The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-27
MATTHEWS CALLED DOWN
CALLED TO ACCOUNT FOR INSINU-
ALTON AGAINST CITY FATHERS.
Alderman Reyes Hauls Him Up short and
He Withdraws His Offensive Language
Regarding Free Passes-Public Morgue
In the Rear of Police Headquarters.

AluerHdn Henry II. heyeS. chairman
of the committee on retrenchment and
reform, called down L. ]. Matthews
at the committees meeting last even
ing. The committee had under consid-
Grafton the petition of Mr.. Matthews
urging that the street railway COM
panies be required to sprinkle the
streets along their lines at least three
times a day. The matter has already
been provided for by an act of the gem
eral assembly, but Mr.. Matthews petit
tion came to the committee in the
regular order and gave it a hearing.
Mr. Matthews appeal closed as fol-
lows:
For Gods sake, gentlemen, free
passes or no free passes, do your duty
by the people and get ready to go back
for another term. and for which favor
the public will appreciate"
After Mr.. Matthews had spoken a
short time in favor of street sprinkling
by the street railway companies, Mr..
Keyes interrupted him with this ques-
tion:
what do you mean, Mr.. Matthews,
by free passes or no free passes?'
"I used those words" said Mr. Mat
thews hesitating, and then Mr.. Keyes
fired this question at him:
did you intend to convey the idea
that the court of common council was
influenced by free passes?"
Not at ALL" replied Mr. Matthews.
Then he tried to explain by saying
that it looked as though influence was
used, which did not satisfy the chair
man.
'It seems to me-" said Mr.. Keyes
vehemently, "to mean a direct insinua-
ton that the common council is infu-
enced."
persons can express themselves with
out making direct charge" said Mr..
Matthews.
1T is not a charge, but an insinua-
tion," insisted Mr., Keyes.
Il have not made any charge" re-
torted Mr.. Matthews.
"Then you didn't intend to convey
that idea?" asked the alderman.
mo" responded Mr.. Matthews. "Peo-
Pile have thoughts
"Then you mean to insinuate that
the common council accepted passes?"
persisted MIR. Keyes.
mo. | don't know that any member
ever had pass" replied Mr. Matthew's
Continuing he said what he had writ
ten in the last paragraph of his peti-
ton meant nothing.
DO you write things that mean moth
ing?" inquired the chairman.
Sometimes" admitted Mr.. Matthews
"Then the committee had better not
consider this petition further said the
alderman.
Mr.. Matthews said other portions of
his petition meant something and the
collouly ended by Mr.. Matthews With
drawing the offensive expression.
General Manager Dodge said he would
not have appeared before the commit
tee but for the expressions used in Mr.
Matthews petition. He came before
the committee, he said, to resent the
base insinuation made by Mr.. Matthews
against the New Haven Street Railway
company, because he knew that the
company would not be guilty of so
mean and lowly thing as to offer 70 a
member of the common councll OF
board of aldermen pass that COSTS a
nickel. There is no member OF the
common council or board of aldermen
that has to-day or has ever had d
pass over the New Haven Street rail-
way company's lines.
Mr.. Matthews said he knew OF no
pass. His expression, free pass or no
free passes" he said, came in the nat
ural way of thinking.
Then he went on to discuss five cent
fares, comparing distances in this city
with distances In New York, until the
cha irman interrupted him with the IN
junction that the petition had nothing
to do with fares.
Mr.. Dodge said there was ten mile
ride on his road from Westville to
Lighthouse Point for ten cents
LAWYER George A. Watrous, repre-
senting the Fair Haven and Westville
road. said the pass question having
been pretty thoroughly disposed OF ne
would not go into that. Regarding
street sprinkling he said the legislature
had provided for that, and he did not
believe that should the court of COM
mon council adopt an ordinance to COM
pei the street railway companies to
bear the expense of sprinkling the
streets, it would be valid He said the
Fair Haven road was willing to meet
the CITY and divide the expense of
sprinklng the streets through which
the lines run, on a fair basis. He
thought that neither the committee
nor the board of public works should
meet his company an arrangement
could be made by which the city water
the streets and the company pay its
share of the expense, or the company to
water the streets and the city bear it's
share of the expense.
S.R. Hull superintendent of the Dix
we'll avenue line, said his company was
willing to meet the city not half way
he said. but it was willing to share in
the expense.
Mr.. Matthews held that if the city
furnished the water it did its share of
the work.
Then Mr. Watrous and Mr.. Dodge dis
cussed various methods adopted by
other cities. in some of which the rail-
way companies take the contract for
watering the streets. The hearing then
closed.
The committee in executive session
gave the petitioners leave to with
draw.
While in executive session Mayor
Hendrick advocated the proposed pub
lie morgue. He presented the CORE
spondence he had with twenty-five
cities relating to morgues All the
cities in question had a population un-
der 100000. of the twenty-fie only two