The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-11-21

| lnent, except the lower grades of tht
 public schools. As to the fire depart
 lnent, l trust that in the matter of sal aries no more will be appropriated than will make the average pay of thu l firemen equal to that of the average
 taxpayer Is there anything wrong ii | this? The proper equipment of the new | engine houses seems to be much more | needed than excessive salaries. It is | reported that the commissioners have l asked for 8 considerable increase of the police force - if so, I protest agains
 this outlay for the following req sons: We have had for the last veal good and efficient service, and an
 not aware that the city has suffered ir
 this line, and the duties of the police men have not been any more arduous than can be reasonably expected, con- sidering the liberal compensation foi | the services rendered. It has been said for long time, and recently by the mayor of the city, at a noted gathering
 that we are 'an orderly people," have supposed that we were naturally
 so, not that we are kept so because of ar
 unusually large police force, but rath- CT that we had large proportion of the
 law abiding and a smaller proportion of the unruly element than most other cities. Now statistics show that in most cities throughout the country they get along with about one police- man to one thousand inhabitants. in cluding officers. We have in our city at present nearly two policemen to one thousand inha abitants. Seems to me ic Awe tieo fo, city and likely to provoke unfavorable comment. A few months ago I made inquiry in the city of Waterbury, where I formerly lived, and found that they were getting along with less than forty policemen, including officers and this was considered sufficient as afford ing all the protection needed They have nearly 50,O00 inhabitants, and not withstanding all the disadvantages in this line that accrue to a community devoted almost exclusively to manu- featuring, with larger percentage of the unruly clements than in university city like New Haven. I trust that we will not advertise to the world that we need two hundred policemen to keep one hundred thousand people in order
 As to public works, of course the amount which seems to be needed is almost unlimited, but so far as perma- nent improvements are concerned much can be deferred and get along as we'll as the last year, when we certainly have not suffered seriously in this line. As to the board of education, I think that there is pressing need of more school room for the lower grades, but how many it is best to build this year and how many to defer till another year should be determined by compar- ing this with the demands in other lines Passing to the matter of sala- ries, while many think that a saving could be made by employing more of home talent, who can many times af- ford to work cheaper than those inn ported from distance, still the princi- pal opposition comes from those who think that large saving can be made in the line of assistants, Supervisors, artistic work and supplies for the same, and the extra clerical expenses involved. I will not delay to state all the arguments in my mind, that are revelant to this question, and am will ing to acknowledge that from the standpoint of expert educators these things seem quite necessary, still be- lieve that economies can be practiced here, without serious detriment to our educational interests. Perhaps we are not able to have the highest ideal in this line, any more than in other ways. I ask that you will scan the matter refer to, and if any appro- priation Is made 1t be a very limited one, and that you insist that expendi- lures of this kind shall not be made in excess of the appropriation, expecting that it be covered, by transfers from some other. department, where econo- mics have been practised so as to leave a surplus. do not know why it is that in most departments of city ex- penditure matters can be discussed can didly, and different opinions respected, till we come to the board of education, then if any one suggests or inquiries if some pruning can be done without ser lous damage to the public good they are held up as enemies of education," and when the vocabulary of ridicule and 1 sarcasm is exhausted the cartoon is 1 brought into service in this line.
 As to most of the other departments which have not referred to- not know Ing how much is asked for, so as to make comparisons with former years. can only ask that the least amount be appropriated in each case that is con- sistent with an efficient but economi- { gal service. I wish to emphasize one hing: That whatever amounts you may Judge best to give for the special pur- poses under the different heads, that l his and this only shall be used for l hat special purpose and warning be | given by your body at the beginning of | he year that transfers will not in the | future be made, except in emergencies | md for better reasons than in the past. l Under our present city charter there seems to be creeping in practices which | while perhaps they do not violate the | strict letter of the law, still is d gross of it's spirit, and quite foreign % what was intended as to be the law and practice. Appropriations are not made in a bulk and turned over to the heads of departments to divide up and ]