Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-31
ANOTHER REFORM.
Mayor RIldufr Reads the Charter to the Fire Hoard and Hereafter the Auditor wnI Buy the Supplies For That Body.

Mayor KiIdufr Reads the Charter to the | Fire Hoard and Hereafter the Auditor | wIlI Buy the Supplies For That Body.
 Mayor Kilduff presided at the meeting | of the fire board last night. All the mem- | bers were present. When the meeting | opened there did not seem to be anything | unusual on hand. but it soon turned out to I held by that honorable body, inasmuch as | it proved beyond possible doubt that the | powers of the fire board and the various | other boards appointed by the court of common council are very limited and that much of the rights which those boards have been arrogating to themselves are vested in the city auditor. The city char ter states this very plainly and when the section stating that the fuel, supplies, ser vices and incidentals must be pur- chasel by the auditor. was read by the mayor, it was amusing to see how each member looked at the other in mute as- tonishment. It was the most natural thing in the world after the mayor de- cided this to have Commissioner Hynes ask. What are we here for. anyway
 The whole matter came up this way. Chief Snagg reported that the feed con- tract would expire August l and the meet ing thought it would be we'll to proceed to call for new bids for supplies for another quarter. Mir Hart thought it a good time to call for bids for coal supplies. Mir Hynes explained that a meeting held De cember Is, 1893. the contract for furnish ing one hundred tons of coal had been awarded to Matthew Kennedy and he did not see the use of calling for blds until the supply they had contracted for was ex- hausted. Ii was explained that the board had no right to make a contract. Mir l Hart agreed that tke board had no power to contract for coal. though curIously | enough he was present at the meeting | when the board so voted last year. While he thought the board had no right to con- tract for fuel he believed it had the right to buy feed. The mayor again read the charter bearing on this matter whici showed that the board had not the power to buy anything.
 Mir Driegs said: If that le so, what right has this board to pass a vote to do anything: We have not the power of spending one cent We cannot vote to pay a man his salary. All We can do Is recommend that he be paid at the discre- ton of the auditor"
 Commissioner Hyncs wanted to know if the other boards were living up to the charter in these matters.
 The mayor said it made no difference as far as the question under discussion was concerned what the other boards were do. ing. The board of fire commissioners was responsible for its own acts only.
 MT Hynes said he always believed tha
 it was the work of the auditor to purchase , all supplies and made a fight for that some , time ago, but was told by the mayor,
 predecessor that the board had a right tC make purchases. The contract was made in good faith with Mir Kennedy and h,
 would not wish to see it broken.
 Mir Hart moved that the auditor be in 1 Cfr tal t.N call for ,1, Cor The mayor said it was not ecessuy tn
 charter conferred that power on the audi tor and he would inform him 10 contrac
 for coal whsn the present supply is use, - up.
 : "well. what about the feed:" said NJ = Hat.
 ..I'n tell him to call for bids for that $ too." said the mayor. "he alone has th - power"
 Then it began to look as though th l. members would have to remain in sessio f until their terms of office should eXpir
 for it seemed as if they had not the powe . to pass n vote to adjourn.
 s The monthly bills and the pay TO O amounting to Sl .2l5.3l were ordered pal l. with the exception of Jill of S36.0l fC
 repairing the fire truck which was dan
 aged on the way to fire on Bank street
 few days since. This was ordered sent [
 the Traction Co for payment.
 q At the last meeting of the board Chic
 SnaGG empowered 10 have har D, wood floor put 9own at the ScoVill stree |: engine house. When the bill, SS3u6, wa , read, the mayor thought ii was ITett ., steep. IL was explained that the chief sI n a good chance to get fence built Tn th Is rear of the engine house which was nesdt
 to shut of intruders from Jefferson strr, r: and he consulted with some of the men L bers of the board. who adNi,ed him to { H. ahead. as the extra expense was not oV'
 S6 or S7. To this the mayor said: ''N 'd one spoke to me about building fence. l. think the business of this board should Il conducted at the meetings"
 + It was voted that the chief engineer l
 instructed to continue Henry Dodcr a
 sistant fireman at No 2s house until flu
 ther orders.
 When the result of the meeting was e a Ilained to City Auditor Cassin he said
 was no news la him. He always knew
 was the business of the auditor to bU 't these things. but when he first went theI n these laws were not observed. Ii Il ,c boards wanted to do il themselves and sa' . him the labor he had no fault to fin
 about it. "Evcrything should be bOugl n. by the auditor" he said. subject to Il n, approval of the mayor. and if it k going be done now il will be something new. h., did not try to buy anything. he said. "b IT, cause if should had good reason 10 l. hr lirve that il would not be approved. \
 bills must receive the slguature of il
 mayor" ''Mayor KIldun." he ndde
 wants tO live according to the proVlsi'
 of the charter. and in doing this sou people thlnk hlm arbitrary