St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-02-07
new HOME FOR
TOWN & COUNTY
Suggested That Town, Village and
County Erect New Building.
OR REMODEL PRESENT
Central Fire Station Needed and More
Commodious Offices for Officials

| Central Fire Station Needed and More
Commodious Offices for Officials
| A meeting of all the taxpayers Of
the village and town of St. Johnsbury
has been called for Friday evening,
Feb. 8, "to consider the feasibility
| of village, town and county joining in
the remodelling of the present court
house and town hall, or OF building
anew, a structure which would serve
better the present needs of each body
polite" Following an agitation which
has been under way for some time,
started by many of the prominent
business men of the village and town,
certain citizens petitioncd the town
and village officers to call q meeting
and now the question must be decided
by the voters.
n 1t has been pointed out by those
interested that the village needs a
centrally located fire station; that the
county affairs could be administered
to better advantage if the offices were
not so crowded, especially the offices
of county clerk and judge Of probate,
/ and it has been further shown that
the town should have a hall that
would comfortably house it's 1900 or
1900 voters. The latter considera-
ton became more apparent the last
election, when voters who could not
get within the rail- before the box
was turned were practically Gis-
franchised.
1t has been suggested, why consider
each need separate from the other?
a combining of the public interests
would be. economical, cooperative
and efficient, and would result in the
erection of q structure that would
meet the needs of both present and
future.
The principal thing that has been
shown by those who have looked into
the matter is, that there should be no
needless expense for the purchase of
iIof a suitable site, Which has in the
i.4past been estimated al about $40 goo.
/ One Of the finest loeations it is said.
would be the~site- of the present court
house and town hail. It has been
assured that the structure could i}e
: extended and srempdelled so as to
comfortably house all departments
l needed for the public welfare, and
, that it does not appear that a new
building need be erected
$ Central IIgc Station.
The business men and officials who
from time to time have had the
matter under consideration, in speak
: ing of the fire station question say,
t that two conditions have obstructed
; the erection of such q structure.
First, d disa greemcnt as to l0ca-
/; ton: and second, to cost. 70 those
> studying conditions it has been prov
ed with but little doubt; that the fire
: station should be located at a point
|. from which the fire fighting equip
: ment could most quickly reach The
> fire; and that the apparatus should
IS not be handicapped by being COM
PEELED to start up hill, as at present
i when the gasoline engines are cold
: 1t has been pointed out also that {
IS two or three minutes delay at the
= start might be responsible for the
! loss of valuable property. In the
. case of some large industry thi'
s might mean loss Of work for man,
>. in the employ of such concern fol
l. some time, and would be felt by th'
II whole community.
" With the fire station situated in thu
e remodelled, or new building at th
> top of the hill it has been furthe
e shown, the whole village would b.
o equally we'll protected and the fir
t. equipment would be in a position t.
le ':get away on quick start III eithe
direction. In installing the fire ap
paratus in such a building a sayin!
,e would be effected and both question
It as to price and location solved.
10 Town Hall.
~ Following the election last Novem
~ ber much comment was heard amon
If the voters who jammed the hal
70 during the afternoon. concerning III
Inadequate number of booths and tn
: inability of the hall to comfortabl
- house the persons present. Man
- have spoken Of conditions in the pas
"a when voters have had to stand fo
q. hours in order to participate in tn
- proceedings of town or village meet
g. g. ings Those who have thought o
~ the matter have expressed themselve
= as favoring such a plan as wort
- while if only for that feature alone.
County Court House.
It has been rumored that tn
Il county would appreciate more rool
or for the carrying on of the count
nd business The clerks and judge {
n 4 probate offices have been said to be s
&C. crowded as to make them wholly il
p adequate to the countys needs.
Lr- Another thing which has been cal
b. ed to the attention of the selectmG
u and trustees is that such d ldiT
it could be built so as to house all, tow
he village and county Offices. The ce
lfy sation Of rental for Offices that a
M now scattered about the town and vi
lage has been shown as netting col
lid siderable sum each year i'll cash.
Ir. addition to the vault now caring f
he county records could be made to pr
ul- vide storage for town and village do
,ed uments.
nd Those making study of the stu
.if- ton also mention what could be teri
slit ed as '.by product" and One tn
lily would enhance it's value" That is Il
he use Of the building TO foster comnlu
i've ity spirit and pride: to preyide pIa
for community 'gsf-togcther' gatbe
ings at certain periods. It has al