Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-19
THE CONSOLIDATION ARGUMENTS.

Efforts of Attorneys Case and A1ltng Against and for the Bill-New Haven CTS Present-PetiIion From She Cours of Common Council.
 HARTFORD, April 19. Especial Correspondence of the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.l
 The arguments on the bill to consolidate the New Haven city and town governments were made this afternoon before the commit tee on cities and boroughs. Attorney John w. filling argued for the petitioners and Messrs Case and Hotchkiss for the oppo- nents of consolidation. Two hours were oc- cupied by each side. The hall of represent atives was voted for the hearing, but as 30 few people were present the hearing took place in the committee room. Among those present were Aldermen F. 0. Bushnell, Will liam J. Atwater, Nathan Easterbrook, IT,, Henry O. White, Frank H. Sperry, Council man John W. Lane, General B. s. Greeley, Captain Charles Fl. Townshend, James Gran miss. Herbert E. Benton, Major T. Attwater Barnes, Lieutenant Luzerne Luddington, Captain Woodward, Judge Deming, l.. w. Beecher, Town Agent Todd, l.. w.. Cleve- land, Selectmen Cooper, Beecher, Hughes and others.
 Before the arguments Alderman Bushnell testified that the sentiment of the aldermen was in favor of consolidation, and petition was introduced, signed by majority of the aldermen and councilmen, in favor of con- solidation, as follows: Aldermen-Richard M. Sheridan, B. H. Douglass, jr., James D. Whitmore, Charles Kleiaer, Patrick Kent, Andrew J. Clerkin, John W. Kenney, W. A. Lincoln, s. s. Thompson, O.. E. Prince, James s. Hemingway, B. A. Gessner, George R. Burton, Frank O. Bushnell. Council men-W. E. Chandler, M. Sonnen- of, Moran, Harry W. Asher. Joseph Haury, A. D. Sanborn, John H. Shaw, A. J. Beers, Charles H. Wardell, D. T. MeNamara, D. F. Lawler, Torrance D. Kelly, Richard M: Dixon, W. E. Sterns, James T. McMahon, William Clarkson, Thomas J. Cofey, Louis N. Ullman, R. Q. Loveridge,, John w. Lowe, John A. Richardson, Frank T. Lee, Samuel G. Peat, F. Kirchoff, jr., John G. Anthony, John F. Gaffey, B. Dexter Hubbard, Charles Lieutenant Ludington of the Annex testi- | fed that many people there were in favor of ! consolidation. Attorney filling then began his argument, parts of which were as follows: The Supreme court has settled the law with reference to the rower of towns contrary to the views of Messrs Reynolds and Sperry. \ Because the voters of the town of New Ha- \ ven can make no change in the laws ot \ themselves with reference to the care of ! their poor, methods of managing their fnan- | ASSS>~SHJ
 called by this bill.
 | We propose by the bill to accomplish three distinct results, all in the interest of good government.
 First, to bring all the expenses of the town \ and city of New Haven under the control of one of the two corporations and thus compel by the city system of preliminary estimates, and the levy only of tax to meet these es- inmates and the prohibition of any expendi- | ture above these estimates.
 Second, to take care of the poor in our limits, nineteen -twentieths of the money for not town, by board serving without pay
 and appointed by the mayor and court ot | common council.
 Third, to confer upon the board of public | works the care of all the roads within the
 town limits to the great saving of public | funds.
 By reports of the town agent it appears \ that there were spent in year for roads and
 bridges in Westville and the Annex $42,- I275.87. The grand list of these districts is a little short of $2, 500, ,000. The average sum | expended on roads and bridges for several
 years has been $31 ,327.76, being about 121k
 mills on the dollar, while the average tax
 paid by them did not exceed 6-10 mills per annum. Thus there has been expended
 alone in Westville and the Annex two snd one-half times as much more than all they
 have contributed, and they have borne no part whatever of the enormous burden of
 supporting the roads and bridges of the
 city.
 The selectmens disbursements of 1888 were
 $466, ,2s7.45. Generally speaking it must be ! admitted that there should be in any one
 community as few tax levying authorities as
 possible. Under the city system the esti
 mates for municipal expenses become mat
 that there is no law to compel the enforce
 ment of the city methods when adopted by
 the selectmen. It will be seen that the esti | mates of the selectmen for 1888 were $685.
 GOO, and the disbursement $111, 900 more. Ii
 is not strange that the floating debt of the ! town has increased from $14S, ,309. 64 in 1854
 to $241, ,564. .09 in 1888.
 Had the city spent the same proportion of
 money as the annex and Westville there | would have been expended 20 times as much
 as it has done. Everybody knows that
 Westville streets were paved long before
 is receiving equally liberal treatment where
 very expensive improvements are being | made.
 By the natural operation of things Vest | vile and the Annex have come to hold three
 of the seven positions as selectmen. The | election returns have generally shown, for our friends in Westville and the Annex sleep | with both eyes open, that the lowest man on the ticket of the minority came from the city. But it is said why cannot the citizens of the city attend the annual town meeting
 and prevent the levying of taxes for the
 selectmen to spend. In the first place, if
 the debt is contracted it does no good to re-
 fuse to levy sufficient taxes to pay it. Let
 any member of the committee who has been
 selectnan in his town see the New Haven
 town journal and be astonished to find nc
 minute there of any derilictions to the select 4men and then step into the town agents office and examine the records of the board
 of selectmen. He will see the selectmen have usurped the functions of the ordinary
 town meeting.
 With such vast sums to distribute with no other than self imposed rules for their dis
 bursement 1t would be passing strange if the | selectmen should be unacquainted with the ! value of political power put in their hands.
 The town agents salary 20 years ago, $1 200, has increased to $2, 300.
 I find regiment full 1000 strong, mostly
 able-bodied men, who do little but work for
 the town at $1. 50 day, when the labor rem dered is not worth half that sum, because
 the fundamental idea is not to get the job | done. The labor is given out as charity, in | defiance of law. Would not the vote of this
 regiment be solid in one direction? An able bodied pauper receiving his living from the \ taxpayers crib must necessarially be dan gerous politician.
 So completely do the selectmen come to regard themselves as armed with all the au- | thority of the town, that in this case they have, without consulting the town, employed one of the ablest lawyers in the State to de- fend the town government.
 Instead of permitting the town to vote on the measure, we find the selectmen present. ing to us for payment the bills of very ex- pensive counsel incurred in the effort to pre-
 vent the majority from adopting the meas | ure, if they so desire.
 The views of Hon. N. D. Sperry that the | agent of municipal corporation may disre- gard statutory enactment concerning the ! care of the poor and follow supposed law of humanity are stark nonsense.
 It is said that the press of the city is not | unanimous in favor of the bill. It is true that the eminently respectable Rip Van Win kle of the COURIER, disturbed by the agita- tion, has woke up, seen the morning sunlight l breaking over the hills and has said. 'Boys,