The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-08-03
TOO MUCH PUBLICITY GIVEN
SAYS ALDERMAN ROOT CONCERNING
ADVERTISING INVESTIGATION.


SAYS ALDERMAN ROOT CONCERNING
ADVERTISING INVEsrIGATI0N.
Attempt to Reconsider in board of Alder
men, Last Night. Failed-Mayor Farms
worth's Remarks-New Order Passed for
Street Hardsning-Bonds to be Issued to
Pay for New Derby Avenue Bridge.
After some matters of minor import
ance had been disposed of by the alder
men at their meeting last evening" AL
derman Dewell moved to rescind the
vote passed by the board at the pre-
vious meeting to refer both reports Of
the committee which investigated the
gorgeous street sprinkling advertising,
but his motion was lost by a vote of s
to Is.
A few petitions had been considered
and referred when Mr.. Dewell, rising,
asked the courtesy of the board to
make a motion. He said: Il move
that the vote taken at the previous
meeting to refer both the majority and
minority reports to the board OF
finance be rescinded. AS the matter
now stands 1t lies with the board of
finance to determine the amount to be
paid for this advertising, l think that
the court of common council should de-
termine this. These reports were re-
ferred to a new board of finance, not
in existence when the vote to refer was
taken"
Alderman Rourke-'I second the mo-
tion.''
Alderman Root--'I should like to
know why the gentleman from the
Eighth has changed his mind. If re-
member right, he was ore of those who
voted to refer both reports to the board
Of finance"
Alderman Dewell-"I thought then
that the board of finance would have to
report back to us. I think that we
should determine what the newspapers
are to be paid. do not believe that
we should leave this question to those
not familiar with it, however able gen.
tlemen they may be. Tt is never too
late to mend.
Alderman Root-"I do not agree with
the gentleman who says 1t is not too
late to mend. I voted before against
referring these reports to the board Of
finance because felt that the matter
should be settled at once. In the wis
dom of this board, by big majority,
they were referred. Since then there
has been a mighty warfare, much re-
elimination, and what have we profited
thereby? Isn't it a sensible, a practic-
able thing that the two boards have
done in referring these reports to the
board of finance? I shall now vote to
refer them to the board of finance for
the same reason that I then voted not
to refer, because I see no use of going
all through this again. Isn't it sensi-
BILE to take it out of the realm OF parti-
zanship and out of the newspaper war
and refer 1t to this new board of
finance? I believe that every good citf-
zen who believes in settling this thing
in a business-like way will favor so
disposing of the matter"
Alderman Rourke-"I favor resclnd-
ing our former action because I do not
believe that the board Of finance wants
to settle it. 1t wants US to attend to
it,"
Alderman Dewell-"The argument,
that now that we have a new
ard good board Of finance, it is
proper to refer this matter to
it and so shirk our duty Is a poor
one No matter how Justly they may
act, it is my duty and yours to deter
mine how much the papers should be
paid"
Alderman Root-"It is not shirking
responsib l!ty to leave this matter where
1t is. To take a new vote is to keep
it before the public longer. Let the
gentleman from the Eighth concede
that some of us are honest. Let us
leave these reports to the gentlemen of
the board of finance, who are not in
terested personally, as some Of us are"
Alderman Dewell-"Some here who
may be interested? I don't believe
that. I for one am not. Our duty is to
settle this. The matter ought to be ad-
justed here"
ally interested"
Mayor Farnsworth-"Befor the vote
is taken desire to say something In
the first place. year after year, mem
bers of the board of finance have en-
deaV0re0 TO get DlOS TOT city aQVerIlS-
ing from the newspapers so as to
arouse competition and get reasonable
rates. You know the result. When
bids have been ordered to be called for
the gentlemen of the board of finance
were told that the newspapers would
'scald' them. hope no one here will
vote In the hope Of escaping being
'scalded,' or in the hope Of being fiat
tered, by the newspapers. The papers
don't cast votes; only those in their
immediate employ. The time has come
when, in view of the position that the
newspapers have taken, the city can
get fair returns for the money spent in
advertising. In Mayor Sargent's term
the appropriation for city advertising
was exceeded by fifty per cent, but
there was no kick because the gentle
men connected with the city govern
ment didn't want to be 'soalded,' and
didn't say anything against the STEAL
Action by city officials has heretofore
been Influenced by two motives-to
make political capital and to aid in fu-
ture libel suits"
Alderman Dewell-"1 also believe
that the time has come for the city
to get a fair return for its money If