The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-08
For Guidance f the Barre
& Montpf Traction
& S any
BARRE $ Y COUNCIL
a s cd IN SECRET
Montpe1..r Council Put the
Franchise in Amend
ed Form

| ing last night made radical amendments
to the tentative franchise drafted by
Barre and Montpelier council commit
| tees and before adjournment was taken
the essential changes were so near the
irreducible minimum that the original
draft preserved few of the important
features written into it at the joint COM
mittee meeting last Thursday. 1t was
Alderman Bruce who moved the council
into executive session after the routine
business had been busted from the ta-
BILE, and from that moment on the fran
chise occupied the undivided attention
of the council members. Sometime aft
er the press had been muzzled, however,
the sum of $25 per year was voted the
inspector of fire alarms and the fire com
mittee was instructed to investigate the
advantage of safe and sane Fourth.
If the draft as offered by the joint
committees differed markedly from the
franchise submitted by the Tenney COM
pany few weeks ago, the gulf between
the two was far wider when the council
had done with amending. Among those
who voted out of existence certain fea-
ttres provided by the joint committees
it was stated to-day that the action thus
taken probably precluded the possibility
of acceptance by the traction company.
As an instrument such as the company
might desire it is a franchise in name
only, sugar coated pill concealing
lethal dose of ipecac which the traction
felix's win undoubtedly disgorge as soon
as its true contents are learned.
Where the committee franchise sought
to have the 5-cent fare apply to the city
limits of Barre the council last night ex
tended its area 10 the town line between
Berlin and Montpelier, thereby fixing the
fare from any terminal in Barre to the
Montpelier line at five cents. Sections
No. l3 and is, referring in the one in
stance to schedules and in the other to
fares and their modification were strick
en- out, as the council expressed an aver
sion to permitting any appeal to the
courts or to the public service commits
sion on questions of fare and schedule.
Sections 4, 10 and 81, however, referring
20 the size of tracks and rails, to i'm
and to the extension of
ines, were approved by the council and
IN these sections the company, if the
franchise were to be accepted by it, could
AIRY appeals to the public service COM
mission. In the 10th section, therefore,
he company, now bound by the present
ranchise agreement, to extend its lines
o the city limits on Washington and
south Main streets, might appeal to the
commission if it seemed feasible.
To-day it was said that unanimity
on every amendment and that
he council seemed disposed to concede
My such measures as did not appear to
acrifice any essential rights now en-
owed by the city. In the event that
he draft, as amended, should be ac-
eptable to the traction company, it is
robable that the council will refer to
he voters in city meeting the question
{ its final acceptance.
Leeway of 10 days is allowed delin
uents in the matter of paying street
prnking assessments and at the ex-
iration of that time all accounts are to
e placed in the hands of the city attor-
ey with instructions to collect. Action
{ this character grew out of report
-om the street committee, which recon-
ended that this procedure be followed.
eporting on the levy against the gov
for street sprinkling in front
the federal building, the committee
embers stated that due notice was not
rived the government last year and
lerefore the money could not be col
cted Notice for the present year, how
-er. had been served and the assessment
ay be collected in the fall. The re-
,rt was accepted and the 1916 assess
ent was abated,
Street committee reports served to
can up a good bit Of unfinished busi-
,ss. For instance, the committee rec
nmended that a portion OF fremont
rect be graded and cement walk laid
far down as the Sowden property;
at the remainder of the walk he
ought to a grade, allowed TO settle
ID winter" and that new cement walk
laid in 1915 The report was the
mmittee's reply TO a petition sent 'n
fremont street abutters. Ii was ac-
pied and the committee received im-
ructions TO proceed with the work
ter investigating the offer OF T. y.
cklev and wife 10 deed a pathway 10
ckley court to the city for a street
? committee reported the area "a be
ly 10 feet wide and recommended that
E offer be turned down. The recon-
,ndation was adopted in accepting tho
port. Turning to Mrs. Haskett's re-
est for relief from sewage conditions
ar Johnson street, the committee re-
rted that the sewer complained Of Is
ated on private property. The report
: accepted. The FIRE committees re-
It, stating that a request Tor pernis-
N TO reshingle the old Methodist
irch on Church street had been with
Iwn was accepted also.
Numerous minor requests were consid-
d. F.. A. Prindle and Alex Mcianie.
olying for plumbers licenses. were
nted the licenses. The request Of
bert & I.adrie for permission % iu-
n an underground gasoline pump IN
st Second street was referred 10 tie
committee, which also received
ourh the building inspector. A. T.
zzelrs request for a permit u maxi
.itions and convert a rink building rr
.rl street into = garage. D.. y. Nor
ndeau notified the council that ccttsia
sons were anxious 10 utilize vacant