St. Johnsbury Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-1920, 1920-03-24
CITY FORM OF
GOVERNMENT DISCUSSED

carload Of soft coal into 81. John =
bury during the recent shortage and
also asked for the adoption of Z. re-. o.
luton thanking Henry }. Fuller of
New York, president Of +. and 7.
Fairbanks and Company, for his
taoughtfulneas in sending nine car
Of anthracite coal to the ST. Joh"~-
bury dealers just before the biz
storm.
The secretary also spoke Of the
proposed publication of the industrial
history of St. Johnsbury, prepared l,y
Sup. W. II. Young and cnouyh
subscriptions were received from the
floor to warrant its immediate pul. !.
cation.
The secretary read tclcGr2>l
from Col. II. j. Hunt, who had bccn
invited to address the meeting, legr J.
ting that other official business PIT
vented his coming to st. JohnsJul9
at this time.
The nine directors chosen to sew
the coming year were Edward G..
Asselin, Frank II. Brooks, Edga" X
Brown, p. f. Hazen, l.. p. Leach, T..
A. Palmer, Charles f. Peek, Arth,'
f. Stone and Gilbert f. Woods.
r. II. NELL said the firm of Taubel,
Upton g. Co., which he represented,
wished him to thank the organization
for their efforts in having the new
shirt factory exempted. He added
that he was glad to belong to thi;
organization and would be pleased to
welcome any of its members TO thr
new factory.
President Asselin said that s..
Johnsbury often looked with enviot.:
eyes to the new city to the north O.
US and that all would be glad to hc;,r
from Viewpoints first mayor, Col. G.
S. Emery, as to how it was made Il
city and how the plan worked.
Col. Emery spoke very ntclii-
gently upon how Newport changed
from a town to Il city and did away
with holding two village meetings,
two town meetings and Il school
meeting. In place Of five meetings
year the citizens of the new city held
their last annual meeting and tram
acted all the business before dinner
Newport now has Il mayor and -four
aldermen at large, but no wards. All
serve without pay and have the inter
ests Of the city at heart. 1t is really
some Of them They have provision
in the charter Cor a city manager, but
as yet have not engaged one. All tic
officers may be elected by the people
or by the council, but each year the
officers have been selected by the
council But best of all the taxes hal
decreased when everybody predicted
an increase. The city tax the first
year was $50 cents on the dollar and
the second year 231 cents on the dol
lar.
Col. Emery said the city of New
port had the simplest charter Of any
city in Vermont, but it was very cas-
to have it amended at any session c.
the Legislature. He believed that the
great majority were satisfied with the
change and said the park improv>-
ment, the cleaning up Of the lake
front and other matters could nevei
have been handled under the Old VII
lage and town form Of government.
Lyman H. Brooks was given co.
dial welcome and spoke in the first
place of the high ideals of a former
generation and said that wherever
Fairbanks scales had gone St. Johns
bury was known. "You are falling
heir to one of the finest types OF cit !
iZenship in America" He sail tn"
Commercial Club in any community
meant efficient team work and paid
a high tribute to the active organiza- !
ton of which he was a guest.
Speaking of the commission form
of government he said that Shcridan's
affairs were managed by q mayor and !
two councilmen. The mayor received
a salary of $4,000 and the councilmcn
$4,000 each. These three men gave
all their time to city affairs and form
cd the commission that managed the
city. He said that this form of gov
trnment worked very successfully in
his western home by concentrating;
the responsibility. A few years ago
some of the voters fought the
scheme of government, but at the
election nearly so per cent voted TO
retain the commission form of gov
He believed that this form
of government was we'll worth a trial
in St. Johnsbury and in closing he
said he was glad to see as he return
ed to his boyhood home that the town
was more than holding IT'S own.
At the conclusion of his address
P. F. Hazen said he was sure the
members would like to hear Of Mr..
Brooks early life in the great west
md in the half hour that followed
he men were thrilled with tale Of
Western life that included his personal :,
experiences in hunting buifalos,
'ounding up thousands of head Of
steers, and closing with his marvel
JUS escape from death at the hands
If a band of hostile Cheyenne 1ndi- =.
ms where his life was saved by The
Id chief whom he had befrinded the :
revious winter.