The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-11-28
MONTPELIER
City Council Grants Practically What
Traction Company Requested.

1
the public service commission to settle
1t was fight all of Wednesday even
ing for the council did not agree upor
what should be granted.
Aldermen Kelly and Yeti of the com
mittee on railroads and franchises, Il
/ which the matter was referred Sept. 30
made a report for the majority of thu
committee in which they recommend
! that they try out for three months q
proposition which they would make
through the council, if adopteds to The
traction company II was that th'
fare in Montpelier be reduced from 81,
to five cents, giving ride at that rate
from the lower end of State street Il
the Pioneer station and on the Sem
mary hill car in the city, that the
Seminary hill car run every half hom
and that the Barre car leave Montpelier
on the hour and make the run to Barre
in As minutes, the fare to Barre being
Is cents.
The representatives of the traction
company were present and did not indi-
cate whether they would adopt this
proposition, for it was somewhat diff.
ferent from the one offered them by
the Barre city council committee.
Alderman Bowers, chairman of the
committee, made a lengthy separate re.
port in which, in substance, he denied
what the company asked, excepting the
45-minute schedule and filed with the
clerk written statement of his objec.
lions. Alderman Smith moved that
the report of the majority of the com
mittee be accepted and adopted This
provided for operation for three months
but such trial to be temporary. and tc
expire not later than March |, the com.
mittee having recommended tempo
rary arrangement. The proposition OF
the majority of the committee was
discussed at considerable length. Al
derman Stratton wanted to see the
original proposition made by the com
pany in writing and did not want to
act until he saw such document. Al
dermen Kelly and Yeti said none had
been presented but were correGted by
the representatives OF the traction com
pany, who stated that on Sept. l6 they
gave copies to Alderman Bowers in
writing. The other two members OF
the committee had not seen this and
were somewhat surprised to learn that
copy had not been given them. A
copy was loaned to Alderman Stratton
by Y. Il. Gleason and the alderman. not
on the committee, studied the proposal
for time, after which a lengthy dis
cussion took place relative to the rec
concentrations of the committee. May.
or Shurtleif raised the question wheth
or the proposed recommendation could
become effective, for it appeared TO him
to be adverse to the franchise relative
to the 45-minute service, This was
discussed at some length, Mr.. Gleason
thought it being temporary arrange
ment il would not affect the franchise
rights Alderman Smith withdrew ms
motion. Mr.. Gleason asked that con
sideration of the original proposal bt
| given and that the company would IKE
an expression on IT, Alderman Bower;
opposed the request, setting forth va
rious grounds which were argued by
other members Of the council. Alder
man Kelly moved that the part of tbs
request referring to the one man car:
be passed ON to the public service com
mission on the grounds that the coun
| eli had nothing to do with the matter
which was adopted This disposed Of
the third request of the company. Al
derman Stratton moved that the pro
posals one and two relative to schedule
and fare be adopted, Alderman Kelly
proposed an amendmee which was
| that the fare for riding in Montpelier
| between the end of the line and tbs
Pioneer station and on the Seminary
hill car be reduced from six to five
cents, providing that better service
could be secured by so doing, and that
the fare to Barre be Is cents. Mayor
Shurtleif, after studying this amend
ment for a time, decided it was irrele
want to the motion because Of the un.
certainty Of the proposals in it which
ruled the proposed amendment out OF
discussion. Alderman Bowers moved t.
lay the matter on the table, which was
| lost four to one and then after further
argument the motion Of Alderman
Stratton, which gives 45-minute sery,
ice and lS-cent fare to Barre, was
adopted by a vote of four to one, AT.
derman Bowers voting alone. Alder
man Farrar was not present but had
left proxy with the clerk and had
expressed desire that il be stated
when the voting took place that he IA.
vored the recommendations Of the ma
iority of the committee but the proxy
vote was not used. During the course
of the argument it was brought out
that the reason Alderman Bowers had
not called his committee together was
because they did not follow his advice
relative to the conference with the com
pany few days after the matter was
referred to the committee. Aldermen
Kelly and Yeti took exceptions to this
stating that they went to the confer.
ence to get what information they could
and sought it through questioning in
their own manner Aldermen Stratton
and Smith asked many questions in
connection with the matter which
brought out additional information
Several other matters were disposed
Of during the meeting This included
allowing coasting on the same streets
as last year, purchasing city directories
for the police and city Clerk; garments
for the fire department and considera
ton of proposed wall on Mortified
street, where some $4,000 will have to
be expended, probably next year, be.
cause the street is sliding into Louis
Gould's yard.
While Robert Jones was coming to
his home Wednesday evening from
Barre he was forced off the roadway
near the Wells & Lamson stoneshed and
his ear tipped on one side He met an