The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-20
FAVOR BETTER PAVEMENTS.
IMPORTANT MEETING OF COMMIT
 TEE ON STREETS LAST NIGHT.

Chamber of Commerce Petition Considered
 but No Action nTaAen-Views of Ex- Mayor
 Sargent and OtIiers-selectlnen Asked to
 Call Town Meeting in the Interests of
 Consolidation.
 Alderman Hamilton presided at the meeting of the committee on streets last evening, which was held for the purpose of considering the petition of the chamber of commerce for system of better pavements throughout the city. The other members of the com mittee present were Alderman Rattles- dorfer and Councilmen Forsyth, Chill lingworth and Ullman.
 The first speaker of the evening was Joel A. Sperry, chairman of the com mittee of the chamber of commerce He favored bonding the city for the amount necessary to secure good pave ments and that the project was based on the best practical ideas of this coun- try and England Like views were also expressed by Frank c. Bushnell.
 Colonel N G. Osborn also favored the plan and said that at present it was not necessary to consider what kinds of pavement should be used, but first it was necessary to get the author ity to issue the bonds and determine whether or not to send the corporation counsel to the legislature to advocate the measure. He also was in favor of having the taxes paid to the state by the local street railroad companies paid into the city treasury and said that were this the case 1t would mate rially aid in the redemption of the pro- posed bonds
 James D. Dewell and A. McC- Mathew son were in favor of referring the en- tire matter to the corporation counsel with instructions to appear before the legislature and favor the. issuance of the bonds. Alderman Blakeslee de- clared that the city was losing money by reason of poor pavements. Town Engineer Hill favored the use of vltri- fled brick for paving purposes instead of block asphalt.
 Anthony Carroll also favored better pavements, but insisted. that the city should pay for the work as it was done fer. Said he: "If the bonds are issued the contractors will do as they please and we will not be assured of good work" He also declared that the board of public works was in league with the contractors, but this charge was denied by Senator Johnson, who is also a member of that board where upon MT. Carroll stated that he did not include the senator in his charge.
 A communication was next read from ex-Mayor Sargent, in which it was stated that the petition was not the expression of the majority of the cham Der of commerce and that few mem bers attend the meetings of that body, except at the annual banquet, and know but very little about the project of bonding the city for better pave ments. The ex-mayor opposed the plan and wrote that in his opinion 1t were better for the present generation to pay its own debts instead of leaving them for their descendants to settle
 The committee in executive session the matter but arrived at no conclusion.
 SELECTMEN'S SHORT SESSION
 At the meeting of the selectment last night a petition signed by Henry c. | White, Henry F. Peck, Benjamin R. 1 English, James N. States, T. Attwater Barnes, Professor Brewer. John w. l filling and others was received, ask | ing the selectmen to call a special town | meeting for February 25 to favor the of the city and town gov 
 The selectmen decided to postpone action on the petition until this even | ng and in the meantime it was referred to Town Counsel Goodhart to ascertain whether or not the selectmen have he right to call town meeting for my such purpose. Beyond this only | 'outine business was transacted.