The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-10-12
BOARD OF coUNofLMEN.
Business Transacted at Last Nights ReGu'
 lar Meeting.

routine business was transacted. The resolution ordering the hardening of various streets on which the street committee reported favorably, and which was passed by the aldermen, was unanimously adopted.
 When the petition of Anthony Carroll regarding the wording and manner of letting city contracts was taken up 1t was moved to concur with the alder men in tabling 1t indefinitely, but Cap tain Dove amended to refer it to the committee on retrenchment and reform. He said: "I would like to suggest that the proper committee to which to refer this matter is the committee on re- trenchment and reform. Although the chairman of that committee may have personal grievance against the peti- tloner, some one else can be appointed to preside at the hearing" Captain DoWe's amendment was carried.
 All the recommendations of the com- mittee on claims were adopted except that recommending that $1,oOO be paid to George M. Griswold because of dam age to his property by the regarding of Union street. It seems that the conn mittee at one meeting voted to recom- mend that $1oO be paid, but was later informed by Mir Griswold's attorney that $150 would not be accepted. An other meeting of the committee was held in the afternoon and it was then voted to recommend the payment of $1,000 to MT. Griswold.
 Councilman Stein objected to adopt ing the recommendation and moved that the matter be referred back to the committee. It was so voted
 The report of the committee on streets was accepted and the recommendations were adopted except the recommenda- public works in widening West Chapel street, between Park and York streets, before the order had passed the council, be sustained.
 Councilman Stein objected strongly to adopting this recommendation. He said: q have been waiting for this op- portunity. The director of public works had no right, by the charter or by order of the court of common council, to do this work. The director told me that he had found nothing in the charter to prevent his doing the work. When I asked him if he could remove the side walk from in front of my house just because there was nothing in the char ter to prevent it, he had nothing to say. In response to a question I put to him he said that he had hired the men to do the widening; but when later I ask ed him if this action in keeping men at work on the widening after o'clock in the evening was right, when city labor CTS usually quit work, he said that he knew nothing about that; that he sup posed the contractor had to keep the men at work in the evening.
 Now, here is a director of public works who is doing work and doesn't know how it is done. It was an insult to the common council for the director to widen this street without our order, It's a disgrace to the city of New Ha- ven the way things are going on here. If the street wasn't widened now we would never pass the order to have it done, but now they have the audacity to bring in this recommendation to sus- tain the directors action. I move that we table it indefinitely
 The motion was lost, however.
 Councilman Burgess said that the di- rector had simply reclaimed land be- longing to the city that had been en- croached upon by property owners.
 Councilman Stein said in reply: "I don't like whitewashing. If anything needs to be covered up 8 good coat of tln ini yI-i1 In I cL Mrs he had simply taken land which be- longed to the city, and he said that he didn't know, as City Engineer Kelly could not find the maps of that portion of the street. Mir. Beecher told me that the whole cost of the widening done was not more than $50 I don't believe that would cover the expense Two curbs and two cobble gutters were torn up. MT. Beecher did that before he knew whether or not the railroad com pany was to pay for it.
 q fully believe that Mr. Beecher is more favorable to the Fair Haven and Westviile Railroad company than to the city of New Haven, I believe that there is something behind his action. My oath of office will not permit me to vote to sustain him.
 Despite MT. Stein's effort the board voted to concur with the aldermen in sustaining MT. Beecher's action. The resolution regarding the authori- ty to levy assessments for street hard ening, offered in the board of aldermen by Aldermen Chillingworth and passed by that body, was passed by the coun- cilmen, unanimous consent for it's con- sideration having been given.
 The resolution offered by Alderman Chillingworth, requesting the board of finance to recommend to the common council what action to take to collect sums due the city for assessments fo1 permanent paving, was also passed. The remainder of the session was oc- cupied in clearing the table of resolu-
 tions and papers regarding matters all ready settled that have accumulated during the past three months, and when the board adjourned, at 10:30, the table had been entirely cleared. Early in the meeting Councilman Wrinn and others spoke against hold l ing special meetings of the board in the afternoon.
 President Burton informed the gen. | tlemen that while under the old char. l ter the board had something to say as to when special meetings should be | held, under the new charter the mayor 1 has absolute power in the matter, and l that consequently no member of the l. ,,,1 ,{f fn, Al