Waterbury Democrat., 1902-11-22
BOSTON CTS A SCORING.
G. H. Tinkham, Harvard Grad
 uate, Makes an Address


 He Claims Boston's Clique Is as Bad
 as the St Louis Ring-He Says One
 of the Important Positions in the
 Hub Affairs is Place on the Com mittee on Finance.
 Boston, Nov 22.-In an address be fore the 2Oth Century club here to- i day, Alderman George H. Tinkham, l who represents the sixth, or wealthy Back Bay district, and who, on sey- eral occasions, has attracted attention by his independent action in connec- ton with financial matters before the clty government, declared that be tween New York with Tammany in control, St Louis with it's ring and Boston with it's clique, there is no diff ference in principle and little differ ence III fact except in organization T ] The speaker, Who is a Harvard grad uate and man of wealth, described ln detail the method of public busi- i ness as carried on by the city govern l ment and cited instances to subStan- tlate hls claim with reference to cor l ruptlon. After reviewing the plan of ofganIzatlon of the city government and the means of raising money. MT Tinkham said:
 place on the committee on if nance, 3 joint committee of both branches empowered to make LID the annual loan bill, is considered by the I politicians the most desirable because of It's opportunities. It is appointed Dy the presiding officers of each branch, and the desire is always to ob- tain men in harmony with any scheme Which may be undertaken by the clique which is in control of the polit- lcal machinery and which usually is manipulated by the chairman of the board of aldermen and president of the common council
 The finance committee can only consider loans which have been intro- duced in either branch of the city gov ! efnment or by the mayor.
 It is necessary to adopt some of the recommendations of the mayor in or der to placate him and give some ap- pearance to the bill that it is reason l able. There is added to the bill all the political and corrupt items. The political items are adopted on the principle of if you will help me. I will help you The corrupt items are proposed and adopted by understand ing of the members of the clique. Such bill is sure of passage, because the clique has the votes.''
 Mir Tinkham related the following incidents:
 A bridge was to be reconstructed. both because of it's condition and the narroWness of it's draw. A loan for the purpose was before the finance committee. Beyond this bridge was an establishment which would save thousands of dollars per annum on lighterage by the change. It was in- t1mated ill plain terms to this estab lfshment that if money was advanced to those in control of the clique, the bridge would be reconstructed: other wise not.
 The president of Boston corpora ton told me that when legislation of value to his company was pending be- Tore the board of aldermen, certain al- dermen approached him and one alder man in particular told him that his company was to receive something of value and should be willing to give q partial return; that, in New York he would have to contribute to Tammany, in St Louis to the organization electing the aldermen, but that in Boston it was each mans fight; that he was not i'll politics for his health and that price must be paid or the legislation would not be granted. The president upon being requested to go before the district attorney said he would rather pay the price than be connected with such a scandal
 As a step towards reform the speak CT offered this suggestion: "What has been done in Chicago by the legislative voters league, which defeated a cor rupt city council in 1897 and maintain ed decent city council eyer since can be done in Boston"