The substitute motion, as framed by Mr.
Jersey was lost in sea of no votes and
Mr., Barclays motion was carried by a
large majority.
Motions made and seconded, one by
another, by Mr.. Hersey and j. T. Gala
yhan. insured the aldermen and auditors
If their hourly remuneration for anoth-
n year and when it came to fixing the
salary of the assessors Silvio L. Cardi
poke in favor of increasing the per diem
oay from $3.50 to 81, saving that in his /
the assessors had been work /
ng from II to Is hours each day. His /
notion to make it "a was seconded by /
REYNOLDS and Alderman A. A. Milne stat .
d that assessors had recently received .
i2S per week. or thereabouts, assertions 4
which called forth from Assessor A. NJ. 4
2ossi the declaration that after April 20, /
With the military census out of the way,
My the $3.50 per day had been received.
lr. Cards motion prevailed.
Under article 4 it was Mr.. Cardi who
moved that the evening drawing school
e continued. L. r. Hutchinson of the +
ehool commission and c. II. White. SUI
of schools, mentioned
our-eent tax when interrogated, under
rticle. 5. as to the needs of the school
ir. Hutchinson moved that the levy be
our cents. Too high, said Mr.. Hersey, {
nd presently the clerk was telling the /
oters that balance of 81 800 remained
rom last years appropriation and that
two-cent levy would increase the main /
,nance fund for 1917 to $1,000. ID. J. !
ulliysn thought that four cents, at this /
age of the schools existence. was rath {
steep. On Mr. Cardi's amendment to I
ne Hutchinson motion it was voted to |
< the levy at two cents on the dollar. {
Most of the stored-up oratorical en- 7
-gy had its outlet in the sixth article,
hen about everything from ships 10 a
,aiing wax was discussed. Strong for 9
,,,- ;,duetr;oa ATr Harzav iufrodupad q I .
otion granting a l0-year tax exemption r
any new industry, shirt factory, wool I
mill. etc. recommended by the Board n
Trade. John T. Callaghan was there :
second the motion Sec. H. A. Phelps !,
the Board of Trade stated that the :
irt factory seemed practically assured n
ithout any exemption concession and !,
ought that action of the kind contem -
ated bv Mr.. Hersey's motion should be !,
ferred until the organization should !,
K specifically for such a favor. II. H.
ckson and c. y. Tilden. the latter &.
esident of the Board Of Trade. con -
rred with Mr.. Phelps. and Mr.. Hersey, y,
ter listening TO an explanation by the l..
1derator, graciously withdrew his mo- !,
N. ll
Nothing daunted, Mr.. Hersey submit = =
a second typewriter motion in which i,
2 CITY council was instructed 30 keep I.
e tax rate down to sl.75. and TO forego =
E business Of paving South Main street !.
q bridging Jail branch With charac- Z
-istic viror the ex mayor explained the -
1eliness Of his motion bv stating that
" industries cannot be attracted hither
f, h;gb fax rate nrevails No one sec