The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-28

| The meeting of the board Of aldermen
was delayed about ten minutes, as
members were present at a lively meet
ing of the committee on ordinances.
which is reported elsewhere in these
columns.
| Chief of Police James NJ. brennan
was prominent figure in the chamber
early in the session. He was interested
in the passage of the police rules, and
supplied Alderman A. NJ. Thompson,
chairman of the committee on police,
with ammunition. The supply ran
short. however, in the persistent bonn
bardment against the rules, and they
never escaped from the chamber
Alderman James H. Mellen made
some pertinent inquiries or City Solicit
tor 4. P Rugg, when the ordinance
relating TO the appointment Of an as
sistant city solicitor came UP.
The other feature of the evening was
the quiet killing of the order for an
amendment to the city charter relative
to a change in the method of electing
aldermen. Not a word was said either
against or for the measure, but it was
voted down.
The board passed several resolutions
COMMUNICATING it's officials, and ad-
journed sine die.
At the outset Alderman Mellen moved
reconsideration Of a vote at the pre-
vious meeting, whereby Mrs Edward =.
Cauayan was given leave to Withdraw
on her petition for compensation for the
death Of her husband in falling from
the Lee street school house. He intro
duced an order to pay her $500, but later
amended the figures to $109. Aldermen
e. J. Russell and D. F. OConnelI OF
the committee on claims said the CITY
was not responsible, yet they hau no
objection to the passage or the ORDER
It passed unanimously.
The orders for the payment or dam
ages to persons in the vicinity OF the
Providence and Worcester bridge over
Cambridge street were acted on in a
bunch. There were IA in all. Alderman
Russell explained that a defective gate
way in the sewerage system caused an
inundation in their cellars. There was
no question on the passage OF the varl-
Gus orders.
A smile wreathed the faces of the
gallery gods when Alderman Mellen
arose to speak on the report OF the
committee on police. The report recon-
mended the adoption of the new rules
concerning which police circles have
beer. agog for several weeks. Alderman
Mellen said he had not found time to
read them, but his attention had been
called to inconsistencies in them. He
wanted to know if the rules had been
promulgated by the committee or by
somebody else
Alderman Thompson said the rules
had been agreed on by all members OF
the committee He said there was very
little difference between the new rules
and the old but three new ones being
drafted into the new set.
Alderman Mellen asked if one rule
forbid the policemen speaking to any
body, and another compelled them to
get acquainted with every person on
their beats, keep track of families NOV
ing, in and off their beats and the like.
Alderman Thomas j. Barrett asked
that action be deferred until the mem
beers could learn more of the rules. lie
said the committee has had them under
consideration since June, and surely
the committee should be willing to give
the members a little time in which to
consider them. He deplored an attempt
to rush them through.
Alderman Russell said the rules
should be accepted.
There was considerable informal
questioning and answering back and
forth which did not appear to give the
directors what light they sought.
A motion to refer the report to the
next city government failed, the vote
by yeas and nays being as follows:
Yea-Aldermen Barrett, Hildreth,
Mellen and OConnell. Total, 4.
Nay-Aldermen Brannon, Huot, Pot
ter, Russell and Thompson. Total, 5.
Alderman Mellen persisted in his OPP
position. He began a series of ques-
lions regarding the instructions and
rules for members of the department
other than patrolmen. Aldermen
Thompson and Russell answered him,
but their replies hardly covered the
questions or satisfied those who were
opposed to the rules. Then Alder
man Mellen moved that the report be
postponed to the next meeting. The
motion was adopted by the following
vote:
Yeas-Aldermen Barrett, Hildreth,
Mellen, O'Connell and Potter. Total, s.
Nays-Aldelmen Brannon, Huot,
Russell and Thompson. Total, 4.
A smile went around the board as the