Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-15
souruaI allo Collrier.
EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY
Thursday. March 15, 1883.
.JUNKETING IN BOsTON.


 Members of the city government of Bos- ton, who serve the city without pay, have long been in the habit of ordering refresh ments' and having them charged to the city, although there is no law authorizing such action As an illustration of the extent to which this has been carried it is stated that the bills for the first five weeks of this muni- cipaI year amount to $2,247. One member had twenty five meals at Q cost of $114, and there are score who had ten meals or more charged to the eitz within the time men, toned.
 Mayor Palmer has lately been bold enough to publicly refuse to approve some large bills for refreshments furnished members of the city government on their own order. This action has naturally created quite stir, especially in the minds of those whose bills were not approved. At the last meeting of the board of aldermen the mayors action was discussed, and some of the speeches were de- cidedIy rich Alderman Haldeman first treated the subject historically, showing that aldermanic dinners are among the ancient customs handed down from our English an- cestors He then proceeded to the personal
 
 said, had gone out of his way to insult his associates and bring his own administration into contempt and ridicule. MT. Haldeman had been at first inclined to think that the mayor had been influenced by others. and ought not to be held to a strict personal &C., countability, but he had since learned that the action was the mayors own, and he con- Fad hot off al fha posture of his associates to public infamy, and sincerely hoped he would enjoy the cheap notoriety he had so easily achieved Alder man Hall said he had been an alderman for four years that he had always eaten and drank at the public expense, and intended to continue doing so. He had done nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing that he would not do again. Still, he admitted there had been extravagance, but for himself he did not care how often his junketing bills were printed. Alderman WhitteD, who has the honor of having eaten more often at the pub lie cost and at greater expense than any other member of the board, admitted that the present system is bad, but thought it an out rage to make use of his name as had been done MT. Whitten said it would be bad day for the city when man is judged by what he eats, and added that Git will be found that those who have eaten the most have done the most work, and when man goes about for place where he can get beans and fish balls, his brains are in keeping with his stomach" Alderman Slade was sure that the tendency of afdermanic banquets was 'to bring out an important discussion of city af- fairs" and that absent members lost much that would greatly benefit them.
 And so forth and 50 on but the aldermen did not succeed in making good defence of themselves. Probably the Mayor would not have attacked the ancient abuse if the bills sent in had been reasonable, but they were larger than during the same period in any former year and he felt compelled to protest. The best thing the aldermen could do would be to keep still and eat and drink less at the city's expense in the future. The more they say the worse they appear.