Norwich bulletin., 1920-03-02
Sharp Controversy in Town Meeting

.f . committee appointed by vote of the annual town meeting; fn 1918. s--~=sss:s-i
 Mir. Lerou immediately dntrodHced | and moved the adoption of the fol- | lowing amendment which was ;: also | seconded: < ssIs.-;.is .is.f l ' Resolved. That the section of the committee's resolution pertaining to l salaries be amended to read as fol- lows: The salary of each member of the board shall be sL2o9 a5year with an extra allowance of, $2aF to cover all necessary. clerical duties.s of. the said board of assessors. And further provided that 2one or, more members \ ct said board shall be on duty. during the business hours of each .husifless day of the year. unless conditions should arise whereby the Services of all three, assessors were necessary to value any given piece of property.
 Ill presenting the amendment Mfr. Lerou said he was present at the last annual town meeting whens the rcso- lution calling for the formation of the committee to inuuire into conditions i1l the assessors office and to make rec ommendations. was introduced He said he was not particularly interest cd in any of the three assessors any more than to secure them a square deal and for the interests of the town. 1AS OAPiOSSC0 lIAInS01 dS near LllY ly tavor Of the committees report, diff fering with them only in point Of sal | aries. MT. Lerou said he felt the amendment should prevail for the sim ] pie reason that harmony should pre-. I vail on the board. and he also said he | felt that all of the assessors should Fnend part of their time in the of fee. in accordance. with a, previous resolution adopted in town meeting. Walter W. Lang said he did not see why two of the assessors should re-. ceive st,200. the clerk $1.4o0 and be required to be in the office all the time.
 Mr. Lerou said it was not. intended
 that the clerk should be in the office all the time.
 ''Mr. Lerou made the statement that
 he believed that previous. resolution
 called for one or more of the asL [ sessors to be present in the office con tinually," said MT. CuIran, who then took the floor. '1d like to ask the
 town clerk" he continued. who is in the of1ce?" MT. Holbrook, town clerk, said that
 in the morning ow or three of the as- sessors could be found in the office
 and that in the afternoon Mir. Cur
 ran was generally thera. ,s.
 T was the author of that famous
 resolution that is so much in discus
 sion here tonight" sad Mr. Currau
 He went on to say that Mr. Lerou had
 stated that if the resolution. {that in-
 troduced by MT. Noyes) was passed.
 harmony will not prevail iri the board
 and further went on to attack intirna-
 tions which he claimed Mr. Lerou had
 made while speaking. Gfr. 4 Curran
 said he questioned any mans right to
 get up on, the floor and make such
 statements as MT. Lerou had made.
 ''The committee has heen irlsuited here tonight" said MT. Curran. z. T presented that resolution. tat the town meeting last falD, 50 that. the
 City of Norwich would look up with pride to the assessors office" Mfr
 Curran said, and he went on to state
 that 1t vas step that should have
 been taken years ago. In past years
 men were willing to go into the as-
 sessors office for a paltry $3Oe or
 $400 because they could carry on thett
 other work at the same time. -Wiler
 1t Is insinuated that a certain mem Der of the board should be clerk 1t 1.
 aside from the question. Mfr. Currar
 then extended an invitation to anyone
 to visit the assessors office and sait
 that If they did not come away witt different impression then he Wal through k Y
 MT. Lerou said he thought MT. Cur,
 ran was little too severe in his crit
 icisrn. He said he would like to s, ; If he made any statement that tn,
 committee got together to frame u, job for MT. Curran and further h, l oo)eeted to MT. Curran's assertion
 MT. Lerou said he fully realized MT - Curran's worth on the board.
 As the end of@the debate seemed ? nowhere in sight. the chair took hand and cleared the atmosphere io, reminding the two gentlemen that tn question before the house was tn adoption or rejection of the amend ment and the vote was then caiie . for, by exclamation.
 As the chair was In doubt as 10 th result 1t was decided to call for nom nations for two teliers to count th l. vote as the voters passed from lei to right in front of the desk and .yere Tniah A. Desmond and John T. Fitz 5 patrick were the choice for teller.
 The vote showed the following re K suit:
 ]: ]: Total votes cast. 54. Necessary fo X choice 2S. Yes, 2s; No 2s. ;Tb amendment was declared lost. Vote was then taken by acciama T ton on Mir. Moves resolution whic 8 was adopted. ,-
 The only other matter to come be
 fore the meeting was. the laying (
 the town tax and the following res olution was adopted:
 a Resolved. That a tax. of r. IT mil 2 on the dollar be laid on the gran a list of the town last completed, to \. used for the following purposes: : One-haif mill to be applied to tt = sinking fund and the balance to I s used for paying the expenses for ti = town, including the state and count 1t taxes and expenses of the publ
 schools, for the present fiscal yea, O said tax to be paid to. the Urea sur, I, of the town on or before the ten, ', da yof May, 1920, together with a e other moneys due and receivable is the said date by the collector of, tog l. taxes from legal additions to this ta l. The meeting adjourned at S45 C if clock.
 le WEDDINGS. IL SaVase-Meade.