Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-01-12

ought to commence at once with a small amount expended in surface hardening, the street about the green is d good place to begin with, educating ourselves in making and maintaining this kind of road, which is the road of tine future for much travelled thoroughfares outside ot limited areas in cities.
 Iwish to call your attention briefly to the | fact that individuals have been allowed to open streets near the center ever and erect l buildings upon them, without your authority aud contrary to the ordinance of the city. | Some Of these so opened are narrow, mere passways. They have been allowed to con- l uect with water and sewer maIus and receive | every privilege, while in contempt of your authority. We shall soon have petitions to | widen these lanes and alleys, with the usual | effective plea that residents along them pay taxes, etc. The result will be that the city Il will eventually widen them at great eX- I pensr, us in the ease of Brook street recently. | No street, alley, or laue should be opened tor | building without your authority and when 1 opened, should be of the width required by | the ordinance, at grade estabnshed by you | under the supervision or the city engineer, and To your acceptance. Otherwise a coDsid- erhble sum rem year to year will be wasted m IemeuHInS past neSl'c.
 SEWERS.
 For nearly '+u yenl's the cuy has been con- struc ing q system of sewers. Now, after the greater part of the work is done, our neigh 1 bOrs below are bt in.,ng the fact un pleaSAntly | 10 cur attention, that the pmptying of sewage into he N"u%a' uck riV i@ d nuIsunce and | damage 10 tnem. Sult has aIIc Idy been | brought; a~Eiug damages f0r the injuries | claimed to have been sustained, and an ln- junction tO rrstiaju the city ot Waterbury | rom farther maintaining this alleged nuis- duce. A demurrer 10 thIs action was recently decided by the superior cOIrt ln favor of the ct'N, deciding the plaintiff cannot maintain | this action ln the form in which brought. A 1 similar suit has been brought against the city of New BritaIu, and recently heaid in the superior court als" on a demurrer, the court drcIdirg giu favor of the platntir that he cdu ma1ctdin his action as b1 ought.
 A Jew years since the city Ut Worcester, | Mass, having l'gI~lHtIv" authority turned lis sewage into the Blackstone river. The pluln- tiff owned d mIll privilege on the river below. He brought his sui for an inj junction, alleS- tug the clly cnrt.leS>ly, negligently, and un- necessarily constructed theIr sewers aud drains, and chrcleSeIy, neglISerty and un- necessarily discharged water therefIom and careiessly omitted to take reasonable prec;tu- tiohs and methods in the construction of tbe sewers and purifca'ion of the water so that | the same Was il nuisance and damage to him. | The supreme court of Massachusetts decided | he could maintain that action.
 cite these cases solely to bring to your al = tehtion Il question you may be called to meet anu act upon, viz the disposal of the sewage of the city iu some other way than by turning it into the Naugaluck river. What the final action oi our courts will be no one tell. IL Is, however,, d question you ought to study and inform yourselves upon ln every | possible way 90 that, Ill case you are called to act, you Wilt be ready to deal iuteiliSeully with what will be d drfflcuIt matter at best.
 FIRE DEPARTMENT.
 The board of ire commissioners has been In the unusual position the past year of hay ing nO regularly elected. members Ot the board, no members having been elected the past two years as the charter requires. 1 | trust there Will be no lurther delay and you | will proceed at. once Ill ali VacitncIes in this and the other boards. The cOmmlsslon- els OI this department have asked uO mater lal Increase h the appropriation for this year over last. and l judge tncIe Is nothing of Im- | poltlLcc conccrulnS II to come before you. | Ine city Is tO Da cong GrdIulut,d on the SpIen- uII scIVlce II ius had IIUm thI7 dep rH ment its.d the low cost OI that serVlce.
 P,LICE DEPARTMENT
 The changes in the police force during the past ten years well illustrate the rapidily oi our growth and the change from d flourish tug Village to Il thriving city. Then the force consisted ot halt a dozen watchmen, Knowing and known by everybody. Now it is eff clent, Well disciplined body of tweuty-iour 1 men under tho charge O1 capable officers. IrOpahly nothing ill this department will call Tor acton on your part the present year.
 PUBLIC PARKS.
 My predecessor has often with great force and ability urged upon you the deslrabIllty Ot aL once St curlnS Iauu for one more public parks, with ;t View principally, I judge to lne future IHtGer than Jne present needs Uf the cltH. IL tnk's n' great exercise Of i'm aSnatiun to see Una, tLc city Ill a few gener- auuue Wld Le dcu-ly poi iulau far beyond it's present. territorial IImIt~. No one can pre- dict with any show Ut IUd~Uu It will ever step growing.
 Now We live on the edge Ot tl great natural park eusy Ot access by street cars and by foot. There our succcssor9 will be more closely shut ill. If we provide 1Or them public parks for amusement and recreation, they will feel the samc gratitude to Us We have for our pre- decrSsUrS, whose WIadum and foresight credt' Il that beautiful spot, the green. We do not lack for brautitu! sites on every side natural adapted to that purpose. Desirable aS tnUS,' things are, Il Is simply question of whether the cItS cuu afford lO undertake il work of this kind ut present, and the same rule must govern that prevails with an lndI- rldual. Necessary expenses are rapidly Ill., creaslnS, not only Ill tne city but ill the town and Center school uIe rict ao Well, and until We are able to pay current eNpcnseo With a Ieas souable tax, any coAsiderabl" outlay even for so desirable d purpose IS best deferred. There can be provided, at comparatively sulal cost, here and there in different locall- ties at the Intersection of sueets, small transIes or suuare~, which, planted with trees, turftu and provided wlIH seats, Will iurulan pheasant resting places and. what is
 ar mol important, play grounds tor young chIluIrL.
 PUBLIC BUILDING.
 The remodellug ot the City hall building is q matter that has been mucn aSltated with out result. Once the common council appIo- pIiutCd the necessary amount to do the work On the part OI the city, and once the town in- Siructtu the SelectIncn to make the necessary changes. It is conceded by everyone, who has EIved tue matter attention, that the town and city need he entire building for office TpOses aud court rooms. Only the first | floor Is HOW available for offices and court rooms, while twice the space above is practi- cally unCccuplcd. Not d single official or | boar u has more than one room, and in most cases two or three are crowded into one, aud small ut that. The clerks office is occupied by hIm with the mayor and Ill his office the | board ol aldermen anu all the boards of the | different departments meet. The council chamber is also occupied by the lax collector aud lire marshall and is so small that when any matter of pubic interest is betUI the coun- ell, the lobby Will not furnish standing room Tor tLC people interested ill the proceedings rn" cIty Is paying office rent for the city en- gncer outside; he has no sale storage tor his maps, some of which could not be duplicated. The board O! water commissioners also have offices outside. Tie sum paid for these of- ces, Spther with the sum received from the county for use of court rooms, amounts al- l in it,tn OT hn iTn nv