The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-05-12
INFORMAL V0TE,ANOC0N.
.SEQUEhT APPOINTMENT
Ephraim COwett Becomes Road Com
missioner. Considerable Quib.
bling mt Town Meeting

The special town meeting held last
Saturday afternoon was attended by a
large number of male voters with a
scattering of few women voters. The
interest OF the afternoon centered on
the problem of choosing road COM
missioner for the town. Attorney L.
L. Walton was elected moderator and
handled the matters Of the meeting
with his usual good sense. The citi-
zens voted to authorize the selectmen
to make such contracts relative to
building the proposed State road on
the Athens road. so called, to the Corn
Vile line as they deemed. advisable
Civ ;ng the selectmen full authority to
Join with the other towns as they
deem best. They voted to rescind the
action whereby 1t was voted at the
annual town meeting to instruct the
selectmen to appoint a road commits
sioner and also reseeiHded the act on
relative to fixing compensation for the
road commissioner Acting upon
article four with regard to electing a
road commiss oner c. P. Merrill moved
that the selectmen be directed to en-
ploy as such an official man
learned In road building and the re-
pair of roads. competent In managing
crews and taking care of the books of
the Office and accept such compensa-
ton as the selectmen judged advisable.
Mr.. Merrill in explanation of the mo-
ton spoke OF the responsibility that
commissioner must assume and the
matter of qualification. He said that
the meeting had been called because
the selectmen were unwilling to take
the respons blity of appointing a COM
missioner at the salary voted upon by
the town that of $500. He believed
that 1t would be impossible to deter
mine qualification by the ballot box.
One or two other local citizens believ-
ed that the people as a whole should
elect the comm ssioner. Mr.. Merrill's
motion was voted upon and lost by
102 to 55. 1t was moved then that
the town elect a road commissioner
and Moderator Walton named Clyde H.
Smith, Martin B, Heselton and Albert
Libby as committee to count the
votes. Leon Buker, who had been a
candidate and had distributed ballots
bearing his name, withdrew and At
torney E. F. Merrill stated that there
was no article in the warrant to elect
road commissioner and If such was
the case an election conducted in this
manner would not be valid. Clyde H.
SIN tn stated that 1t was the honest
intention of the selectmeD in prepar-
ing a warrant to have it so fixed that
a commissioner could be elected He
stated that the obstacle might be over
come by resembling the vote Of not
leaving the matter of the appointment
to the selectmen and then vote infor-
mally for commissioner. He
pledged himself SO far as he was con-
cerned to appoint as a commissioner
the man receiving the most votes At
ter a somewhat lengthy consideration
the vote was taken which resulted in
Ephra m Cowett receiving 102 ballots,
Noah Demo 20 and l.. F. Buker. one
The compensation was fixed at $4,000
for one year, the road commissioner
to furnish his own conveyance and
keep the books of his office Mr.
Cowetts appointment was made Mon
day. 1t was voted to install an cleo
trio light on Bailey street. Mr.. Smith
bel ewing this to be an important mat
ter and the citizens voted favorably
upon the same With regard to the
building Of sidewalk between Water
street near the Great Eddy along the
Malbon's Mills road at the earnest
solicitation of William Demo, the
town also voted favorably upon. the
money fer the same. $500 to be taken
from their highway road money. The
article relating to the re-surfacing of
the sidewalk on Chestnut street was
passed over. /