The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-19
Which Would Give Public
Service Commission Right
to Cut Off Service
BILL IN LEGISLATURE
OBJECT OF ATTACK
Municipality Will Join With
Rutland and Other
Places

| iSNoiu % bGdnulHS Win bne hublunu
Business Mems association in opposing
the bill now before the legislature which
would give the state public service COM
mission right to order the discontinuance
of any electric railroad system, or part
thereof, in case it should be shown that
the property was not bringing reason
able return on the investment; and the
| legislative committee was authorized to
appear at the public hearing at the State
House on Thursday in opposition to that
measure.
Along with that measure goes a COM
panion act which would permit towns
and municipalities to appropriate not to
exceed 10 per cent of the grand list to
assist electric railroads in the mainte-
nance Of the service Of the roads, should
| the towns so vote; but this measure was
| not considered, as it was thought that
| the former bill was the most inimical TO
the welfare of the communities of YER
mont.
| Seeking to get the sentiment of the
| council, the legislative committee heard
| from the lips Of each and every member,
! from Mayor Glysson down to the newest
members, the opinion that the bill al
lowing the discontinuance of electric car
service ought to be killed. There was
some intimation that the measure was
being forwarded by the corporation now
| operating service in Barre and Montpel-
\ Ter, but one member rose TO remark that
! the bill was proposed in the interests of
some electric railroads in the southern
| part Of the state The communication
! from the Rutland Business Mems asso-
citation was quite emphatic in denuncia-
\ tion of the measure and sought the CO.
operation of all communities where cleo
/ trio lines now operate
Another matter which the legislative
committee was asked to see to was the
proposal for a change of the two-year
aldermanic term TO three years, prOvid-
| ing, at the same time, a referendum for
the voters to pass judgment. The opin-
ion of the new council did not seem to
| be wholly in favor of the proposed
change. Incidentally, The Times came
| in for a charge of mental obtuseness in
view of the fact that it 1.-THE Times) eE-
| pressed the opinion that the voters Of
Barre ought to be permitted TO have
something to say about the proposed
I change.
| Still another chore which the legisa-
tive committee was instructed to per
form was to oppose the measure now be-
fore the legislature which provides for
| district health officers. The idea Of dis
| trict health officers was considered all
right providing the cities should not be
asked to pay for their own health officers
and also contribute to the expense of
maintaining district health officers Such
double burden was considered Hnfair
| Fire Department Affairs.
Passing next to matters of the fire de-
partment we find the city council accept
| ing a report of the fire committee, rec
ommending a yearly salary, in full, Of
| the present chief in view of the fact
that Mr. Tobin does not give his full
time to the service. The report of the
committee was as follows: "In view of
the fact that the present chief is not ae-
lively engaged in the department, would
recommend a salary of $500 per year for
his salary in full As already stated,
| that report was accepted without much
comment.
| Salaries for the iremeH, however, are
proposed to be raised in an amendment
TO the city ordinances, which amend
ment was referred TO the legislative com
mittee. This amendment would increase
the monthly pay of the fremen and pipe
men, as follows: For first six months
service, S72 to SS2; next is months, SIS
/ to $50; third year, S7S to $50; fourth
year, $50 to $92; for remainder OF time,
| SS4 to 500. For drivers; First six
months, from S75 to $50; next Is
months, SIS to $50; third year, $50 to
| Sg2; fourth year, Ss3 to $96; for re-
mainder of fins, SS7 to $lO0.
| Determination to take full advantage
of state aid in permanent road construc-
! tion was shown in a resolution which
was passed To a second reading, appro-
| priating $500 lin addition to 5000 al
ready set aside to match the states to-
| tai of $1,000, which at the present time
| is the limit.
Another resolution passed to a second
reading appropriates for departments
! the balance of the recommendations of
| the finance committee and in addition
thereto the 81 200 voted for the support
Of the Aldrich public library, the whole
totaling $4l766l.
| Along about this time the council fell
! into a discussion of possible tax rate
in view of the appropriation to the IL
brary and the huge state tax which was
expected, They we're told that a 30-cent
state tax seemed to be only a starter of
what the state might demand. A tax
rate of 1896 was hinted at by some and
there were queries as to how far the city
could 60; and it was thought that $3.4O
was about the limit allowed by law.
\ One of the newcomers on the council,
| Alderman Scott from ward one, mildly
put in the interrogation whether the
appropriations could not be pared some
what; and he was Immediately informed
that everything had been pared to the
quick, albeit not to the dead. But the
matter of a tax rate was, of course. held
in, allegiance for later developments.
The City's Health.
The oity's health was fairly good dur
ing the month of February, one might
Judge by the health officers report. There
were only p cases of contagious disease
and there were Ia deaths. The con
tagions were l3 of mumps, four of inAu-
enza, one of diphtheria and four of
whooping cough. The death causes were
listed as follows: Tubercular meningitis
! l. fatty degeneration of the heart |, per-
Continued on fourth page.l