The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-13

| Expenditure for "A Public Wharf and
BathhOuses DisCussod-AIso to as the
Cleaning and Repairing ofstreots and
Bridges--Other Matter.
The board Of finance last evening held
a public hearing regarding the esti-
mates which have been received from
the various city departments for the
year 1902. The first speaker was Pres
| ident Wallace of the board of alder
men. He spoke in regards to the ap-
| preparation of $4,000 for public bath
| houses which he favored.
Howard C. Webb appeared before the
| board and thought that it ought to ap-
| propriate $1,000 instead of the $500 asked
for in the bids by the police board for
| special detective service.
Alderman Trueman spoke in regard
| to permanent pavements. He thought
that about enough money had been ex-
pended on these paNements, but as
those which had been laid were so ex-
pensive it appeared to an observer that
very little had been done. He recon-
| mended that one mill tax be therefore
ISIih oliu tlIetI lIiG pEUcSGuS UG uS5u LOT
crushed stone streets. He also thought
that the appropriation of $500 for street
crossings was too small as there was
number which needed repairs. He
then spoke very favorably in regard to
the establishing and maintaining OF
public bath houses. He then said he
thought some action ought to be taken
by the board In regard to the establish
ing of voting machines in this city, and
hoped that enough money would be ap-
propriated to procure them.
P. ]. Cronan spoke in regard to the
purchase of the HaIstead & Harmount
property by the city.
Joseph A. Turner thought that the
old councilmanic chamber should be
made into a public hail.
Alexander Troup said that the ques-
ton for the board Of finance to consider
was the amount of money the people
were willing to be taxed. He thought
the first thing the city ought to do was
to take care of what it already had. He
said Alderman Trueman had stated
that it would take $6S, 900 to repair the
roads. Mr. Troup thought it would
take not less than 100000 and be apt
to cost quarter Of a million. He cited
the good condition of the roads in the
Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth
wards in 1899 and called attention to
their present condition. He said that it
was a standing disgrace to the city that
the bridges were rusted and in such
poor condition on account of not being
painted often enough Continuing he
catH hn CT or6 oF I,,
not appropriating sufficient funds to
maintain the department of public
works in suitable manner were in
measure responsible for the present ILL
ness of Director Coe, as he had to plan
to try to make five cents go as far as
twenty-five cents should in the depart
ment. He said he did not think that
the city wanted any more wharves like
it has and that he thought that the de-
partment officers were better judges Of
the needs Of their various departments
than the finance board, as the former
were conversant with the existing
needs.
He said: 1T think the streets of New
Haven are in a scandalous condition,
not because enough money has not
them go to rot" He said that New Ha-
ven had over 200 miles of streets and
that $4,000 was not enough to keep
them clean. He thought that it would
cost at least $75 a mile to keep them in
a proper condition. He also thought
that the people who live on Grand ave-
nue., Congress avenue and in all the
rest of the city ought to have as good
clean streets as was afforded the resi-
dents of Orange and Trumbull streets
and Hillhouse avenue. He said that to
accomplish what should be done it
would take a 20 mill tax instead of a
121a mill one.
He said in concluding he did not be-
lieve in the principle Of penny wise
and pound foolish"
Alderman Trueman also stated that
some cities were deriving revenue of
$450,O0o a year from owning their own
water works Alderman OKeefe was
the next speaker and James F. Gum
cheon followed.
William J. O'Brien then spoke and
then Alderman Corcoran. William j.
O'Brien thought that the city should
not let the opportunity for getting pos
session of the wharf property pass. He
favored public hall to be made Of
the councilmanic chamber. He said the
public baths would cost $4,000 and the
important point for the board of finance
to consider was where the money was
to be gotten.
Alderman Corcoran was the next
speaker and he said that after makirS