Waterbury Democrat., 1901-08-03
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
Met and Added to the Appropriation
 for School Buildings.

to-~~t04
 After considerable scurrying around last evening City Sheriff Mcdonald contrived to gather enough aldermen to hold the special meeting which had been called for by the mayor to in- crease the estimated appropriations for the building of two schools which had been recommended by the board of education and by the board of finance, also. Just enough were col lected and no more. The quorum con sisted of Aldermen Hall, chairman, White, Goss, Morris, Foley, Tyrrell, Mahaney, Walker and Kane. Mayor Kilduff was present, also. Clerk Ryan went over the matter from the outset in the various votes and rec concentrations that had been prepared by the board of finance for this meet ing of the board of aldermen, explain ing the matter to the latter in detail. Substantially the situation was this: The board of aldermen voted an esti- mated appropriation of $70,000 for the proposed two schools, $50.000 for the Walsh and $20,000 for the Russell. The first bids offered by contractors were so outrageously larger than the appropriations for the respective schools that all of them were thrown out and new bids advertised for on moderated plans and specifications of the buildings The second bids were also ahead of the appropriations, and showed that in 20 days the price of some classes of building material had advanced 20 per cent. The trouble appeared to have been this:i The ap- propriations were based on the figures of the Barnard and Driggs school building that are only few years old, yet in the difference in material and the advance in scientific modern building is very great. The situation was most perplexing and drove the board of education to ask the board of finance for $7,340, the sum total lack ing to meet the figures of the contract ors. The board of finance acted fa- vorably upon the recommendation and the aldermen's meeting was to put the finishing touches and if possible add few thousands more.
 All the money that the board could find lying idly around was added to the appropriation, ,$6, ,140,a ayote was passed recommending the board of if nance to turn it's stocking inside out and ascertain if something like a few thousand more can't be found there, at least $1,2OO. This gives $5, 600 to the Walsh school and $1, ,440E to Fthe Russell school. Alderman Goss said he would like to see the Locust street schoolhouse and lot sold. and that it would not be right nor legal to build schools that would cost more than the appropriation. The mayor in reply said he did not believe in poor school buildings, and he had no doubt that everything would come cut all right in the end Alderman Goss then went into a long statement regarding gov ernment contracts,a ,and he thought mu- nicipal contracts ought to be carried out in the same manner. The mayor replied that if the board of education could depend upon the board of alder men for it's moral support in the flu ture in relation to the building of the two schools, everything would end handsomely.
 Alderman Goss replied that he could not say how his feelings or sentiment would be on any matter few months hence. Noone knew, by that time some thing may turn up that would require the laying of a special tax; then where kcould the, moral support of the alder men come in-or be. consistently given. He thought the contracts ought to be made as the buildings progressed, and that not $20,000 will be expended be- fore November, any way. He then made the motion requesting the board of finance to endeavor to find 1.2OO more and report to the board Monday evening. The motion was passed, and the board then adjourned.