The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-04-22


District Governments Desirable-Crit-
icism of Police Department Noted
Water Rates.
Recommendations Of an important char
acter are contained in the annual report
Of the Brattleboro village commissioners,
Capt +. w. Gibson, John 7. Kaine and
w. 4. Shumway. which will be issued
from the printing Office of f. l.. Hildreth.
& Co. within u day or two. As previously
published in The Reformer, the village
debts are paid and there is a balance of
$2.772.
The state fire marshal. the commission
crS say, recommends a fire chief to be on
duty at all times 80 as to maintain
high state of efficiency in the department.
This would cost 81, 800 more than the pres
ent cost of the department. The commits
sioncrS suggest the appointment of COM
mittee at the annual meeting May 3 to
work for the consolidation of the village
town and school district governments
They have taken note of and are consider
ing the criticism of the police department.
II is stated that reduction in water
rates has been promised without legal
action as soon aS possible. \ curfew ordl-
uarCc is recommended.
The report is 81 Interesting and Impor-
tant chat it iS published herewith in full:
The village mmisSjnncrS submit here
with the annual report Of the financial
conditions of the village Of BrattlebOro
for the year ending May l, 1921.
During the past year all current bills
and obligations have been met; the debt
of $500 has been paid and the village
has Il surplus Of S2.172.3J. The commits
SiouerS have met unexpected expenses in
Cured in putting the fire alarm system
i'm workable condition. In doing so it was
necessary to- employ an expert from the
company originally making the luStaila-
ton. The wiring WAS found TO have deter
iCrated TO such an extent aS To make nee
psSarv the installation of new wires over
"A portion of the system. There has been
an increase in the salary of the tircmen
and an increase in the wages for the po-
lice department. The commissioners be
licve that we have been extremely fortu-
nate 60 make a. good a financial showing
as Is indicated.
In the opinion of the commissioners.
the tax rate can be materially reduced
during the next year provided appropria-
tionS at the village meetings are kept
within reasonable limits
The commissioners congratulate the Citi-
zenS of the village that the village finds
itself out of debt for the first time in over
40 years.
{ Fire Department-Th equipment of the
fire department is practically the same aS
last year. The two teams have been used
for Sprinkling requirements whenever
necessary and the balance of the time
used by the town,
/ The increase in pay to fircmen has been
IA great aid i'm securing firCmen and in
: keeping up the morale of the force.
The fire alarm system Is at present in
good condition, but owing to the time
elapsed since it was installed it requires
closer inspection than it has heretofore
received.
The commissioners have received a rec
ommendation from the fire marshal of the
state that we employ a fire chief for duty
all the time. who viii make inspection for
fire hazards provide and keep Up-to-
date plans for fighting fire in each business
block to town, see To enforcement of the
law so far as il relates to fire risks, en-
force all orders and maintain the fire de
partment in the highest state of efficiency
The chief of modern fire department
has become n factor in preventing fires a
we'll aS in fighting them. The cost OF
maintaining n permanent chief would in.
crease the expense in the department 10y
$1,000
! Sewers-The amount of the sewer as
Se>SmentS now due has been reduced &c
/ the minimum. Sooner or later we will bC
confronted with the proposition of rcplac
ing old sewers. This is a problem the
voters should have in mind SO az to de
. tcrmine a proper solution when the prob
lem becomes pressing.
tTdfOlEe-1 ne present system OF carry
ing away garbage is far from satisfactory
= The commissioners have depended OF
farmers who could use the garbage &c
make collection, and for that purpose the
town has been divided into routes. The
garbage has been taken care of in this
way without expense to the village except
for work in sections where the garbage has
not been taken regularly. The practica
difficulty experienced under the system is
that the collectors leave their routes with
out notice and garbage remains uncol
lected This situation has resulted il
many iustifiable complaints.
: The only alternative which the commits
SlOnerS can recommend - the employment
Of some reliable person to collect all tn,
garbage for the entire village.
This would add 81 600 to the annua
expenditure. We submit this problem Il
the voters for their consideration.
Extension of the Village Limits-Thr
limits Of the village of Brattleboro deter
= mined ut the time of the granting of tn,
lOriginal charter are stated therein as fol
lows: beginning at the mouth of tn
West river, thence running westerly a.
the river now TuGS on the south sid
= thereof to the northwest corner of tn
farm formerly owned by Ebenezer Wells
: deceased. thence southerly on the ives
line of the said Wells farm and the ives
side of the farm formerly owned by Col
Joseph GOodhue and Henry Clark. de
ceased. to the north line of Guilford
thence easterly on the north line of Gull
r ford and Vernon to Connecticut river
= thence northerly on said river to the plac
of beginning" Tt will be seen that tn
limits extend as far north as the presen
/ Country club and as for south as TIN
Vernon line. but to the west Gnly to th
Home for the Aged and Disabled on West
= ern avenue. The limits of the West Brat
Y tlebOro fire district come to the westerl,
side of Guilford street. Between the pres
= cnt village and the West Brattleboro fir
district is a thiclSly settled part of th
town which has no police or fire protec
tion. In this area are included lis