The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-11-16
A PUBLIC HEARING HELD
ON CITY ESTIMATES BY THE BOARD
 OF FINANCE.

""ho {" iooA htoukhB
 of West River Asked Eor-Alderman
 Chillingworth's Request.
 The board of finance last night gave a public hearing on the. city estimates for next year, and although the items of and facts relating to the estimates have been zealously guarded from the public for some time, thereby preclud- ing the possibility of the public getting an idea of the estimates which it was invited to discuss with the city f1nan- ciers, nevertheless a considerable num- Der gathered in rooms 10 and il at the city hall to recommend to the attention of the board of finance various matters for consideration in the final making up of estimates. There was little or no attempt made to discuss any of the estimates submitted by the depart ments, for the very good reason that it was not known what those estimates were. It was said that the itemized es- inmates were on the table during the meeting, but they were not read.
 All the members of the board of f1- nance, with City Clerk Lyon, were pres- ent.
 The first citizen to be heard was Solomon Mead of 122 Derby avenue. MI. Mead asked that sufficient sum be included in the estimates to pay for the completion of the work of straight ening West river. He called attention | to bos Po o+ there was in 1888 and that there still remains to be strengthened a portion of the river 1900 feet in length, just south of Congress avenue, and between the avenue and the Derby railroad. MT. Mead thought that the matter of the cost should not be a reasonable ground to deter the city from completing the work He said that City Engineer Kelley had estimated that the cost of finishing up the job would be about $6,O00.
 The next to be heard was Attorney R, s. Baldwin, who presented petition asking that the board of finance include in the estimates sum ro pay for the hardening of Wall street. between Temple and State streets. The petition was signed by about two-thirds of the residents and owners of property on Wall street. It seems that the director of public works has already included, according to a petition, a sum to pay for the hardening of the street between York and Temple streets. MT. Bald win in presenting the petition spoke of like one presented at the last meet ing of the board of councilmen by Councilman Fuller. MT. Baldwin said that MT. Fuller's action was seized up- on by other councilmen as an opportu- nifty to offer resolutions for other streets, and such resolutions poured in. He said that Wall street had never had any improvement except Wels- bach light. He said that the cost of the work asked for would be about $1, 300.
 Following MT. Baldwin, Anthony Car roll spoke. Approaching the railing be- hind which sat the board of finance, presided over by Mayor Farnsworth, MT. Carroll sail:
 "Am I to understand that this is to be an open meeting where citizens can give their views?"
 Being assured that 1t was, MT. Car roll said:
 "As regards Wall street, while it may be necessary that the street be hard- ened, it is not in worse condition than are other streets in the city, for in- stance, the street on which live. I
 think that the taxpayers in that To- ! cality pay as much in proportion as do those on Wall street. don't see | that any improvement has been done on my street, but then I don't suppose I am anything anyway, only kicker, but I want my rights just the same. "Now I showed in a petition some | time ago where the city was losing
 money by the contract system. You l referred it back to the aldermen and
 the aldermen referred it somewhere and l I don't know where it is now. You are | here to make recommendations for the l estimates of the departments. You say l that this board of finance has nothing l to do but to count up the figures as they l come in. Now if that is true then what | I say is of no use, but I will say 1t. I
 say that the city of New Haven has tied up it's street sprinkling contract to
 a railroad company, a corporation, and
 that for two years. There is a contract | between the city and C. w. Blakeslee
 & Sons so that they can get their price.
 ST, ,OOO was enough for street sprinkling.
 This year your estimates call for $25,- | 900. The sprinkling is tied up to rail- road and another corporation and this
 year $25, 900 is asked to pay for 1t, and next year it will probably be $35,000. I l think that this board should find out
 about that.
 'In the department of public works | there are certain clerks, one in particu- ] lar, I don't know what he calls him. l self, but he has been called a searcher.
 He gets si, 200 a year and as much more | from the town. I believe that the de- partments should have all the clerks
 necessary to carry on the work but the department of public works, as others, | puts on men not for ability but for po- l litical rewards. speak from facts.
 Now about the board of health.
 There's no man in the world who likes | good health more than I do, but when | I look at the board of health's actions | during the past twenty-five years I | don't think that we can call it a board | of health. I ask you to wipe out all | the estimates except that for collector | of garbage. You know that on that board there Is clerk who gets s1 1,20O, four or five inspectors, and you know