The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-12
TRUSTEE KIRKLAND
DEFENDS BURNETT
Explains How Records of Former Su.
perintendent Of Streets in Bellows
Were Kept.

The following letter addressed to
the editor of the Bellows Falls Times
and published in that paper, explains
a situation about which much misap
prehension has existed, and by request
it is reproduced in The Reformer:
1t is said lie will travel around
the world while the truth is putting on
his boots. ! am inclined to think that
the same is true in the matter of news
paper scandal. In the faint hope that
truth may catch up, l would like to
say few words III regard to-we
won I say accusationS-bu innuendoes,
considering the conduct of our late SUI
Icrintendent of Streets Mr.. Burnett.
Those sheets which were torn from
his record book 'rned out to be mem
oranda of charges for work done for
the village, some of which had been
paid for, and some not. On leaving his
position Mr. Burnett transferred what
was unpaid to the card index, and as
the pages were disfgured and did not
look very well, he tore them out and
fortunately took them home. If he has
would have taken particular pains TO
destroy them.
In regard to the Baldasaro matter
this was ease where there had been
trading back and forth between Mr..
Baldasaro and the village. The vii
lagc had furnished Mr.. Baldasaro with
material and labor and he on the other
hand had paid back partially in ma
terial, including an oil pump which
the village needed for its work. All
this some of the former board of trus-
tees knew about. Mr.. Burnett, as the
account remained unsettled, had taken
il with him and endeavored all summer
20 get a settlement with Mr.. BaldaSaTo.
He had also written his successor, Mr..
Lawlor, in regard TO the matter, and
had used every means possible to get
the affair Strengthened out. He was
not obliged to do this but like any
honest and obliging man was willing
to do more than his part. The ae-
count is now made out and now in
the hands Of Mr.. Capron, the treasurer.
The extreme anxiety BETRAYED by a Ger.
tain member OF the board in urging
the immediate collection Of the debt
is in flaming contrast to the howl OF
objection he put up last spring when
the attorney for the village proposed
to adopt legal measures to collect q
bin of over $500 due from the Street
! Railway company, which should hav,
been paid and which they had agreed
To pay long before.
In this correspondence with tn,
| board, MI Burnett expressed his will
| ingness to 90 before them any Satur
4 day night and answer their questions
| providing the accusation would be writ
| ten out and signed by the name o,
names Of the trustees making the com
plant. This reasonable request ha;
not been complied with. One can hard
| " blame Mr.. Burnett for wishing some
feyidenee of fairs treatments soeforez.ap
! pearing before the board as he had at
| tended former meetings and know!
/ what a food OF vituperation and abust
\ are poured out Oh the unfortunate NOR
| tai who dares 10 differ with a certain
| misguided and belligerent individual
| Abuse Is not argument, but a certain
/ person seems to take that method foi
convincing opponents. After n mar
/ has been called Q liar once he hesitate
about repeating the experience if h,
cares to preserve his sclf-respect.
| regret extremely this mean attacl
! upon 4 worthy man s reputation. Tn,
village never had more ronscientiou
and faithful official than the man wht
served for five years as superintendent
| Of streets He never had vacation
! except an occasional Sunday off. Al
instance Of his ability and desire t,
save money for the village is the fac
that being a skilled machinist he tenn
pered all our drills for us at the crush
err. We are paying skilled man TO
doing work that before cost us nothing
extra. He was ugly honest, an antago
mist of those people who were wasting
the peoples water supply, and WHOM
he never hcsitated to meter.
Speaking for Mr.. Burnett with hi
consent and approval, we should sa
that this is now q ease of "put up
or "shut up. II anyone deems hir
guilty Of malfeasancc of misappropria
ton, the proper course to take is to g
to the courts, they are instituted b
low for the trial of eases, not the new,
papers.
Yours very truly,
EDWARD KIRKLAND.