The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-05-28
Completing Payment for
brary Xer System, Boil
ster and Martin Additions
SINKING FUND TAPPED
FOR THE PURPOSE
Bonds for $57,500 Must Be
Retired July and a Part
Must Be Refunded

The municipality of Barre made a
sizeable slash into the sinking fund last
night and retired large chunk of the
eity's water bonds coming due June l.,
next. The exact amount of the debt
paid was $4,000, of which $65000 was
from the general fund. This completes
the retirement of the bonds issued for
the purchase price of the old water sys
TEN and the construction Of the Bolster
and Martin brook system, 100000 OF
the cost of the two projects having pre-
viously been retired by annual payments
from the current funds.
In order to meet these bonded obliga
tions the city has been building sink
ing fund, which had reached Sl0S,6Sl
Taking the $4,000 from that sinking
fund leaves balance of approximately
S43,6Sl, which under ordinary circum
stances would be considered sizeable
foundation on which to begin rebuilding
a part of the city's visible credit I'm
fortunately, however, there comes due
on July | the sum Of S57 500 city re-
funding bonds, which were issued as far
back as the time shortly after the sep
aration Of the city and the town. II
the entire amount in the city sinking
fund and the water department sinking
fund.- the latter of $6,75l.09, is used,
that would leave a balance on the S57 500
refunding bonds still to be met In ad
dition TO that, too. will be an obligation
of $4,000 spent in fire protection inn
provements and coming due on Aug. /,
next. Roughly speaking, therefore, the
sum of S37 900 bonds must be refunded.
To secure authority for refunding the
balance of the total obligation of Sl52,
500 falling due during 1919, over and
above the two sinking funds, is one of
the purposes of the citizens meeting to
be held at the opera house Thursday
evening, May 20. The water debt after
the payment of bonds by vote last night
is Sl30000, the first bonds of which be-
come payable SIS, ,000--on Jan. |, 1921.
The city debt, irrespective of the water
debt, would on Jan. |, 1920, be approx
imately 100000. In order to make the
refunded bonds as small as possible it is
the proposition of the city government
to utilize every penny OF the two sinking
funds. 1t is expected that the citizens
will vote authority to refund for an
amount of approximately $S7 900 as the
need may arise during the remainder of
the current year.
1t may be OF interest to the voters TO
have it recalled to them that the or
iginal water system cost the city Sl35.-
900 and that the Martin brook and Bol
ster brook extensions cost $4,000 more.
During period of 20 years the sum of
S. 900 has been paid annually, thus re-
l.. l.. IL e.,
to $4,000, the amount of bonds retired
by the board of aldermen last night.
This action was hidden in a bunch OF
warrants ordered paid, one of which was
an interest charge of $1,000 on $ll5,000
water bonds held by the Barre Savings
Bank & Trust company. The $4,000
bonds retired last night, by the way, are
payable to the same bank.
Other warrants paid last night were
as follows; S464.0l, street payroll; S43T7,
engineering payroll; Sl25.44, water pay
roll; Sl35.34; fire payroll; Sl2s.6l, police
payroll; $65, assessors payroll; $40, city
hall janitor; Sls.40, social worker salary
and cash paid; Sl2j, city physician;
1914, II. +. Cutler, sprinkling rebate;
$24, Spencer compensation; $780, char
ity department
Bridge on So. Main st. Discussed Again
The matter of a bridge on South Main
street came up again last night like
Banquo's ghost. 1t was agreed that re-
pairs must be made on the present abut-
ments and that the bridge itself may
have to be raised. being averse TO laying
out much money on the old structure,
the aldermen finally voted to have the
street committee and city engineer have
plans and specifications drawn for new
bridge, Que construction being of rein
forced concrete and the other of concrete
and granite veneer Most of the alder
men seemed to favor the granite veneer
inasmuch as an entire bridge of granite
is out of the question. II was recalled
that the citizens have already voted to
have new bridge there, the cost being
limited to an amount far below the
proposed cost of granite structure. The
specifications for the granite veneer
bridge will call for rock faced ashlar
with broken joints.
The school commissioners gave notice
last night that they should call for the
amount raised by one dollar on the dol
lar of the grand list, as recently author
lied. a resolution relating to depart
mental appropriations was passed to a
second reading. Report Of a hole on Riv
er street large enough to takein Ford
machine" was referred to the street com
mittee. That same committee reported
settlement with l.. r. Hutchinson re-
garding some road work. The request of
Joseph Merlo for pool table license was
granted. The matter Of speed limit signs
on bridges was referred to the city at
torney.