The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-19
City Meeting Unan 4ous for
Ten-Year P l.
lege !
sATIsFACTc $ SITE
HAS T IN FOUND
Organization of Company
Will Be Completed
Monday

Ten-year exemption from taxation for
the proposed plant of the Peerless Knit
ting Mills Co. III Barre was voted by the
citizens in special city meeting last
night, there being about 100 voters pres
ent and the action being concluded inside
OF 10 minutes. On viva yoee vote there
was no negative vote in opposition to
| exemption.
The meeting was enlivened somewhat
| by colloquy between Angus Mcdonald
and James Cruickshank, as representa-
tiyes of the Central Labor union, and
+, d. Ladd for the proposed COMPANY.
the purpose of the former being to deter.
mlne whether opposition would be placed
IN the way OF unionizing the Barre plant
and whether union labor, so far as pos
sible, would be used in the construction
OF the plant. Mr. Cruickshank declared
that he hoped the industry would come
to Barre but he, along with Mr.. MELON
aid, asserted that if the operatives in the
plant desired to be organized into
union the Central Labor union of Barre
would lend its assistance to that end.
Although not authorized to speak for
the proposed company, as he stated. Mr..
Ladd asserted that he and other mem
bers Of the Barre committee had visited
the Mattapan plant of the Peerless COM
pany and had interviewed operatives
there, finding that the conditions Of laboi
and the wages at Mattapan were salts
factory, and he had every reason to believe
that equally as good conditions would
be made in the proposed Barre plant. In
reply TO second question made by Mr.
Mcdonald, Mr.. Ladd said he considered
1t "foregone conclusion" that union la
Dor would be used, so far as possible, in
the construction of the plant in Barre.
Previous to this discussion Mr. Cruick-
shank had asked j. C. Booth, who had
presented resolution calling for lO-year
exemption, how much the taxes on the
property would amount TO in 10 wears
Mr.. Booth replied that he did not know
but thought City Clerk Mackay could
state, perhaps, what the total in taxes
would be. Mr.. Mackay declared that it
was impossible to answer Mr.. Cruick-
shank's question because il was not
known what valuation the assessors
would be likely to put on such a plant
as the company might build and, in the
second place, it was not known what
rate of taxation would be levied in each
OF the 10 years.
When Moderator Frank G. Rowland
put the resolution for exemption to a
vote there was strong affirmative re-
sponse and none in opposition, after
which Mr.. Cruiekshank moved that the
meeting be adjourned, which motion pre-
vailed
Messrs. Lyon and Scott of the present
Peerless Knitting Mills Co. returned last
night to Mattapan after spending a dav
or two inspecting sites in Barre for the
proposed factory. Although the new
company has not been organized and
there is, therefore, no authority as vet to
select a site, it is said that location
which meets the requirements has been
found in the south end of the city. This
location is large property with a 'front.'
age of l70 feet and runs back to con-
siderable depth, being of sufficient size
to permit of enlargement of the plant
when occasion should arise. Soundings
were made to-day to determine the ma
ture of the soil
1t is expected that after the organiza-
ton Of the new company next week to
take over the business of the Peerless
Knitting Mills Co., deal will be closed
for the locating of the plant in Barre
and that construction will be started at
once