The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-11-07
THREATS OF REGISTRARS
MADE BECAUSE THEIR BILLS ARE
 NOT APPROYED,

Not Generally Believed That They Win Fail to Perform Their Duties-Pen- alty Provided by Statute for Such Failure-stand of Board of Finance In the Matter Pertinent Provision of Act of Consolidation.
 The various candidates whose names appear upon the state and local tickets are preparing to put the finishing touches to their Canvasses to-day, and by midnight tonight the final wires will have been laid ready for the struggle at the ballot boxes tomorrow. All day Saturday the candidates and their friends and workers were hustling to accomplish all possible in their inter- ests in the short time which remained before election. Some of the politicians seen yesterday were much amused at the threat reported to have been made by the registrars that unless they were paid before Tuesday there would be no election on that day It is the general opinion that nothing of this kind Will happen.
 Section 22S of the general statutes provides that the registrars shall ap- point moderators, section 229 that they shall appoint box tenders, section 2Si that they shall appoint counters and that the registrars or their deputies shall be present at all electors meet 1ngs, and section 236 that they shall ap- point checkers. Section 277 reads as follows: "Any person who shall, with out reasonable cause, neglect to per form any of the duties required of him by the laws relating to elections, or who shall be guilty of fraud in per- forming them, shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than one year in the county jail, or both. The statutes provide that the pay of registrars. deputy registrars and their assistants shall be not less than $2 per day.
 The bills were formerly approved by the selectmen but under the consolida- tion act this was one of the duties transferred from the selectmen to the city government, and section 22 of the consolidation act provided that all the powers and duties of the town govern ment not otherwise provided for in the act should be exercised and discharged in such a manner as the court of con- mon council should direct The duty of approving registrars bills is one of the duties not otherwise provided for.
 The bill of the registrars, amounting to $7,615, was before the board of finance for approval last Thursday night and the members of the board at that time, feeling that the duty of ap proving the bill was not put upon the board by the act of consolidation, but upon the court of common council, vote was passed to the effect that the bill should be itemized and then pre- scented to the court of common council, and if it was approved by that body it would be approved by the board of finance
 At the meeting of the board of finance Saturday night the bill was presented, itemized as to the amount for each ward, together with the opinion of the corporation counsel to the effect that the board of finance could legally ap- prove the bill if in the opinion of the board it was reasonable. The board voted, however, to adhere to the ac- tion taken at the Thursday evening meeting.
 A prominent city official, speaking of the matter last night, said that the registrars elected by the people, and whose duties were specified by law, would not refuse to do their duty. A member of the board of finance said that the board had not the slightest disposition to hold up the bill when the members of the board were satisfied that the bill was legitimate. He said that they were trying to see that every thing was properly adjusted and were going to take time enough to know their rights.
 The general opinion among local pol iticians last night was that there is no probability of the registrars failing to do their duty, as it is thought that if there was the slightest probability of that failure because their bill remained unpaid the various candidates would pay the bill in order to avoid any con- tingency that might arise from such failure.
 VOTE THE STRAIGHT REPUBLI- GAN TICKET TOMORROW