The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-25
STREET PAVEMENTS AGAIN
WEST CHAPEL AND ORAHGD STREET.
TO BE PAVED WITH ASPHALT.


Interesting and Spicy Session of the Board
ofAIdermen-TaIk About Aspersions and
Insinuations--otherM Meetings Held Last
Night.
Nineteen of the twenty-four members
of the board of aldermen were present,
last evening when Mayor Hendrick call
ed the special meeting of that body to
order The absentees were Aldermen
Bromley, Blakeslee, Leary, Stanley and
Benham. After number of minor Pc
titions had been read and disposed Of a.
communication was read from the may
or recommending that the committee oil
ordinances be instructed to formulate
one or more ordinances empowering the
board of public works to water this
streets of the city and assess the prom
erty owners for the cost thereof. Ac-
lcompanying the communication was the
opinion of Corporation Counsel Ely to
the effect that such ordinances wers
necessary. In view of this tfact the!
communication was accepted, it's rec
concentrations adopted and the entire
matter referred to the committee on or
dinances.
The question of the construction Of al
| sewer on Stevens street, between Syl-
van and Davenport avenues, was pro-
ductive of considerable discussion. Tha
committee on sewers reported in favor
| OF the sewer and their report was ac-
cepted at the last meeting of the board
OF aldermen. The councilmen, however.
decided to recommit the matter to the
committee on sewers on the ground thar
there was no outlet for the proposed /
sewer The aldermen last evening, on,
motion of Alderman Macdonald, decidebl
to adhere to it's former action and not
concur with the councilmen.
In advocating the acceptance of the
report of the committee Alderman Mac
donald stated that he had had a similar
experience with a piece of property hes
owned. "When," said he, "the sewer
was ordered through Sherman avenue
and Oak street / did not oppose it, al
though / owned piece of property
nearly 900 feet distant from the sewer,
and was liable to assessment on both
some time and consequently the sewer
would not do me any good, but I did
not oppose the petition for the sewer,
despite the fact that I would have TO
pay my sewer assessment for no per
sonal benefit, and vet considered TINT
the people who had built up their little
homes about there had right to all the
lconveniences which could lbe secured for
them, and therefore / was willing to
contribute my mite towards their corn
fort. The case of the Stevens street
sewer is similar, and hope that this
board will adhere to its former action
in the matter"
The aldermen also unanimously voted
to reimburse to the amount of about
$1,000 the board of public works for
the expense incurred by that depart
ment of the city government in pre-
serving the elm trees of the city from
the ravages of the elm tree beetles
during the past summer.
All the recommendations Of the COM
mittee ON streets formulated at the
meeting Of that committee Monday ev-
ening were adopted without discussion
until the report recommending that
West Chapel street be paved with sheet
asphalt from York to Mott streets was
reached. This report was the cause Of
considera BILE discussion and was also
finally accepted.
When the report had been read 1T ].
was moved tha the report Of the COM
mittee be accepted and the recommen-
dation adopted and also that the re-
monstrants be given leave to withdraw.
Alderman Keyes argued that nuless
the majority of the residents of that
street desired sheet asphalt he should
vote against the report. He said fur
ther that he understood that fifty-nine
residents of the street desired vitrified
brick, while only thirty-four wanted
sheet asphalt He also said that he
had been told that a number of those
who had changed from brick pavement
to sheet asphalt because they had been
told that unless they withdrew their
objection to sheet asphalt they would
not get any kind of pavement. He all
so added that in this country the will
of the majority should rule and that
it was not question of how many
feet was owned by the property own
erS but whether the majority was in
favor of sheet asphalt or brick. He
also argued that sheet asphalt was
dangerous, slippery and possessed Of
no durability and further that the street
ought to be widened and that this inn
provements was in contemplation.
Alderman Hamilton then presented
the complete petition for sheet asphalt
pavement, signed by sixty-four resi-
dents of the street. some of whom had
also signed the petition for vitrified
brick After this had been read and
ruled out by the mayor, it having been
shown that it had not been before the
court of Common council and referred
in due order to the committee on streets,
Alderman Smith opposed the whole mat
ter, claiming that sheet asphalt was
not proper pavement for any street
in the city on which there were any
tracks.
Alderman Macdonald stated that be
wanted to represent the wishes of his
ward, and that he thought the state
ment that had been made to the effect
that the people had signed the petition
for sheet asphalt or they would get
none at all. was made not with an in
tention of coercing the people, but be-
cause the matter had been hanging fire
SO long-about two years. He argued
in favor of an asphalt pavement, claim