Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-08
4 BREEZY MEETING.
ALDERMEN DISCUSS THE ELEC-
 TRIO LIGHTING SCHEME.

The Question of Issuing Lighting
 Bonds Laid Over Until the Next
 Meeting-The Sewage Disposal and
 Storm Water Bond Question Was
 PasSed-Report From Sewage Dis
 posal Committee.
 The board of aldermen held meet ing last night, there being present Chairman Hall, Aldermen White, Blakeslee, Mahaney, Morris, Boylan, Tyrrell, Foley, Kane, Walker, Chesson, Cross and Phelan. It was a lengthy session and during the discussion the advocates of municipal ownership Of an electric lighting plant discovered. if they did not know it before, that the trolley company holds the trump card in the aldermanh chamber to-day, the same as in the past, either that or the city bonds are vieing with each other to see which will have the credit Of se- curing the new plant.
 When the report of the board of pub lie works, recommending that Iut tltS DS iuel ed to secure the passage of an amendment to the charter empower ing the city of Waterbury to maintain and operate an electric lighting plant for the purpose Of lighting it's streets and public buildings and with q view to selling electricity to such of it's il- habitantS as might desire to use and pay for the same. Alderman Cross said: ''This is Q brave departure from old trodden paths. Perhaps it is a good thing, and maybe we are coming to lt. but I must say that I'm not prepared to vote to adopt that recommendation tonight
 Mr .Mahaney moved that the recOm- mendatiOn be adopted, and Mr Cross followed this with q motion to lay the matter on the table. which was car ried by rising vote. Alderman MaIan- ey. Morris. Kane and Foley oppoSip@ 2 such q course.
 The recommendation of the board of public W works looking toward permiS- sion to issue bonds to the amount of S1O0,O0O for the purpose of installing and operating an electric lighting plant was also tabled. After this had been done, Alderman White stated that per haps the lighting plant might be a move in the right directien and offered a vote, which was carried, instructing the clerk to confer with the city at torney regarding the giving of notice to all parties in interest to the effect that the city will petition the general assembly for an amendment to the charter empowering it to install and operate an electric lighting plant and publish such notice in the manner and form required by law. City Attorney Kellogg was asked if q notice that the city of ', aterbury would ask the leg islature for permission to do it's own lighting. published anonymously in the papers some time ago. would cover the law in this respect. Mir Kellogg thought it would.
 This settled the question for the time being. but towards the close of the session Alderman Mahaney called the matter from the table. and moved that it be adopted. Aldermen Blakes- lee and White objected Strenuously to this course the former stating that he was not prepared to vote for or against the recommendation until he knew more about it. adding that some peo- pie appeared, to be very anxious to have that S100,000 issued, but that he did not care to rush into such things until he was satisfied that it would pay.
 Alderman Phelan spoke against the proposition and made q strong plea iI the interest of the poor man, and closed by a sharp attack upon the board for their apparent neglect of the fact that many people about town tind it hard to meet their taxes and did moi want to see the present burdens ill creased
 Alderman Manahey said it was to relieve the conditions Mr Phelan com { plained of that prompted Waterbury and other cities to engage in the DuSi ness of doing their own lighting. H. cited the revenue received by the city from the water supply and wanted tt know what the DOor neODln would dt if they had to buy water from pri vate corDoration. He cited differen places where electric light plants have been installed and Were giving goot returns and wanted to know if NJ Phelan could inform him why the DOG mans condition would not be hetteret by lessenin@ the running expenses O tbe city. Some of the big manufac turing concerns have gone into tn, business and if there was moi. none, i'll it. they would not have made tn, change. The taxpayers OI NateFDuI. want to cut down expenses as well a the private corporations. and if it cal do something in this direction by doin: it's own lighting. the work cannot b, commenced too soon. | think the cit, ought to have this power anyway. sup posing it never exercised it. Hasn' the city as good a right to take adyan tage of this plan of reducing expense as the private corporations? l pay a much taxes as any man in this cham Der, and if l didNnot think this woul, pay 1 should not favor it. I don't wan to be accused of standing for any wild cat schemes"
 Commissioner Scully, of the board o public works, was asked to speak ol the subjcct- He did so, and opene, by stating that he thought Alderman Blakeslee's remarks somewhat mis leading. He said that the recommen dations, if adopted. contained nothin; that would bind the city to engage il the business. It simply asked that th city attorney be instructed to secur the passage of an act. empowering i