The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-07-22
The Meddler
eff the coat fits you, put il on"

Developments, since March l, 1921, !
prove beyond question the shortsighted-
ness of those who opposed in town meet
ing the idea of a special 2O-cent tax to j
amply on the towns indebtedness. For
tunateIv their counsel did not pre-
vail. and because it did not the town VIII
have something more than $4,000 with
which to reduce its liabilities ana yet en-
iav total tax rate considerably lower
than in 1920: S27.20 as compared toI
$500 within village and school district,
and 500 20 as compared to $3.50 outside
For running expenses alone the total rate
could fairly be considered 81 a thousand
lower in each case. and in view of the
increased grand list it would not be sur
prising if both town and village were
able TO save something at that. In the
ease of the incorporated school district,
for example. the same tax rate as last
year (SD viii provide SJ,903.O3 more
revenue than in 1920 on account of the
increased grand list. Had it not been
for the increase. the prudential commit
tee says. it would have been necessary
On this question of road oil The Med
fler's mind runs along with that of the
man who said his attitude toward oil and
the prohibition amendment was the same !:
he didn't suppose he would ever favor
either one but now he believed in both.
| Despite the Inconvenience that followed
10 Of
I ing it is likely To prove not only the
most pffectual method of keeping down
tho dust but TIE only way of saving what
is left of the street surface. In consider
ing the question of oil vs. water we must
not forget that it is not merely a ques-
ton of keeping the dust down but of put
ting our highways into the best condition
to withstand the ever increasing motor
traffic to which they are subject. The
latter. indeed. is such an important con-
sideration that The Meddler believes the
time has come when the question should
be taken out of the hands of property
owners on various streets and left to the
best Judgment of the officials whose duty
it is to maintain the highways.
One cannot drive the road between
, Brattleboro and Keene many times with
, out being led to wonder whether it is any
thing more than chance that makes the
stretch between Spofford lake and Keent
+ so much better than that between the lake
t and this town. Whatever the reason
there is no doubt that the road from her,
/ II u l.
: dition that it has been for several sea
sons. OF course. the recent heavy rain
storms did extensive damage to portions
of this particular highway, but even be
fore that it was hardly in the condition
it should be to properly serve theN Spot
ford lake summer colony, who pay NOR
than half of the taxes of the town o
Chesterfield and have a right to expec
something more than they have been get
ting for their money.
A Brattleboro resident of no unusua
powers of observation noted the follow
ing occurrences in our law-abiding CON
munity last Saturday:
\ local grocery store selling cigarette
TO is year-old boy, obviously minor
without asking his age or upon what au
thority he purchased coffin nails"
A local drug store selling powerful
poison without making note of the pnr
chaser's name or the use to which tn
drug was to be put.
A local automobiles driving car afte
dark without lights of any kind.
Two horse-drawn vehicles entering tn
ivillage after dark without lights of an
kind.
Ask and Ye Shall Receive.