The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-11-14

OL tAllS HdlleE or the HgnUnS contract and emphatically inform those interest ed that you will oppose any appropria- ton for public gas or naphtha lights be- yond the amount required to satisfy the proposals of the lowest bidder. Let it be distinctly understood that the mea- ger reasons advanced by the public lighting committee will not go with the board of finance, and the weight of your authority will go far toward bring ing about wise decision.
 This is asked not so much to effect an improvement in our public lighting, and a pecuniary saving as well-although both these points are matters for your attention-but as means of inspiring confidence in the system of competitive bidding, which, as already stated, is the real safeguard of the city treasury. The process of centralization that has been going on in the city government for some time past has resulted in talk ing away power formerly held by the board of aldermen and focusing it in the several boards appointed by the mayor, and it would seem that those WAtO 1hCo AOA tt1l1 change have left their work but half completed. For 1t is clear that where
 great responsibilities are central, a cor responding ability to handle them is of the utmost importance, yet the facts before us at the present ime clearly shows hat our charter tinkers have failed lamentably in providing the ne- cessary wisdom to manage our city af- fairs in a business-like manner, or at
 least provide the common people with a
 method of ridding themselves of so-
 called representatives with which they
 have been saddled. As an illustration
 of this let me cite a few facts.
 The board of finance is at present looked upon as the most important
 board in the city government, and one would naturally look for such a body to
 be made up of practical businesses men of broad experience who had at least devoted a few moments to the study of civics. Yet we find this board voting away fifteen hundred dollars of the peo- ple's money for celebrating an anniver- sary of Yale college when they had no funds to repair the streets; another thousand was readily voted for unveiI- ing statue when no funds were avail
 able to clean them: another thousand was granted with alacrity for gew-gaws for political parade that was colos-
 sal failure, when we wanted money to
 buy soap for bath house that has new CT been opened.
 Tn city affairs as well as in business I things should be done decently and in
 order, yet at the present time here is
 sitting in his board an employe of one
 of he public service corporations actu-
 ally voting on the question of giving
 nearly six thousand dollars more of the peoples money to his own employees
 than another responsible firm asks for lighting the city.
 submit that such things are a dis
 grace, and are goading the people on to
 madness which when once aroused
 will result in disaster that few at pres-
 ent dare contemplate.
 I The only reason that these things are l tolerated is that they are not known, or
 they would be detested as they deserve l to be.
 l It is to be noted that the two general
 registrars are asking for seven thou- I sand dollars more than before. I These are the same two who exerted
 themselves so reroicaIly to prevent a
 test of voting by machinery here re-
 gently
 1 protest against increased appropria- l tions to be used by men to perpetuate I themselves in office, who at every turn
 have proven themselves enemies of the { public, and opposed to all that makes t for good citizenship.