The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-11-06
CRITICISM MADE
OF FINANCE METHODS
Mayor Glysson Said That There Is Too
Much Laxity in Examining State
ments and Some Go Through
Without Approval.

''over the top" at the regular meeting of
the city council last evening when Mayor
Glysson called his colleagues sharply to
task for lax methods in accounting de-
partmental finances. All signs pointed
to reprimand when delays which have
become habitual Of late kept the execu-
tive from calling the meeting to order
until more than half-hour had elapsed
after the appointed time, and the gather
| ing storm broke loose when scrutiny of
the monthly accumulation of warrants
developed the information that several
of them, apparently, We're slipping
through the hopper without the required
Q. X. marks. Second only to the Incl
dent of executive censure, was the some
what high tension caused by colloquy
between Chairman Milne and Alderman
Rossi of the street committee. The
clash came in the shank of the evening,
and where working plan for better su-
pervision of department finances may
grow out of the mayors little message,
nothing came of the street committee
hook in
Much of the dilatory attitude toward
council affairs which has marked any
number of meetings this year was in evil
dence when the hour for business arrived |
Alderman Alexander, usually a pune
tilious member, was absent and remained |
among the missing Others, like Shake
speare's well known school boy, seemed |
to creep unwillingly and somewhat snail |
like into the hall of toll. At one stage |
the mayor gave vent to his dissatisfac-
tion by suggesting that the council ad-
journ until tonight. Only Aldermen
Reynolds, Loranger and Healy were there
to hear the suggestion, and when q quor
um was finally counted, it developed that
some of the delay was due to business
left unfinished by committee heads.
As soon as the warrants had been
read by the clerk Mayor Glysson deposed
that he was not at all satisfied with the
way bills had been approved. He char
acterized as slipshod the methods used
and hinted that some of the members
didn't know whether they were going
or coming. It seemed that there were
those who were on the way, for Alder
man Milne thought that conditions
would be greatly remedied if cost and
distribution systems were introduced in
.ity affairs. Alderman Rossi added his
word to the record by saying that 5000
barrels of cement had been purchased by
he street department, although he, a
member of the street committee, never
had seen a contract,
Whereupon Alderman Milne stated !
hat verbal contract had been made
With the n ID. Phelps Co. for 5000 bar
els and that it was good buy, an as
ertion substantiated by the mayor, who
aid that Mr.. Phelps was losing on the
eal and had endeayored to recall part !
f the trade, or words to that effect lit !
evelopad that 1000 barrels had been !
from the Allen Lumber Co. by @
ormer Alderman Bruce There was talk c
t a surplus supply of cement and Alder $
nan Healy advised disposing of what 4
hould remain after the street work is c
one.
To end the discussion a motion was '
ffered whereby the heads of all depart =
rents must have their bills in the hands '
+ the city clerk before the fifth of each y
lonth and that the council as a commit ,
ee of the whole shall sit with the finance RI
,mmittee on the Wednesday evening N
fter the fifth of each month. The only Il
bjection came from Alderman Reynolds, N
no said that the present administration
not too strong financially and that
the end of the year, under the pro- ce
osed new ruling. bills aecumulating in or
instead OF II months would be charged ~
the administration. The motion car 70
ed oo
Alderman Rossi voiced the criticism of be
any residents in the matter of the un- "a
lished sidewalk ON North Main street, as
ON Blackwell to North Seminary 60
rect. III any more work was to be IA
me after the South Main street con ~
act is finished, he favored North Main Al
rect as a location. although he had ";
en- led to believe that the street com ne
ttee proposed to build the fremont
rect walk first. Chairman Milne said
at the committee planned to transfer
e South Main street gang and equip -,
mt TO North Main street at once and ~
at in the meantime men were to build :"
thin-laye walk on fremont street o. !"
lere a curbing is not to be used 1t ~ou ~
me out that much trouble with the ui
me crusher is curtailing the amount of m na
lshed stone available. While the sub '"'
{ was in review, Alderman Loranger a
led if members of the street committee ~
II conferred over the work. intimating oy