The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-05-17
Motor Stage Drivers Said
Proposed Fees Would Put
Them Out of Business
| AND DEPRIVE BARRE
OF BIG REVENUE
Many of Them Appeared in
Protest at Meeting of the
City Council


and licensing motor buses in Barre, the
protest being offered largely by and
in behalf OF stage drivers from sur.
rounding towns, that the document
which had already passed TO second
reading. viii undoubtedly be reyamped
After hearing the protest, the council
went into executive session and or
coming out into the broad light of pub
LEFTY of the city's affairs, voted to Ia
Bile the resolution embracing the ordi,
nance until such time as the. city at
torneS has revised the text.
In brief, the argument put up by the
protesters in open session was that il
the ordinance goes through il will put
them out Of business because Of the
size of the license fee, the requirement
Iof d large liability bond, the car inspee.
tion expense and other details Of the
proposed regulation.
When the business of the evening
came 10 the bus ordinance. Attorney j
Ward C~yer, who had been busily en-
gagged in studying The ten-page docu-
ment, stated that he represented sev-
eral clients, persons driving, ears for
hire who lived outside the city Of
Barre. He said he was in sympathy
with any plan to insure the safety Of
the public and to have a reasonable
uniform fare but he declared that the
proposed ordinance was not regulation
but Il was prohibition Of the business
He said that the $50 maximum fee on
top OF the government fee of $50, the
annual requirement of bond resting
from $3.50 20 S325 a year. the inspec-
tion Of cars by garage men would drive
his clients out of business.
|, Attorney Carver questioned the right
Of the city 10 enact some OF the fea
lures az drawn up: he opposed the idea
of fare regulation outside the city linn
its, saving: you surely would not as
sume. gentlemen. that you have that
right He contended that the carrying
Of passengers By motor vehicles was
not a detriment, nor nuisance: that
il really was a great boon 70 the trav-
cling public after being subjected 20
some Of the Inconvenience of railroad
transportation. He said that some Of
his clients were engaged largely in the
business Of bringing school children
into the city who otherwise could not
come: nearly all OF the bus men he rep
resented brought customers to the
stores in Barre. He doubted whether
the city wanted to stop that.
VI. w. Chamberlain Of Washington
declared that many of the people OF
his town had no means Of conveyance
to Barre neither horse nor auto and
were compelled 20 depend upon the
stage. the fare on which was 80 cents
for the round trip between Washington
and Barre. III YOU pass this ordi-
nance he declared, ethcse people viii
have to stay at home" Most all the
people of Washington who have any
money have been doing their banking
in Barre: he asserted; and many of
them do their trading in Barre. Mr..
Chamberlain declared that he could get
up petition signed by everybody in
town, IL necessary, against plan
which would deprive the people from
getting to Barre.
W. n. Norris OF Norris & Son, stage
drivers. declared that his truck would
have 10 10 out of business II the costs
were ixed AZ in the proposed ordinance,
He said that he did not think the mer
chant. of Barre wanted such an ordi.
nance il Il would drive the stage trucks
from the "hill" out Of business; aud he
referred to the great amount Of trade
these trucks brought to Barre. espe-
cially on Saturday nights. He also
spoke of the business Of carrying chill
dren to school in the city He declared
that most Of the drivers Of these trucks
were not only drivers but expert me
chanics who could tell as we'll as a
garage man whether anything WAS
wrong with their vehicles and were
not slow 10 put their cars in the shops
u ben anything went wrong.
y. X. Campbell, another operator Of
~hill" bus. protested against the eN.
cessiye charges imposed by the ordi-
nance a. drawn. He said il would take
almost all they could earn to pay the
charge; and he was willing TO wager
that none Of the -hill7 buses made
$1,000 last year.
Others appearing but not participat
ing IN the discussion were w. G. East
man, driver Of n ~hill~ bus Lee Whit
ncy. driver Of a Washington stage: II.
~ Worthley and Mr. Dickey Of Wash
mgton.
When called upon a. the author Of
the proposed ordinance. City Attorney
nunicy. defended the legality Of the
document on the ground Of the right
Of the city 60 regulate motor machines
carrying passengers; he said it was not
intended a. a venue-msking scheme
for the city. He also stated that there
was an alternative 30 liability iHsur-
anre. which was a bond Of sufficient
security
8y tni- time. the proposed ordinance
bad been thoroughly thrcshed out. and
the protesfers were informed that the
city council would take their state
ments under consideration.
Routine Business.
The ordinance calling for the prohi.
bition Of further gasoline pumps sud
water aud air stations On the Main
street curb was adopted. having been
rss-ed 90 = -econl reading last ueek
Requesi ~ the Oliver Battery sta
i5hn for q permit e. Install g s9W0-
gallon gasoline tank % tAs BoYce
property North Main street. ass rni
ever far fari her nnnsideratisn. TEE
lC4nGnssd on az page