The village was getting set to have a public hearing on the budget. Power rates were being cut and there were some great deals on used cars.

I wish my buddy Hawkeye (a.k.a, John Hawkinson) was still around to read the Wiley Motors advertisement elsewhere on this page. But I know Tim Heath, Mark Calderone and Randy Moody will get a kick out of it. Here is a sample: “1928 Buick Victoria — All new tires — Reconditioned — $180.”

Today that automobile may go for around, let’s say, $100,180?

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Power rates

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There was no spokesperson for the power company, just a statement:

“A reduction in power rates to take effect June 1st is announced today by the Paul Smith’s Electric, Light Power & Railroad Company. The reduced rate, it is estimated, will cut down power consumers’ bills from 7 to 25 per cent. It is expected that the average saving will be over 9 per cent.

“On Jan. 1. 1933, the top lightning rate of this company was reduced from 10c to 8c per kwh [today that rate in Franklin County is approximately 17 cents per kwh] with corresponding reductions in other blocks of the lighting schedule. It was estimated that at the time of this decrease in lighting rates that the revenues would be reduced $32,000.00 for the year whereas actual operations show a reduction of over $50,000 in the gross revenue of the company. There has been an increase of over $15,000 in taxes paid by the company to the extent that the amount paid last year totaled $87,319.84, equivalent to over 23 per cent of the gross revenues of the company from all sources.”

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Budget hearing

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It is amazing to me that the entire story on the budget has no details on the total amount of the budget or any breakdown on the individual department budgets.

“The adjourned public meeting on the village budget for the coming year will be held at 7:30 o’clock Monday evening at the village hall. The original hearing was held April 27, but at that time increased appropriations were asked by the General Hospital and the Saranac Lake Free Library and the Saranac Lake Municipal League, in the process of formation.

“The General Hospital, facing a deficit of $5,000 as claimed by the delegation headed by Thomas P. Ward. Mayor Seaver A. Miller, [Mr. Ward was elected Mayor the next year and served until 1940] said there was some legal doubt as to wheatear the village could financially aid a privately-owned hospital. He added that steps would be taken immediately to ascertain the legality of such a move. With legal objections removed, Mayor Miller indicated that the board might consider favorably the hospital’s plea.

“Dr. J. Woods Price, at the April 27 meeting, pointed out that the library suffered a deficit in operating expenses this past year, and that drastic curtailment of services might be necessitated unless the library obtained more funds. He asked that the appropriation of $500 in the tentative budget be raised to $1.000.

“The new municipal league wanted more time to lay out a plan of advertising [apparently the precursor to the Chamber of Commerce] the community so that a concrete proposal could be presented to the board in the hopes that more money, than the $2,000 already contained in the budget, would be appropriated for advertising.

“However, the temporary advertising committee is meeting this afternoon with B. T. Fay, connected with the D & H railroad, to discuss advertising.”

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Coming and going

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Remember, 1934 had no television, no cell phones, no computers and many rural areas had no telephone service.

In 1937, when our nine-member family (Grampa Riley lived with us) moved into the former Wright farm on Norman Ridge, we had no electricity and no running water, but we had a telephone.

The farm next to us, now owned by John and Mary Reardon (with the buildings and grounds beautifully restored) was owned by the Costlow family and they had electricity, but that is where the line ended. Strange that the telephone lines and poles went all the way to Vermontville. Where was I? Oh, yes, the Enterprise carried a daily column about residents traveling to visit relatives and even the news that someone simply moved from one residence to another.

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“Mrs. P.H. Grimm, formerly of 10 St. Bernard St., is now residing at 59 Franklin Ave.”

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“Frank Kaiser, a former resident and regular summer visitor here, has returned for the season.”

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“Miss Florence Brierly left last night [on a train, no doubt] for a weekend trip to New York City.”

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“Mrs. Ida Brush of 51 Broadway and Miss Alice Russell of Malone motored to Plattsburg Thursday.”

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“Nelson P. DeLisle of Academy Street has left by motor for Syracuse to visit his daughter, Mrs. Hunter. He was accompanied by Miss Elizabeth DeLisle. [Later one of my high school teachers.]”

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“Mr. and Mrs. M. M. Munn, the Misses Helen and Alice Munn and Bobby Munn have left for Springfield, Vermont, where they will spend the weekend.” [Matt Munn was town clerk. The Munn name is a very prominent one in the history of Saranac Lake and there are still Munn’s all over the place. Which brings to mind another thread of the M.M. line … Ms. Lindsay Moore/Munn, none other than the new advertising manager of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Congratulations Lindsay.]

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“Rocco Eaversa of Brooklyn, formerly of the Weber Cottage here, has returned and is staying at 25 Church Street.”

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“Louis Myerson, Albany contractor and frequent visitor here is staying at the Hotel Saranac.”

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“Miss Helen O’Reilly of 2 Broadway left last night for New York City where she will spend the weekend with friends and relatives.”

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“Walter Eddy has returned to Saranac Lake and is staying at the Santanoni. He spent the spring season in Washington, D.C.”

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“Mrs. E. J. Kennedy and Miss Agnes Kennedy of 89 Main Street visited friends and relatives in Ogdensburg Thursday.”

Winners of speaking contest

“Addresses by Raymond Downs and Richard Mullen will feature the Union Service of the First Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal churches tomorrow night at 7:45 at the latter church. The young men were winners in the high school public speaking contest and last night took part in the competition at Tupper Lake. Mr. Downs address is entitled ‘What Are You Worth,’ while Mr. Mullen’s is ‘What is Right with Youth.'”