The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-11-02

Nt NohSlueIdDlc lllHe SPSAI HI s' N'S cussion of the matter this report was, hnally accepted and the recommenda- tion adopted.
 The petition of Thomas J. Donnelly Tor the removal of obstruction on Mid- dletown avenue and strengthening or the street was referred to the commit tee on streets. The petition of Joseph A. Howarth for the erection of an arc electric light at the corner of Howard avenue and Davenport avenue was re- ferred to the lamp committee as was also a petition from the New Haven SaWmill company for the erection Of an electric light near the lower Chapel street railroad bridge. The petition of Charles r. Root for the hardening or Goffe street was referred to the com mittee on streets.
 A petition from the executive com mittee on the Fourth of July celebra- tion asking for the appropriation of S1,000 for the celebration of the Fourth of July, 1898, was referred to the board of finance. The recommendation of the board of finance for the transfer of Sl00 from Edgewood avenue bridge account to general bridge fund and of $250 in the police department to the police alarm account in the same department was adopted.
 The board adjourned about Il o'clock without having taken up the revised ordinances or hearing the mayors com munication, accompanying his veto or the street hardening. resolution. Mayors Communications. The mayors communication accompa- nying his veto of the order for the hard ening of various streets, which was to have been read last night, but was not read on account of ansadjournment be- ing taken before the matter was reach ed, is as follows:
 To the Honorable Court of Common Coun- cil of the City of New Haven:-
 tbe hRereDy RpeDy return without my approval to mated, the order for the hardening of cer tain streets, adopted by the Board of Al dermen October 4th, and Board of Council men men October 11th, 1897. The only differ orders is in specifying pavements of from five. to seven Inches instead of a uniform thickness of eight inches.
 Practically, all of the objections that have been stated in regard to previous orders will apply with equal force to the present one, l have advised and urged that, further tenn shall be devised which will provide for the improvement of all our streets. Main thoroughfares to be first attended to and ble in an order depending more on the act ual needs of each case than on the skill of | the ward representatives to make combines. | One of the streets named In the present one block long, between Wallace and East streets. The need of paving ---.s street Is m1aanifestly so slight that l am confident the majority of the members of your hon. | ora blp DO6y wOnld with that tha money appropriated for 1t would be much more wisely expended for repairs on near by and much travelled thoroughfares, like St. John or East streets. This street was not included in the estimates of the Board of Public Works for 1897, In my opinion, the strongest argument that has been used in favor of putting Cain street on the flaw \ ored list is that votes are thereby secured for the whole list.
 | Before any kind of a pavement is laid in o pqe ber and In frSt-class condition so as to reduce excavating to minimum, and put off for the longest possible time the disturbance connections should be made to the curb line, whether the pavement Is to be of as phalt, brick, or crushed stone. We all know that our crushed stone pavements have. been injured very, much more; by ex- cavations than by tratilc. The brick pave ment on Ashmun street, between Gregory and Admiral streets. has been opened Tour
 
 ing on the water at. the main, although prior to its being laid waiter connections were made to the curb at the expense of the property owners.
 It is very evident to thoughtful citizens that in the matter of improving and care of our streets there is great need of reform. has been unwisely expended in the past. but if we profit by the knowledge gained by experience all of the money so expended cannot be counted as .squandered.
 bn vryoyr tn for, iS tn rafpr Gar;p suffering will not result if further street paving Is postponed until proper system is devised. If a system is devised by com petent men who have the best interest of the city at heart, and conscientiously fol lowed, I am confident much greater i'm provement will be made in the next five years than would be the case under the present system, or rather lack of system, originally was termed ''street hardening" S' can be seen on Henry street and Admiral impossible on account of sand. Crushed stone was put in through the center of each and leveled off for about twelve feet wide at merely nominal expense. No cob ble or other paving was put into the gut ters. Several years have elapsed since this work was done, and the streets are to-day passable for the heaviest teaming. This were used on New Haven's roads long ago, and Is much better.
 For sample of the present system, take AAOsSl " oIlSse' III the totilIlule oI tHe BOar1 of Public Works for the year commencing December 1st 1896, is the item "Rosette street, graded and repaired with stone, be- tween Howard avenue and Cedar street. $1,0OO." There was appropriated for this work $500 The books of the Board of Pub lie Works show that the actual cost of the job was S7SS97; over fifty per cent more than the appropriation Incidentally. as this cost figures 60c plus per. yard and the lowest bid for similar work, using all new material, was 69c per yard the contention that such work is done more cheaply by contract than by day work Is slightly shaken,) and that over four hundred tons of stone were used.
 Rosette street is seven blocks long. The whole amount noted has been expended on one block, and that probably as little tray eled as any on the street. If the same kind of improvement that has been so satisfac- tory on Admiral and Henry streets had been made on Rosette street, probably the amount expended for paving one block would have nearly covered the cost of put ting the whole seven blocks in passabe condition.
 For Arch street, the Board of Public Works asked for $1 16OO, to pave its whole length. The whole length is just one block from Congress to Columbus avenues and why Arch street should be singled out from among all the unimproyed streets in that section of the city can only be accounted for by the great influence wielded by some. body. For this street there was appropri- ated $500. The Board of Public Works early In the year expended S97.50 for blowing up the street and carting away large amount of earth, leaving the street in worse condition than before. The removal