The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-06-16
CITY FATHERS CALL A HALT
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS ARE
AGENTS AND NOT PRINCIPALS,

|
| Common Council
| The board of aldermen met last even
ing in pursuance with the call issued
by Mayor Hendrick at the request OF
the chairman of the street committee
for the purpose of passing a resolution
enjoining the board of public works
from carrying into effect the work OF
paving Orange, Trumbull and West
Chapel streets as per contract with the
Boston Asphalt company.
This meeting was called as a result
| of the two resolutions passed at the
meeting of the council one week ago
and concurred in at the special meeting
on Tuesday evening. The board was in
session about ten minutes, during which
time there was much said that was to
the point and the attitude of the body.
was that complete and thorough inves-
tigation should be made as to the
awarding of the contract to the Boston
company.
The business of the session was inn
mediately begun by Alderman Lam
bert's motion to adopt the following
resolutions:
| Resolved by the court of common
council of the city of New Haven:
That it is hereby ordered that the
board of public works and it's employees
and agents be and they are hereby di-
rected not to permit any work to be
done on Trumbull, Orange or Chapel
streets in the city of New Haven under
contract said to have been made on
the third day of June, 1896, with the
| Boston Asphalt company to construct a.
permanent pavement of asphalt in said
streets; and they are further ordered
not to permit said Boston Asphalt COM
pany or any other persons entering
upon any one of said streets for the
purpose of laying a permanent pave
ment thereon until the street COMMITTEES
of the city of New Haven shall have
| it's investigation into all matters per-
tanning to said contracts or proposals
for laying permanent pavements in said
streets and until the court of common
council shall have passed further orders
in the premises.
| Alderman Hamilton, as chairman Of
the committee on streets-I suppose 1t is
proper for me to make an explanations
of this case. AS you all know there was
a resolution offered by Councilman
Clark last Monday night giving the
street committee the power to cite the
| board of public works before it to
answer any questions regarding the al
| legged contract with the Boston Asphalt
| company. This passed unanimously
and was concurred in by the board of
alderman last Tuesday evening. An
other resolution was passed requesting
the corporation counsel to answer GER
tain questions relating to the legality
of the contract. On Friday it was
found that the corporation counsel was
so pressed with other business of the
city that he had not looked up the mat
ter. 1t was then decided to request
his honor to call this meeting. And
inasmuch as this work is to be done
under the direction of the street COM
mittee and that the committee had or
dered Trinidad asphalt and not an
asphalt selected by the board of public
works it was the opinion Of the mem
bers Of the committee that the call
was justified. The street committee
has no objection to the board of public
works taking junketing trips. OF
course they can do so if they will pay
their own expenses, as the street COM
mttee did.
We did not order the board of public
works to select some other kind of
asphalt than Trinidad.
If our orders are not to be obeyed
then why need we issue them? Now as
to the committees report on the result
of the investigation of the different
streets of the different cities they Wis
tied.
The committee report says that q
visit was made to Philadelphia during
which it was found that Broad street
was laid with Trinidad asphalt ard
was at that time being relaid with ST.
Gillian asphalt That pavement was
laid thirteen years ago and needed top
dressing. This work of top dressing
was done by the Sicilian company,
which was the lowest bidder by twenty
cents per yard. If the company can
underbid in Philadelphia, why not in
New Haven.
1t is an outrage to give them more
for the work here than the Trinidad
people ask.
I think that it is about time the city
government should run it's business,
and not the board of public works.
There are other things that l might
say, but L will reserve them for the in
vestigation, If we are to have one. IF
we find that the contract is not legal
we will be doing our duty to the citizens
by calling halt in the matter.
Alderman Chillingworth asked if the
corporation counsel had given an opin-
ion in the matter referred to him. May
or Hendrick said no"
Alderman Moore-Will our action to-
night have any effect on the board of
public works. TT should,' said Mayor
Hendrick.
Alderman Rattelsdorfer-One thing
has not been mentioned, and that is
that the New England Improvement
company offered to lay Sicilian asphalt
at cost of $21, 900 less than the con-
tract awarded.
Alderman Murray-Did the New Eng
land Improvement company put in any
bid for Sicilian asphalt? "a verbal
one," was the reply, which was given
by Mayor Hendrick.
The resolution was put upon its pass
age and received the unanimous vote of
the board.
Alderman Lambert invited the board
to meet with the street lighting con-
vention, which meets in the aldermanic
chamber on Thursday. The board adj