Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-04-28
ON ORD1NANCES.
Committee Meeting - The Chape
street Draw-Various Matters.

Committee Meeting The Chapel
street Draw-various Matters.
The Committee on Ordinances held meet
ing last evening in rooms 10 and II, City
Hall, Alderman Dickerman in the chair. After
considerable discussion in regard to the
opening of the Chapel street draw, Council
man Mansfield moved that the bridge be
closed each day from 6:45 to a. M, 10 m.
to 1915 D. M, and 12:45 to 1 p. m. Coun-
Gilman Martin raised the objection to the
motion that the committee had no right to
pass any ordinance that would conflict with
the navigation laws of the United States
The original motion was passed. 1t was
recommended that hereafter all firing of
cannon be done on Custom House Square.
The matter of licensing peddlers or town
merchants, so called, indefinitely post
poned.
1t was voted not to make any change in
the present laws regarding the meetings of
the Aldermen and Councilnnen.
John Kelly petitioned for payment for his
services as keeper of the West river bath
house after the death of the appointed keeper
last summer. The former keeper drew the
whole amount appropriated, leaving nothing
for his successor. The petition was referred
to the Committee on Bath Houses.
The matters of detail of firemen at places
of public amusements, examination before
issuing licenses, guarding entrances to ele-
vators, were indefinitely postponed.
Principal or superintendent.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
An article in this mornings Palladium con-
corning the High school and containing state
ments concerning secret meetings of the
Board of Education has kindled spark in
the hearts of the friends of the school and
| its graduates which cannot be suppressed,
\ but will burst forth into flames which will
| devour the official heads of those who seek
| to deprive our High school of principal
whose labors can only be properly appreciat-
I ed by one who has spent four years within
| the walls of the school. The preposterous
| idea that man can properly manage both
| the High school and the public schools is no
| credit to q man of such supposed mental
| capacity as the present superintendent. If
/ the superintendent has much spare time
| as to be able to spend four hours day in
1 the rooms of the High school in addition to
Il three tour hours at home in work con-
nected with the school, it seems to me that
he must be doing very little work for the
| grammar schools, to which he would do well
| to apply himself more.
Thetaxpayers and public in general have
not been complaining of the incapacity of
| Mr.. Curtiss, nor have they asked the Board
of Education to attempt to save his salary by
i
satisfied with the progress of the school. We
| know what Mr.. Curtiss has done for the
school and how he has labored to bring the
| school up to its present standard. In the
last decade the progress made has been such
| as to astonish even those who on
his arrival were most sangnine in his
| support Those of his former
pupils who knew him best can testify to his
| efficiency and at the same time to his mod
| esty Not a man who with the sound of the
| trumpet proclaims his deeds: not man con.
stantly strutting about telling everyone whom
| he may meet what he has been doing in the
| school; but man who has done his duty
conscientiously, honestly and efficiently and
who if he had thought that the public was
not getting its moneys worth would have re-
/ tired And the High school during these
years has been built up by him in spite OF
| the competition of private schools and the
| Hopkins Grammar school, which latter it al
/ sent to Yale.
| Let the Board of Education bear these
/ facts in mind. Let them consider the dan
/ ger of change of administration such as the
| one contemplated and not consolidate two
/ separate governments into one and put at the
| head of the combination Polyphemus who
| misjudges his capacity in thinking that he
can keep single eye on both places for the
public good. And why should this be done
at once, without giving the public chance
| to be hearda Why do it in the absence
from town of Mr.. Curtiss? Surely this is
| not open and above board.
| Let the Board of Education beware, fol-
they hold Office by popular suffrage and if
they do not legislate for the public good they
will not be returned The eyes of the PEG
| pie are upon them the eyes of the graduates
of the school are upon them and upon theil
| secret sessions. We are satisfied with the
High school as it is, we have not found fault
| let it alone. A GRADUATE.