The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-05-04

shall not be payable till such assess
ments shall be published three times in
two or more daily newspapers in said
city" will have to be followed.
Respectfully submitted,
WIN. H. ELY,
Corporation Counsel"
Section AZ of the city ordinances pro-
vides as follows:
Section 47-When any assessment of
benefits or damages is adopted by the
court of common council, or return Of
damages or apportionment Of damages
is made under the fifty-frst section of
said charter the city clerk shall note
thereon the date when the same will be
payable, and cause the same, with such
note, to be published In two or more
daily newspapers in said city, on or be-
fore the second day after such adoption
or return, and thereafter, Sundays eX-
cepted, until published twice in each
paper"
In accordance with this ordinance
and the order passed by the common
council in December, 1892 and the opin-
ion of the corporation counsel, the ad-
vertisement Of street sprinkling assess
ments was published in the newspapers
designated for the month of April by
the city clerk in January, 1897
On the evening of the first day in
which the advertisement appeared | re-
ceived call from the business man
ager Of one of the papers which has
been specially active in it's criticisms,
and was asked whether there was any
way in which his paper could partici-
pate in this advertisement. I informed
him that the matter was out of my con-
troll, and was Immediately notified by
him that unless his paper had this ad-
vertising there would be most vigor-
| GUS attack made upon those responsi-
| BILE for the advertisement of the street
| sprinkling assessments. I replied that
that did not justify me in violating the
| law, and he left, stating that he was
going to see other city officials
| l deem it my duty to send you this
| information so that certain erroneous
impressions and apprehensions might
be removed, if any such exist, and for
| the purpose of explaining the sugges-
ton and recommendation which fol-
| low:
The law which requires the expendi-
tising the street sprinkling assessments
in newspapers should be changed, as it
| increases the expense of collection to a
degree wholly disproportionate to the
income received. The information to
| each person assessed can be furnished
through a far less expensive and GER
tainly more effective medium. 1 am
absolutely and unequivocally in favor
of so changing the law that no men,
Der of the court Of common council or
any other city official shall in the future
be subject to opportunities of larger
! appropriations for advertising or to
threats in case a particular paper does
not have the benefit of any particular
| advertising. The present law that des-
ignates that all newspapers shall re-
ceive advertising in rotation, it has
been shown, is likely to cause inequali-
ties and contemporaneous criticism.
| In my Judgment the city advertising
should be open to newspaper competi-
| tion, and awarded to the lowest bid
der. Therefore In consideration of the
| foregoing facts, and in conclusion 1
would suggest that the corporation
counsel be empowered and directed to
take such steps as may be necessary to
incorporate into the proposed new char
ter provisions eXempting the city from
the necessity of spending large sums of
money for newspaper advertising, as is
now necessary by the existing char
! ter.
| l further recommend that the whole
subject of city advertising receive from
| ton. Respectfully submitted,
F. B. FARNSWORTH,
Mayor
| Alderman Pickett offered the follow
ing resolution and made a few remarks
in favor of it's adoption:
| Whereas, 1t has been alleged by GER
| tain newspapers of this city that the
| recent advertising of street sprinkling
assessments has been done because OF
the deliberately formed purpose Of
| members Of the city government to
benefit a newspaper or newspapers in
| which they are pecuniarily Interested;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the board Of finance
be and is hereby requested to make
careful inquiry concerning the allega-
tions, being particularly careful to as
certain whether or not any city official,
or any other person, has committed or
attempted to commit any dishonorable
| or dishonest act in reference to this ad-
vertising, or has exercised or attempted
to exercise any improper influence in
order to secure this advertising for any
paper or papers in which he was inter-
ested. CHARLES W. PICKETT,
Alderman Tenth Ward.
Alderman Dewell supplemented the
above resolution by the following, which
met with no opposition:
position.
Resolved, That the board of finance
be instructed not to pay any bill for
street sprinkling advertisements with
out first having investigated all the
facts in relation thereto and reported
the same to the court of common coun-
Gil.
JAMES D. DEWELL, JR.,
Alderman Eighth Ward.
Alderman Rourke offered resolution
directing that the street sprinkling as
sessments be arranged in alphabetical
order and put into book form for the
tax collectors office for the collection of
assessments.
Alderman Chillingworth asked who
was to to the work. He said the city