Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-17
WATERBURY PROBLEMS.

Sensational Hearings on Proposed Is-
 sues of Bonds and Municipal Light
 ing.
 The legislative committee on cities and boroughs had busy session yesterday af- ternoon listening to arguments on pending measures concerning Waterbury.
 The bill authorizing the city to issue $500, GOO additional water bonds was first considered. City Attorney Burpee ex- plained the bill. with an additional sec ton giving the city power to sell water from the eastern sources to parties outside the city limits. Robert k. Brown vigor- ously objected to the issue and suggested that Waterbury needed an insane asylum more than anything else. Mayor kilduff said that the $500, ,000 would be necessary if the committee decided to build the dam at the Branch to a height of 425 above city datum. After further remarks Ly Thomas Kelly and Attorney Terry the hearing closed, and favorable report is expected upon the bill.
 Then the hearing on the bill exempting Waterbury from the provisions of the act, passed by the last legislature. in regard to municipal lighting. came up. This act allows any city to do its own lighting pro- vided a vote for it passes two successive courts of common council by a two-thirds vote. is approved by the mayor and is then adopted by popular vote; upon failure. the vote may not be submitted again until af- ter the expiration of one year; and the city on adopting the vote shall buy up private plants evistlng City Attorney l., F. Bur pee, at the request of the common council. presented the bill and Mayor F G. Kilduff explained it. He said that at present the city was at the mercy of one electric con- pany, that statistics in other cities showed that city could do its own lighting at an expense 50 per cent less aud that Water bury had concluded to be in position to do it's own lightiRg The existing law Is deceptive; it offers to allow cities to do their own lighting but hedged about the privilege in such way as to make it null. The mayor Was frequently interrupted by Attorney Terry. but was loaded with sta tistics and had an answer for every interro- gation. Alderman klefer favored the biff. and Prt sident Tracy Of the council said that he was satisfied with pres ent conditions. Attorney Terry spoke on the interest of the Traction Co, claiming that South Norwalk, which dld it's own lighting, paid n'4e than Waterbury. He said the compa ~ns doing an honest. legitimate hu-,t ,--s. and asked tn its hands be lot ! IIa argued that the competition t l., i.y wished U set up
 
 There are still ..u :htr Waterbury bill. authorizing it to i>~u,. $500 n,n' ter c~ut sewer bonds Cit, At, rnty iiurt,"r tx claimed that heavy ,itmAl" suits. stIll reuding, had been brought ,.@4lDst the | city for seweIlng into he Ntusatuck river. -eing that some change Tn sewerage | would some day be necessary, the mayor, | by order of the common council. appointed | a committee ut twenty citizens to consider | what could be done. The committee hired Rudolph Herring and went ahead.s This bill was drafted by order of the common council but. some fearing that such an act might pref udice the citys interests in the | courts the common council rescinde1 its order. so the bill was withdrawn, though the city attorney personally doubted the wisdom of such action. President Tracy of the board of councilmen thought such | bonds would be desirable since the city might be shut off at any moment, from sewering into the Naugatuck; he under stood that some had thought the city could not afford the expense. Representative Hall, also councilman. agreed with Mir | Tracy's statement and hoped the commit tee would keep this bill and report favor ably on it G, E. Terry showed the evils | of Waterbury's present river sewerage sys- l tenn; court may issue a compulsory order before the legislature meets again and the city has an opportunity to get power to is- sue bonds: in such event. a great burden in the shape of a temporary loan would be imposed upon the city. As attorney of those who are suing the city. he would like no better club ln his hand than the statement that the city had positively re- fused to do anything to improve existing conditions, Mayor Kilduff said the city was heavily burdened already and must give sewer bonds the go-by.