The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-10-28
AUSTRIA SUES FOR PROMPT PEACE:
NEW GERMAN RETREAT Is BEGUN
MINISTER'S PROTEST
WAS PRESENTED
Against Re-0pening of Saloons While
Churches Were Compelled to Re-
main Closed in Barre.

A special city council session, called
by Mayor Glysson Saturday afternoon
at the request Of DR., o. G. SticlSney,
secretary of the local board Of health,
developed into ventilation meeting,
with the city fathers for the most part
holding their breath while the members
of the board of health aired their griev-
ances. Incidental features of the meet
ing concerned protest entered by sew
eral city clergymen against the reopen
| ing Of the soda fountains and saloons.
Even after a session of nearly two hours,
no action was taken, as it was decided
that the city council has no authority to
interfere with the work of the board of
| health.
Both Alderman Alexander and Alder
man Milne objected TO the action of the
board OF health in bringing its business
before the city council for consideration,
and the former, in explaining his stand,
reminded the council that It's members
never had been able to exercise any au-
| thority over the board of health and
that the same statute which divorced the
| two bodies on previous occasions should
operate in the present instance. To this
DIR. Stickney took positive exceptions
and suggested that at least a part Of
! the board of health is created by the
council. He added that matters in the
board Of health are rapidly approaching
an unpleasant condition and asked that
the council take steps to remedy it. AL
derman Alexander asked the secretary
| how II could be done, and the latter re-
piled that resembling the order which re-
opened the saloons and soda fountains
would do it.
The protest from the clergy was read
! by Rev. j. b. Reanion and signed by
| him, together with the following minis
tiers: Revs. E. Grassland, b. G.. Lipsky,
B. j. Lehigh and f. l.. Goodspeed II
cites the fatal results of the recent epi-
demie, mentions the fact that new cases
continue to develop and offers as evil
denee that the danger is not over the
| fact that the state board of health has
refused to allow schools, churches, clubs.
| fraternal organizations and places Of
amusement 70 reopen. Continuing, il
| protests against the re-opening Of the
saloons and soda fountains a. a menace
to the public health and constituting a
discrimination in favor Of saloons and
soda fountains. In conclusion, the pro-
test says: ''If the question of financial
loss is urged as an argument in favoring
of opening the saloons, we would sug
gest that even greater losses are being
incurred by our city by the continued
closing OF the schools, and by the
churches in the interruption OF their
| work"
DIR. Stickney explained that at a meet
ing of the board of health the question
Of re opening saloons and soda fountains
came up. He quoted the state board
of health at that time as saying that
the matter should be left to the local
board OF health, although in the opinion
Of the state board to permit them to re-
| open would be unwise At this nncttIre
Alderman Alexander again reminded the
members of the health board that the
council is without authority in the dis
pute and moved to adjourn.
James Smart, who with Angelo Cal.
derara, both members of the health
board, attended the meeting, 1ntimated
that DIR. Stiekneyis alleged prejudice
against ardent spirits was responsible
for his stand. Mr.. Smart declared that
he himself had no use for the saloon as
an institution, but declared that it il
legaEzed, that 1t pays its license, and
that it should be permitted to do busi.
ness. why don't you close the River
street resorts and other similar places
all over the city?" asked Mr.. Smart, who
went on to declare Illegal resorts had
done more business during the epidem-
ic than the saloons ever did.
While the councillors sat by and pre-
served their silence, the argument waxed
warm. Dr. Stickney said that illegal
resorts had no place in the discussion,
adding that the open saloon is a loafing
place where the danger of contagion ex-
lists. He accused his colleagues on the
board Of Inconsistency in recommending
the closing Of the saloons early in the
epidemic and in re-opening them Satur
| day while other places were required to
remain closed. il came out during the
! debate that Messrs Smart and Calderara
were instrumental in enforcing the clos
| ing order on saloons and soda fountains,
and that Dr. Stickney did not know Of
the course taken by them until after the
order had become operative.
III WIS DOtIFbeu Out III lHt course OF Ille
hearing that the word public assem-
| bly, in the order issued by the state
board of health in which the quarantine
on churches, schools, ETC., was extended
to Nov. might apply to saloons and
soda fountains. IT was construed by
DIR. Stickney that the words gave the
board of health good deal of latitude
in acting. On the other hand it was
stated that soda fountains and pool
rooms in Montpelier remained open
throughout the epidemic in that city.
Not to any extent did the council par.
ticipate in the discussion. Alderman
Alexander said the health board should
close the fye-and-ten-cent store if it's
purpose was to put the lid on every
place where people come together. May
or Glysson and Alderman Healy, as well
as Alderman Milne, said that the ques
tion of whether the saloon and soda
fountain order threatened the public
health was the paramount issue for the
board of health to decide.