The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-27

Want City Control of Tracks for street
Sprinkling Purposes.

Sprinkling Purposes.
The only amendment to the New Ha-
ven city charter considered yesterday
afternoon by the legislative commit
tee on cities and boroughs was that re-
lating to watering streets. This bill
was introduced into the house on the
last day for new business. If passed, the
amendment would place the tracks of
the various street companies in such
relations to the city that the latter
would have the power to grant any sue
cessful bidder for the contract of
sprinkling streets, the privilege of their
using them. There is no provision
made for obtaining power to use the
sprinklers, leaving it to be inferred
that the companies must furnish that
too.
When the proposed amendment was
taken up Corporation Counsel Ely told
the committee that the court of COM
mon council of New Haven was not Of
ficially aware of the existence of the
proposed amendment, as it had never
been proposed in that body
John A. Doolittle, who appeared for
the petitioner, said that he would like
postponement of the consideration of
the amendment as Mr.. Shares who in
troduced the bill, and also another gen
tleman interested in it's passage were
not present.
Chairman Goodrich did not think that
the committee could grant the request
c. S. Morehouse said that he repre-
o,,io To Uan
street railway and the Winchester ave
| nue. road. He wanted the hearing to
proceed.
Mr. Doolittle then told the committee
of the combination of a local firm and
| the Worcester Car Sprinkling company
to form the New Haven Street Sprink-
ling company. This, he claimed, was
was against the spirit of the charter of
| the city.
| Alderman Chillingworth corroborat-
ed what Mr.. Ely had said. about their
being nothing before the court of com
mon council concerning the amend
| ment He did not think that the city
| should take care of unsuccessful bid
| ders.
! He thought that any firm that was
fortunate enough to get a contract for
street sprinkling could obtain the priv
| ilege of running over the tracks of any
| road, provided it paid enough for it.
| Mr. Doolittle reminded the alderman
that he knew to the contrary.
| The alderman rejoined that every
man had his price.
| Mr. Doolittle said: Perhaps you are
better acquainted with the. price of men
than l am
Mr. Morehouse discussed the amend
| ment. He admitted that the street
sprinkling by the electric system was
a monopoly, but that it was so by rea-
son of the patents which the Worces-
ter company controlled The ball and
socket system of filling the tank, where
by large tank may be filled in a min
uate or two, was one of the patents.
Another was the arm which extends
from the sprinkling car. He said that
this bill sought to take away from the
railway companies the rights granted
them by the legislature, and which be-
| longed to them, and to no one else.
| Anthony Carroll was the next speak
er. He favored the amendment. He
had felt the evil effects of the present
law. He knew that no one could get a
chance to sprinkle the streets by means
of the electric process. He then told of
the transactions which took place last
year between the Worcester company
and the C. w. Blakeslee company Of
| this city; how that the successful bid
| der and the Blakeslees pooled their is
| sues, the Blakeslees having at that
| time ten-year contract with the cleo
| trio roads for the use of their tracks.
| Seymour Loomis, representing the
| Street Railway Sprinkling company
and the New Haven Street Sprinkling
company, opposed the bill.
| George D. Watrous, counsel for the
Fair Haven and Westville railroad en-
| tered the committee room at this juno
| ture and made a strong argument
against the amendment.
| Howard G. Webb also opposed the
| amendment.
President Parmelee of the Fair Ha-
ven and Westville Railroad company
and President Corey of the New Haven
Street Railway company We're present
during the hearing.
| Consideration of all other matters re-
| lating to the charter We're postponed
| until March l.
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