Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-22
The Street Cleaning Project.

platform. The horse was freed by the accA dent and ran away apparently unhurt. The Street Cleaning Project. What the Democratic Members of the Court of Common Council Think of It. Speeches of Members-R esolutions Ad- verse to the Contract Scheme. .l A caucus of the Democratic members ot l the Court of Common Council was held last evening in rooms 10 and Il City Hall for the l purpose of considering what steps should be l taken in regard to the recent contract of the Board of Public Works for cleaning the 1 streets by contract made or purported to be
 made with c. w. BIakeslee & Sons. On motion, Alderman Faulhaber was called
 to the chair and Councilman O'Brien was
 appointed secretary
 1 Alderman Law said that this whole action | in his mind was wrong. He detailed the ac- tion of the Board of Public Works and sta- l ted that the work of that body was not as it l should have been. It looked to him as 1 though the Republican members of that Board and the only member of the Demo- ] cratic board present had done a culpable 1 wrong. As a member of the Board of Fi-
  bill presented for the carrying out of this contract The streets, he said, had been l thoroughly and economically cleaned under l the previous rules and he saw no need of l change. He hoped the Democratic members l of the Board would protest and use their ! moral influence at least in opposition to this
 scheme. Although the Board of Public | rIzo hoe ho bo did mt he1iaUa 1 they would dare to carry out this contract as proposed. It was wrong in principle and should not be sanctioned for one moment. ! Alderman Langley, of the Twelfth ward
 thought the way that the project was carried | out was fraud, as it was understood that no
 action should be taken unless full Board was present, and it was known that such was not the case, Messrs Pond and Coleman be- 1 ing absent.
 Alderman Klenke thought the Mayor should be requested to call special meeting of the Boards of Aldermen and Councilmen so that 1 the matter may be discussed in form. He 1 believed that the former plan was quite as 1 economical and more efficient than it would | be under the contract system. There were
 many men in the city who needed work and I under the proposed contract plan Italians l would be substituted in their place and hon. 1 est laborers would be thrown out of employ | ment. He hoped that some method could ! be devised to avert such disastrous consum- ! nation of the interest of taxpayers ] A motion was made that committee be l appointed to wait on the Mayor and inform | him of the wishes of this caucus and ask his | cooperation.
 The motion passed with an amendment
 that in the meantime the Corporation Coun- l sel be consulted.
 ! The chair appointed Aldermen Law and Doty and Councilmen Spreyer, Thomas and
 Kehoe on the committee to wait upon the ! Mayor.
 Councilman Spreyer thought the Board of 1 Public Works had too much power, and if | they had the power that they claim it was l time the city curtailed their powers. Councilman Kehoe said he had not seen I taxpayer that was ill favor of the arrange 1 ment. They did not demand it, and there was no reason why this change should be 1 made.
 ! Councilman Spreyer said the whole trouble | arose from one Democratic member of the | Board of Public Works, and nothing could have been done by the Republicans except | with the help of Democratic member. On motion of Councilman Kehoe con- | mittee of three, consisting of Alderman Law Councilmen Shoninger and Welch, were ap- pointed to draft resolutions to be presented | to the Board of Public Works, asking them l to delay action so far as signing the contract 1 of c. w. BIakeslee d5 Sons is concerned. The committee retired, and after an absence of half hour returned and reported the fol l lowing:
 | Whereas, We, the Democratic members of | the Court of Common Council, in open eau | GUS assembled, deem the late action of the l Board of Public Works in awarding the labor | of cleaning our streets by contract as unfair l and unjust to the workingmen of our city. l And, whereas, We are opposed to the
 awarding of said work by contract there l fore,
 l Resolved, That we, the Democratic mem- \ bers of the Court of Common Council cen- l sure the recent action of the Board of Public Works in giving out said work by contract, and especially the method in which such con- l tract was awarded which without full
 attendance of the members of said Board and | without having advertised for blds
 Resolved, That we regard the old system | as best adapted to accomplish said work
 Resolved, That we appeal to the Demo- cratic members of said Board to see that jus
 tice is done to the citizens of New Haven,
 and that the evils which would exist under the contract system as proposed be averted. l Resolved, That His Honor the Mayor be requested to use his influence with the mem- I bers of the Board of Public Works that they refrain from signing said contract until meeting of the Court of Common Council shall be held.
 l Committee-AIderman w. H. Law and l Councilman Simon B. Shoninger and Frank 1 D. Welch.
 The resolutions were adopted unanimously and the meeting adjourned