The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-05-15
NO WAITING ROOM FOR THEM
COMMITTEE ON SoUAREs GAVE
PUBLIC HEARING.

speeches Made by Prominent Men in OPP
position to the City's Holding Con-
ference With the Street Railway Com
panies-speakers Did Not Discuss the
Question But Took the Opportunity to
Tell How Much They Disliked These
Corporations Encroachments - Many
Remedies Suggested.
The committee on squares met last
evening and heard the arguments for
and against the advisability of the rep
resentatives Of the court of common
council holding a conference with the
railroad officials as to the construction
of a waiting room at the corner of
Church and Chapel streets on the
green. The hearing was on the amend
ment to the original resolution offered
in the board of aldermen.
The original motion was made in the
board of aldermen by President Mac
donald and reads:
Resolved, That the joint standing
committee on squares of the court Of
common council confer with the man
agement of the several electric railway
companies IN New Haven relative to
the construction of a waiting room
on the New Haven green at the CORNER
of Chapel and Church streets, said COM
mittee to report the result of said con-
ference to the court of common council
A. The neyt rae.I11ar rnenttpu
The amendment upon which the hear
ing was held was offered by Council
man Beers and reads:
Resolved, That the resolution in ref
erence to the waiting room on the green
be referred to the joint standing COM
mittee on squares with instructions to
hold a public hearing or hearings and
report whether a conference between
the representatives of the city and the
electric railroad companies is. advisa-
BILE at this time.
The amendment was read by order
of Chairman Rattlesdorfer, who sug-
gested that it would be fair to hear
those who We're opposed to the con-
ference an opportunity to be heard.
This many opponents of the scheme
thought was the wrong way to get at
the matter. There was an impression
among those who came to the meeting
that the hearing was on the advisable
ity of building a waiting room and not
upon the advisability of holding a con-
ference with the railroad companies.
i Prof William e. Chandler said that a
conference was not needed. The people
were opposed to encumbering the green
with any more buildings. He referred
to the protracted struggle through
which the city went in order to remove
the old state house.
He did not want to see any more
buildings on the green for any purpose
| whatsoever.
Talcott H. Russell followed Prof.
Chandler in opposition to the amend
ment and could see no necessity for
such structure as was contemplated.
Eugene S. Bristol thought that any
more encroachments by railroad corpo-
rations upon the property Of the public
should not be tolerated.
Henry C. White at this point said
that it might be well to hear those who
favored the motion.
C. e. Graves moved that the chair
so rule.
President Macdonald of the board Of
aldermen entered the room just as
Chairman Rattlesdorfer made the rul-
ing The alderman said at the outset
of his speech that it had been suggest
ed that the railway companies were be-
hind the movement. He wished to say
that the matter had been suggested to
him by private citizen who had seen
the long felt necessity Of some structure
similar to the one contemplated. No
railroad official had mentioned the mat
ter to him.
Two plans of a structure showing
what those who favor the waiting
room had to suggest We're shown. One
was an open canopy 60x7O feet with
posts ten feet long, the apex of the
roof to be 20 feet above the squares.
The second plan contemplated wait
ing room on the second story. Presi-
dent Macdonald said that he should
claim the right to answer
John Mccarthy followed Mr.. Mac
donald. He favored the building of a
waiting room but it should be made
historical and ornamental, not built so
as to be an eye sore. 1t should be an
allegorical object lession for genera
tions to come.
Willis l. Mix, the druggist at the cor
ner of Church and Chapel streets, said
that he had kept a drug store at that
corner for fourteen years. He was not
now, nor never was in favor of a wait
ing room there. He did not remember
that he had ever spoken to a lady for
waiting in his store unless perhaps one
had stood in the doorway. He did not
believe that the building of waiting
room would remedy the crowd.
1t was at this stage of the meeting
that the reading of the resolution and
the amendment was proceeded with, so
that part of the people could be in
formed as to the subject under discus
sion.
There was another tangle, and Coun-
Gilman Beers, who offered the amend
ment, was called upon to explain the
meaning and intent of the amendment.
F. C. Bushnell inquired as to the
status of the discussion, and wanted to
know "where they were at
It was finally settled that whatever
the technicality was it should not stand
in the way of any man making the
committee acquainted with his view on
the subject.
Time limit was called but Chairman
Rattlesdorfer said that he intended
every man who wished to be heard
| should be and of one hearing would not