The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-24
Barre Conn Toners Ask
Aldermen Secure an
Amend g It to Charter
SO AS - RAISE
IS .tE BY TAXATION
Claim Made That Barre Is
Not Keeping Pace with
Other Places

| To keep apace with the steadily climb
| ing expenses of maintenance and to Sc
/ cure for the children of the city educa-
| tional privileges on a level with those of
other municipalities, members Of the
4 Barre school commission are asking for
! legislation that will permit the electorate
/ to provide larger annual school fund by
! increasing the tax rate. The subject was
| discussed at a joint conference of the
board of aldermen and the commission at
city hall yesterday afternoon, with the
result that the aldermanic legislation
1 committee has taken under advisement
suggestions for bringing about the de-
sired authority for increasing the tax
rate An amendment to the charter is
! the first STEP and to amend the charter
| the city must obtain legislative enact
ment from the general assembly.
/ 1t is a matter of common knowledge
that the yearly tax levy for the main
tenance OF the schools has left little lee
way for advancing the salaries of the
teachers. Figures showing the compare
1 tive salaries received by teachers in Barre
and Montpelier were submitted before
the aldermen by Supt G. H White, who
accompanied the commissioners on their
visit to the council chamber. The argu-
ment, in support of the statistics, was
advanced that Barre cannot expect to re-
/ tain it's experienced teachers or to secure
the services of desirable instructors un
| less it is ready to pay the price that
teachers are compelled to ask under pres
ent living conditions.
| The salaries Of grade teachers in Mont
pelier so ran the superintendent report,
range from $3.50 to $3.50; from $475 to
$3.50 in Barre Women teachers in Mont
pelier high school receive from 500 to
81 800; at Spaulding, from 800 to 81 600.
Men teachers are getting from 81 400 to
81 900 in Montpelier. In Barre the sal
aries paid range from 81 200 to 81 900.
/ Appended to the report was an item an
/ ticipating ST 900 for domestic science
1 equipment and 81 900 for teacher.
/ 1t was the regular weekly meeting of
the aldermen, called day earlier than
usual in order TO approve the city pay
rolls before Christmas. The school com
/ missioners, W. I. Calder, John G. Booth
and W. H. Eager, with Supt. White, were
heard first. After citing the impending
increase in teachers salary, Mr. Calder,
who was presenting the case, said that
coal, repairs and other expenses were in
creasing, while the city's share of the
state school fund is steadily decreasing
year by year Supt. White said that in
other years Barre used to receive from
/, S6 900 to $4,000 as its share of the re-
/ distribution. In one year it slumped TO
/ S2 400, and last year it was 81 300
/ The city charter at present permits the
assessment of 70-cent school tax, and
/ latterly an extra school tax of Is cents
lhas been levied. The commissioners
! found in the city fathers sympathetic
audience, and the conference ended sat
| isfaetorily, it seemed when Alderman
McMillan's motion to refer the proposed
amendment to the legislation committee
was seconded and carried without dis
sent
| Barre is to have poultry show after
/ all and the city government is going to
cooperate TO the extent of donating the
use of the opera house. As delegates Of
| the Vermont Poultry association, Judge
H. w Scott and Edwin Keast said that
Jan. 81, % and % are tentative dates for
| the show, which the organization pro-
poses to hold despite the fact that the
war has played havoc with most poultry
associations The aldermen were in
| formed that the government is urging
every association to hold its annual show
| this year No admission will be charged
and the committee promised to leave the
| theatre in good condition after the show
Permission to use the hall was granted
on a motion made by Alderman McAfil-
Ian.
Two measures which the aldermen pur-
pose to carry before the general assembly
for action were discussed and referred
back to the committee on legislation.
Relief from payment of board bills Great
ed by delinquent taxpayers jailed by the
constable is sought in proposed amend
mcnt calculated to make delinquency q
misdemeanor, so that the delinquent may
be made to work out his board and, pos
sibly the tax. The subject of changing
the date when the collection of taxes
shall be gotten under way was also dis
cussed.
Alderman Rizzi introduced a sugges-
tion that was quickly approved when he
asked that steps be taken toward provid-
ing a statute whereby the banks may be
required to reveal the amount of money
on deposit if the deposit is credited to a
person whom the city is assisting. It
WAS HlRueu Wy Va chC bO@ih
that known cases have developed where
city dependents had snug sum to their
credit in the bank The suggestion was
relayed to the legislation committe.
The city council order directing Build
ing Inspector Oscar Slayton to raze q
shed on Hall street if the owner did not
raze it before Dec. 2l is to take its
course. This notwithstanding request
from Bertha NJ Rugg Gillard of Lowell,
Mass, the owner, and II. A. Rugg, the
agent of the property, that the order be
held in allegiance until after the holidays.
The building has been condemned as a
menace and the owner was notified early
in December to remove it.
The following warrants were approved
for payment: Street payroll, Sl77l5; G.
N. Tilden, for the park commission, $254;
engineering payroll, Sl73l; water pay
roll, $l62.37; fire payroll, Sl4S.76; police
payroll, $l0370; James Smart, $46.20,
services as health officers Henry Alexan
der, $g2l0 services as alderman; Nelson
Parker, 1896, labor G. e. Cutler, Sl0.SO,
services in the fire department; Louise
H. Gridley, SIS, services in the charity
department; street sprinkling assess
ment, 5000; engineering department,
$6l5.0S, labor for other departments; $50
for j. +. Spencer as compensation.
Just before adjournment the aldermen
took their customary fling at warrant
prepared in connection with the asses
sors' payroll, but no action was taken.