Morning journal and courier., 1891-11-03
A SPIRITED MEETING.

Brown of the Hoard of Public Works Made at Last Nights Meet ing of the Aldermen.
 The session of the board of aldermen l asst evening was one of the most exciting 1 # the season. Hardly had the meeting been called to order and the roll call fin l shed when Alderman Daley of the Tenth ward arose and moved that the board re- solvs itself into committee of the whole in order to hear the report of the sub committee on their investigation of the board of public works. The motion was seconded by Alderman Chand- Ter, and the mayor was about to put the question when Alderman Prince of the Ninth arose and objected to the board taking any such action. He stated as his reasons for objecting that he had not re- ceived copy of the report until last Fri day evening, and that in consequence he did not have an opportunity to read it carefully until Sunday, and therefore had no opportunity to prepare minority re- port. He also stated that he had written to the chamber of commerce and asked that the matter be postponed.
 Alderman Callahan in reply stated that the aldermen practically knew what the report would be some ten days since, and in consequence had had ample time to- pre- pare minority report in the matter.
 Alderman Prince called for an aye and nay vote on the matter, and the board vot- ed to resolve itself into committee of the whole by vote of 15 ayes to noes.
 The following report from the sub-com- mittee was then read: . s-..-4 5 TEE COMMITTEES REPORT
 To the Honorable Committee of the Whole
 of the Board of Aldermen:
 Your subcommittee, to whom was en- trusted the work of drafting report of the conclusions of the committee of the whole on the matter of the grievances of Commissioner R.H. Brown, beg leave to sub init the following as being a fair conclusion to be addueed from the evidence laid before the committee of the whole.
 The grievances complained of, so far as they can be clearly made out from the somewhat elaborate statements thereof, appear to consist of three things:
 1 That the corporation counsel did not render an opinion sufficiently soon after it's being asked for on the subject of com missioner being bondsman for contractor:
 9 That the board of public works had purchased stone crusher at the city's ex- pense for the use of Connors Brothers, who are private contractors, and that the com plainant had ignorantly voted for such purchase, which he would not have done had he been better informed with refer ence to tLe charter and ordinances of the city.
 3 That the board of public works or 8 portion thereof was about to purchase road roller, when he believed that no such road roller was needed, and that the board of public works were about to purchase the same at an ex.ravagant price.
 After said complaint had been submitted to committee of the whole for considera- ton, 8 time was set for hearing the evi- dence to sustain said complaint, but at the to appear before said committee to sustain said complaint, and, at second meeting, when he did appear, withdrew the com plaint of the board of public works hay ing purchased @ stone crusher. He also, in giving his testimony, stated that he knew nothing of any particular wrong doing of any member of the board of public works, but whatever grievances there were against the board he knew only by hearsay. A general hearing was had, therefore, of any and all griev- ances that anybody had or thought that he had against the board of public works or any member thereof, and great deal of evidence was heard, much of which was of very vague, indefinite and unreliable character; and, from careful considera- following conclusions, taking each griev- ance separately:
 1 As to the matter of the corporation counsel not furnishing the board of public works an opinion as soon as, 1t is claimed, it ought to have been furnished.
 We find that the opinion was called for on the 9th day of May, 1891, and was brought to the attention of the corporation counsel the day following and that the opinion requested was in fact furnished to the board of public works at it's next regu- lar monthly meeting; and as soon as it is customary for the corporation counsel to furnish such opinions without having been ordered otherwise.
 3 As to the matter of the grievance of the claimed purchase of stone crusher by the board of public works for the use of Connor Brothers:
 Commissioner Brown at the hearing conceded that he was mistaken that any such purchase had been made, and admit ted that there was nothing in the alleged grievance, and he did not care to press the same, and we find that, in fact, no stone crusher had been purchased by the board of public works for the Connor Brothers, and that the alleged grievance was without any foundation in fact.
 AS to the matter of the alleged con- templated purchase of road roller, we find that the matter of the purchase of an additional road roller had for long time been under consideration by the members of the board of public works, because the old road roller, the English pattern, was an antiquated, expensive machine, costing upwards of $1 ,000 year to repair and to city, which machine required two men to do the work which could be done by one man with modern machine, and for these reasons the matter of the pur- chase of new road roller had been put into the hands of committed, consisting of his honor, the mayor, and Commission CTS States and Todd, members of the board of public works. This committee had giv- en the matter such investigation as they could, and had caused road roller of American manufacture to be brought to New Haven for trial, which was offered to city at price of $4,5O0, less 5 per cent. discount on @ ten days trial and this is as far as the "dtuof udO plOCceOou Rutu bdlu cOnpldlut was made to the board of aldermen. No purchase of road roller has been made, and no contract for such purchase has been entered into, and while there is con- trariety of opinion as to the necessity of 8 new road roller, we find that the majority of the board of public works, and also his honor, the mayor, believe that a new road roller was necessary, and we find that whatever his honor and the other members of the committee did in the premises was done by them in the honest belief that new road roller was needed; and we also find that whatever they did was done in the honest belief that they were acting for the best interests of the city of New Haven.
 With reference to this particular ques- ton, see the testimony of his honor the mayor, here annexed and marked ''Exhib- it A."
 EXHIBIT A.
 Mayor Sargent-Mr. Brown does not seem to understand the position of the committee in this matter. This road roller was sent to this town entirely on the vo- ition of the Harrisburg company, on ap- proval, the price not being fixed; the quail ity guaranteed, but the price was not fixed, although price was ramed; we were not obliged to take it under any considera- tion whatever. There were so many conditions about it that we were under no obligations to take it under any consideration, and the committee calcu- committee calculated, to make inquiries Ill l. Il