Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-17

Chairman Hall and Alderman Cross,
 Two of the Oldest Aldermen in Point
 of Service.
 The outgoing members of the fourth ward, Messrs Mahaney, Boylan and Morris, represented the ward very creditably, and showed knowledge of public affairs which was highly cred itable to themselves and their con- stituents. MT Mahaney is a natural fighter and from the beginning was one of the most active members of that body. He has excellent judgment, ia a ready debater, and while never aG- hitting that he is conquered, knows how to take defeat without showing bad temper
 MT Morris was one of the keenest weapons of the board. He is well posted on the rules governing legisla- tive bodies and the only thing that prevented him from showing better re- suits fors the district he represented was because he happened to be two or three votes short whenever he tried to show his hand. He is a bright young man and will be remembered by those who watched his movements in the al- defmanic chamber as one of the most creditable representatives that sat there on either side in many years.
 Alderman Boylan was somewhat in dependent and believed in voting for things as they struck him, no matter what others might think of his course. Since the estimates were introduced he made an honest effort to keep down taxes and on all previous occasions showed disposition to take sides With the man who pays the bills.
 Aldermen Phelan and Kane of the fifth will retire this year, but MT Foley will remain.
 Mr- Phelan always took a business view of everything that came before the board and treated public matters i'll the same way as he does his own personal affairs. He was scrupulollsly honest in all his actions, so much so, in fact, that close observer of local lawmakers once remarked that he thought Mir Phelan never would make a very successful politician. He took a deep interest in all sections of the city and especially tout east" and made a glorious fight last fall and this year to secure something handsome in the way of an appropriation for Ham, ilton park. He never said much. but the few times he did speak he demon strated that he has considerable ex- ecutiye ability, and probably the req son why he did not try to use it often CT in the aldermanic chamber was be- cause he was quick enough to see the folly of trying to win out against su- perior numbers.
 Il q mic hn +op o;1 member of the retiring board. He is credited with possessing the faculty of being able to hear and see what is going on and yet say little or nothing himself. He was popular with his as- sociates and on the whole made a good member of that body, for in all such places there must be some parties who are willing to do the listening with grace and dignity and at the same time know how to vote for the best interests of the people when questions of importance come up for disposition.
 On the other side, the retiring mem bers, Messrs White. Hall, Cross and Callan, leave the field consoled with the consciousness that they performed their duty to the best of their knowledge and ability. They were always on the winning side and as might makes right nowadays, they have reason to believe that they never got of. the narrow path.
 Mir White of the first was one of the whips of his party, in fact, it's recog- nized leader in the absence of MT Goss, and showed an aptitude for that class of work not always found in men who appear in the City hall as representa- tives of constituents. Socially he was one of the most agreeable members of the old board and during the last two years it was manifest to all about him that he was behind many movements not because he wanted to, but on ac- count of the fact that the party had caucused and outlined a policy and he saw no alternative but pursue it.
 MT Hall made very patient chair man and considering what q man has to contend with in such position, he filled the bill in a satisfactory man. ner. But once during his three terms as presiding officer was his ruling ques- tioned by his own party, and on that occasion he was turned down on ap- peal of Alderman Wright, we think. On all cases when the votes on the floor were evenly balanced he invaria- bly, voted with his party, sometimes giving his reasons for so doing, but more frequently letting the matter pass without comment. He got along much better with the present admins tration than he did during Mayor Kill duff'S former regime, when the mayor and Mir Hall were at swords points, and the latter lost no opportunity to trip up the executive, with the result that vast amount of valuable time was lost quibbling over things that didn't amount to pinch of snuff so far as the public was concerned. Mir Hall aimed to do the right thing at all times, but of course he had to stretch point once in while in order not to run counter with those to whom he owed his position. He was punctual in attendance, never too positive that he was right, but on the contrary ever ready to be corrected if anyone could point out error in his ruling. 1t is needless to add that MT Hall is a strong partisan. While his record as presiding officer of the board of alder men is clean, still it furnishes abun- dant evidence that he believes there is little good in any measure that does not emanate from a republican source. Alderman Cross of the second is the oldest man in the harness. He has had long lease of office and makes room for his successor with a bow -9~.. <>I 1r~rfzn