The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-24

common council had already authorized
the sale of $4,000 worth of bonds for
the new Chapel street railroad bridge
and that the $4,000 mentioned in Alder
man Petries resolution would not be
needed just now. He also said that
since the contract for the erection of
the Chapel street drawbridge would not
be let until about January l. there was
no immediate need of the S150,000 IN
view of these facts, the resolution was
laid on the table until such time as
funds for the two bridges are needed.
The petition of Anthony Carroll in re-
gard to the manner of letting city con-
tracts and also the wording of the con-
tracts, which was referred by the COM
mon council to the board of finance to
hold hearing, was next taken up.
Mayor FarnsWorth suggested that
there might be some question as to the
jurisdiction of the board of finance in
this matter. Mr.. Carroll was present
and Controller Brown suggested that he
be heard in regard to his petition.
Commissioner Forsyth said that it
had lately been decided that a hearing
means public hearing and so he
thought that there was no need of hear
ing Mr.. Carroll alone.
Commissioner Dove suggested that
as the petition had been referred by the
common council the board of finance
might be obliged to report on it,
Commissioner White thought that the
board should decline to act on matters
outside of its jurisdiction. AS to MAX
ing an investigation concerning the
manner in which the department of
public works was conducted or it's con-
tracts drawn, he did not think the
board had jurisdiction. He said fur
ther: "The court of common council is
the body of general jurisdiction. This
board is one of limited jurisdiction.
There seems, however, to be tendency
to have us go outside of our jurisdiction
by those who don't know what our du-
ties are under the charter.
Commissioner Dove said that if the
city had lost 5000 through the city en-
gineer or the board of public works, he
thought that the time for the board of
finance to act was when the bills came
before it,
Commissioner White moved that the
petition be referred back to the common
council, and it was so voted.
Councilman Dove and Alderman For
syth promised Mr. Carroll that when
his petition came up again in their re-
spective boards they would endeavor to
have it referred to the committee on
retrenchment and reform.
| Mr. Carr, who has been getting out
| the rate book, appeared before the
board and stated that the rate book
was completed, all but the signing of
| the warrants, and he desired to know
| who should do this. Under the ordi-
nances the warrants were signed by a
| committee appointed by the mayor,
while there is in the new charter sec
| ton which seems to authorize the
mayor alone to sign them. The matter
counsel for an opinion.
| Anthony Carroll was allowed to speak
| to the board in regard to his petition
referred to above He claimed that it
was within the jurisdiction of the
| board to hold a hearing on the petit
ton. He claimed that the board of
! finance as guardians of the city's
( finances had jurisdiction over any mat
I ters like the wording of contracts by
which the city lost money. After hear
F! ing him the board adjourned
The bills for the advertising of the
street sprinkling assessments which
have laid on the table for several weeks
were not considered by the board last
evening, as Commissioner Reuben H.
Brown was absent and it has been de-
cided not to consider the bills until a
| full board is present