Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-07
LOOKING FEM OVER
Republican Aldermen Caucus on
 the Appropriations.
NEW STREET APPROPRIATION

" dS 6CduSe or llOuSlueIiDlt aAh Some of the Aldermen Think Brook lyn Should Be Satisfied With New Fire House-One Republican Alder- man Deplored Judge Cowells At- tempt to Hoist Himself into Office"
 Says the Party Is Not in Favor o1
 the Contest.
 The republican members of the board of aldermen met last night for inc purf
 pose of fixing up the annual estimates to suit themselves. It was said that the meeting was held with a view 10 making certain changes ill the annua. estimates on account of the Likelihood of Judge Cowell getting hold of Mayor
 Kilduff's office, but this is not so. Tue republicans have theirs little caucus CA all such things and decide Whar IF their judgment is best to do DeIOrc going into the reguIa' meeting of the
 board so that really the denocrat5
 den't amount to much in shaping me policy of that board, or any other board ill the city. for that matter, the republicans holding the joker over their neighbors by their working Hla- jority in the aldermanic chamber. There was some difference of opinion as to whether they should approve tiIe increases i'll salaries for the firemeD,
 but they were finally allowed 10 stand, though a reporter of this paper was informed by one of the members that. the question might be taken up agam at another session, to be held before
 Monday night. to put the finishing touches upon the estimates
 The recommendation of the board or
 f..1 pfl the board of finance, that $15,OOO he appropriated for the proposed cxten- sion of Liberty street to Bank street. brought out considerable discussion. some claiming that it should be wlpeI out and others contending that such course would create howl Of indigil;l- ton all over town, and especially in the Brooklyn district. The question was asked as to which the Brooklyn people would prefer, new engine house or let the engine house go for
 the present and keep the money stand ! ing for Liberty street. There appeared to be some doubt about this. though the statement was made that the
 Brooklynites were divided in their opinions regarding the need of addi- l tional fire protection in that district while they appeared to be all of ona mind relative to the Liberty strect question. The item was passed over and committee appointed to 'feel' ! Alderman Mabaney and others on the ' matter. f ( The members did not discover any thing in the city estimates that could < he reduced without risk of crippling some department, except block paving and reservoirs maintenance, and many of those present were very much op- posed to seeing any reduction made Tn these items, especially block paving, which in the opinion of several mem bers, notably Mir Blakeslee, shouldn't be touched. probably fearing that Mea-
 dow street might suffer in consequence. The school estimates occupied some attention and the result of the deilb- eration may result in making provision to purchase school site ill the south erly end of the city. The aldermen are not very fayorably impressed with tha proposition to build another school house on the Elm street lot for various reasons, but principally because they think it would be collecting too many
 children at that point. They would be willing to make an appropriations
 for school lot i'll some location which
 would tighten the pressure at the Mer- riman and Washington schools, and take the ground that this can be done and also relieve the congested condi- tions at the Elm street building. Some of the members are very positive that it would be wise to locate in some place which would be convenient to IL
 large number of children who now.
 attend the schools on Ridge and Elan streets. and this would give q chance to transfer pupils ill the Washington
 school district to Ridge street. The
 aldermen realize that the South End l 1- slrn ill all probability the school officials will be asked what they think of the aldermen's view of tho question. On this account it is not likely that any,
 thing definite will be done with tllar school estimates on Monday night. In
 any case. the democratic members 0e
 the board will not have to tax their
 wits about the appropriations. for th
 whole question will be decided upon by
 the opposition, though, to be candi6
 about 1t, many of the republicans de-
 sire the cooperation of the democrats.
 and think they will be with them ll
 their effort to secure increased school
 accommodations in the fourth anl fifth wards
 One of the republican aldermen told
 reporter of this paper to-day that the
 election contest had nothing whatever
 to do with their treatment of the est-
 mates Judge Cowell and those whR
 are associated with him. he said. ''nre in that for themselves and not for their party. If there be anything creditabla
 in 1t if will belong to Judge Cowell,
 aud on the other hand if there be odi-
 um attached to if the judge will havn
 to bear it. The step was not taken on the advice of the party. but rather in spite of it. We all realize that Mayor Kilduff and the other candidates on
 the democratic ticket were elected and feel that it is wrong to seek to ihwart
 the will of the people; but Judge Cow
 ell and others look at it differently.
 and so long as they do don't see what
 we can do about it. So far as I know
 there is not man on our side of tha house who approves of the contest"