The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-01
COURTESIES INTERCHANGED
SOME SPICY STATEMENTS AT THE
 BOARD OF SELECTIIEN.

Town Agent Baldwin was the target
 for the attacks of the democratic mi-
 nority. The first matter of importance
 which came up was in regard to the
 taking of switch of the Fair Haven
 and Westville railroad in Westville.
 Selectman Bretzfeldier said: q would
 like to know why the town teams and the men hired by the town are working
 on Main street, Westville, for the Fair
 Haven and Westville Railroad com
 pany2 The men and teams are paid for by the town. The company pays
 nothing, and all that the town gets
 out of the transaction Is a few cobble
 stones. The cost to the town will be
 between $400 and $500 The subject was never brought up before this board.
 think this sort of business has gone
 on about long enough. The people of
 Westville are laughing in their sleeves
 at the way this thing is being carried
 on. Here are thirty or forty men work
 ing at $9 per week, and all the town re-
 ceives is cobble stones in return. If the
 Fair Haven and Westville road wants
 to shift their tracks into the middle of
 the street they ought to be made to do
 it, and at their own expense, too, and
 not at ours. If I have made any mis-
 statements in this matter I hope Town
 Agent Baldwin will correct me-"
 In answer Town Agent Baldwin said:
 "If I spend all my time in correcting
 the misstatements of MT. Bretzfelder
 there would be no time left to the board
 Pr,, Ntrn4 l,,tA
 Bretzfelder had much experience in regard to doing work of the kind that Is being carried on in Westville. Ills estimates certainly show a decided lack of knowledge in that respect. Tn regard
 to the laughing, there is a good deal of it done every time he goes out there. He didn't know that, but I might just as well tell him now. This board voted some time ago that Main and Fountain streets should be put in good condi- ton, and so I told Superintendent Ora ham of the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad company to take up the switch on Main street, and also to put the tracks in the middle of the. street. told him that if the company would take up it's rails we would do the rest of the work. We thus got the road top dressed between the rails and for eigh- teen inches on each side. We also get the cobble stones which were between the rails of the switch. These stones cost money-a fact which Mir Bretz- fielder does not seem to appreciate"
 Selectman Bretafe1der: "But the matter of your agreement with Su- perintendent Graham did not come up before this board, nor was the com mittee on railroads and bridges con suited. I do not like the way affairs | are conducted in the town government | certainly think 1t better for the track 1 of the railway to be in the middle of l Main street, Westville than on the side. l But all the expenses of such a change | should be borne by the railway com | pany. The stretch of improvement Is 300 feet, and at the rate we are paying l our men will cost the town consider | able. This board certainly should have | been consulted before any agreement | had been made with the company"
 Selectman Forbes said he thought | anything of that nature should have come before some committee It did | not seem to him to be just the thing For the town agent to go on indepen- 1ently of the board and without saying anything to any of them
 MT. Baldwin said that as the board lad voted to put the streets in good condition the thought never entered his hind that there would be any opposi- ion from the board in the matter.
 Selectman Forbes said that when the board voted to put the streets in good nothing was said about street ar rails, nor about any agreement with the company concerning the work.
 Town Agent Baldwin assented to this.
 Selectman Forbes then said that he id not think that he or ary other man lad the right to make any such agree nent.
 Selectman Bretzfelder, to add a little pice of variety to the discussion, then .sked: "How about Roadmaster Har- ington's bill of $115 for team work last Iarch2" It
 Town Agent Baldwin said he didn't now.
 Selectman Bretzfelder-"Wel I wish { 0 ask another question. Has the coal ( cen bought for the almshouse yet?'
 Town Agent Baldwin-"T think so" i
 OeleCIUIdH bTGIZIbllGI- DOIl you [ now for sure?"
 At this point Town Agent Baldwin ecame wroth and said; we have t card about enough of slander and in- mutations concerning men employed by I he town. It is wrong for a selectman ) make such remarks at public meet lg,s of the board. It would seem that lch an unusual proceeding was for Y ne benefit of the newspapers" Selectman BretZfelder-"Well, that | ont affect the question about the coal luch." Town Agent Baldwin-"You can come , my desk any day and find out that" a Selectman Bretzfelder-"I don't think !,
 good taste to employ Mir. Harrington f t SIS per week, which Is more than v1 nyone else ever received in that posi- on, and let him put on his own teams n !. $3 per day. and then be the judge of Is own work. If we must hire teams fl think it should be of some one outside Q le direct employ of the town. And I n ant to say that 800 tons of coal has n cen purchased for the almshouse, and q mean to know about 1t. I think this f, overnnlent is run very poorly this r, ear.' W Town Agent Ba1dwin-"You ought to fl