Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-22
SEATS ON THE GREEN.

Councilman DrfG2s Placed in a False
 Position-He Is Opposed to Seats on
 tho Green but will Obey to the
 Letter the Orders of the Council.
 Councilman George A. Driggs, who is also member of the committee upon pub lie lands and buildings, was the object of bitter attack in yesterdays Herald, on account of the position he has taken in re- gard to seats upon the green. Mir Driggs desires to right himself before the public and this morning requested the DEMOCRAT to give the whole facts in the matter, which we cheerfully do.
 To begin with, Councilman Driggs wants to know why the seats were removed after a short trial a few years ago. No one has been able to give him a satisfactory answer to the question, he says, and he can only arrive at the conclusion that the seats became nuisance. Under the present conditions MT Driggs is bitterly opposed to placing seats upon the green unless park policeman is appointed to preserve order and keep buns from ex- pectorating tobacco juice on the walks and 1 insulting ladies who pass through the grounds No appropriation has been
 made for park policeman and until there is Mir Driggs says he can be counted among those opposed to seats upon the green. And, ," he says, "there are other republi- can members of the council who feel just as do, but who dare not express them selves."
 But although opposed to the seats Coun- o11nan Driggs wants it distinctly under stood that no member of the committee upon public lands and buildings would l act more quicklyin the matter of placing the settees upon the green than himself, if the council ordered. AS the case now stands the councilmen voted in favor of
 twelve seats, but the aldermen have not
 concurred and there the matter rests. When the resolution was first Introduced l into the council it was voted to secure l forty seats at a cost of $500 and the mat | ter was referred to the proper committee. l No appropriation was made, however, and
 the committee upon public lands and | buildings was without funds. Of the l $250 appropriated for the use of this com
 mittee s130 had been expended upon the green and center square, and $92 upon the probate office, leaving only small balance | in the treasury. This being the case City Attorney Terry was appealed to and he gave as his opinion that the seats for the green could not be procured until an ap- propriation sufficient to cover their cost l was made. When the matter was referred | back to the councilmen the number was
 reduced to twelve. The aldermen will be asked to concur With the last vote or the | councilmen at to-night's meeting and prob
 ably some disposition will be made in the matter.
 In regard to his being an enemy of the
 workingman MT Driggs invites anybody to | visit his factory and see for himself if
 there is any dissatisfaction.
 l WHAT ALDERMAN THOMPSON SAYS. Alderman Thompson, who is also a
 member of the committee upon public
 lands and buildings, when seen by DEM ocRAT representative gave as his opinion
 that the committee by the vote of the
 council were empowered to act i'll the
 matter. Both branches of the court of
 common council had voted favorably upon
 the matter, but there was misurd srstand-
 ing in regard to the amount to be ex- pended. The aldermen voted an appro- l prjation of $35O, while the councilmen
 voted only $50. Alderman Thompson
 also said that Councilman Driggs was con spicuous by his absence from the meet
 ings of the committee on public lands and
 buildings. meeting has been called for
 tonight and MT Thompson says that if
 MT Driggs is not present Councilman Hellmann, and himself the other member,
 will assume the responsibility of ordering
 the seats.