Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-24
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
Residents of South End Feel the Need
 of Fire Alarm Box

Residents of South End Feel the Need
 of Fire Alarm Box
 Alderman Blakeslee welded the gavel at the meeting of the board of aldermen last night, and he did it So gracefully that all agreed he will make worthy successor to MT Goss and the other eminent men who have filled that position for the past fifty years The other members present were Aldermen Brophy, Murray, Keefe, Pagan, Foley, Filling, Stanley, Beach and Walker.
 The recommendation of the board of public works that an electric arc light be placed near Berbecker & Rowland's shop in Waterville was approved, as was also a recommendation from the board of finance that $1,200 be trans ferred from state roads to election ex~ penses. The board of finance recom- mended that $7OO be appropriated to meet a deficit in the salaries of the board of assessors was held up and re- ferred to the comptroller for an item ized report of the expenditures of the assessors The matter had been thor oughly gone over by the board of
 
 satisfactory manner, but a couple of republicans saw an opportunity to oe- lay the order and they took advantage Of 1t.
 The following resolution was offered by Alderman Brophy and created profound sensation: Voted, That tAe department of public safety be and 1t is hereby authorized and directed to install a fire alarm telegraph box on Sylvan avenue. the location to be designated by the fire marshall. Alder man Filling thought this was crossing lots inasmuch as such things usually emanate from the board Of safety, and moved 1t be referred to that body. The amendment was lost by a party vote, the republicans voting against and the democrats favoring It. This was some thing in the nature of a revelation and the republicans set up terrible sthol- Ter" Alderman Beach declaring that there were hundred places in Water frIlry in more need Of box than the place mentioned. and MT Walker saying something about the needs of Brook lvn Tn this way they got on the soft side of the unsuspecting democrats so that instead of rressing the orfginaJ motion as they should have done, they withdrew 1t and contented themselves with having vote passed diTecting the board of safety to report upon all fire boxes before them at the next meeting Of the aldermen.
 What has been accomplished is worth something to the residents of the south end. For the past six or seven years they have been fighting for a fire box, but the powers that have been as well tI7nc +1b0% ir,xr T0I an evasive answer, and while all this has been going on the district has been burning up until at the present time but little of it is left Realizing the situation the department of public works extended the main about 1000 feet farther south and installed four X hvdrants, and then requested the board < of public safety to put box at some suitable place there but all avafleth naught. A fire box is beneath the no. tice of the board of public safety. They are after bigger game. What they like to grapple with is a S30,000 engine z house with $12,0O0 annually, for main !. fenance. To be sure there are sections that warrant the outlay. but this is not , the case in all parts of the town, and such places as can be guarded against fire by the installation of boxes should have them instead of waiting to create a sentiment in favor of what costs x more than would put boxes everywhere they ought to be. Of course 1t is an easy matter for onlookers to direct the : movements of others, and, besides, we . are all apt to be a trffie biased in our Judgment in favor of what pertains to s our own districts, so that after all the safety board may be right on $ the house question; but even so, some provision should be made in the mean time to put people in position to com municate with the department, and after the houses are built and equipped the boxes can be re-located if neces- sary. If this is not going to be done it is time rate payers knew 1t so that they may have 8 chance to see if they can induce the insurance companies to take bigger risks. The imputatfon that there are a hundred places in Water bury that need a box worse than the south end does may be true. but 1t does not apply to the full taxation district. but from all accounts the board of safe, fy does not think that people who pay full taxes are entitled to any more con sideration than those who are assessed town taxes only. The movement . a fire house in the northwestern sec ton Of the city is good thing. The district needs it, but considering the demands of other sections it seems rather partial on the part of men in public places to show a disposition to spend a very large sum for fire protec- ton in one place while exhibiting a whole lot of opposition to a modest out lay for similar purposes in other sec. tione.
 The board adjourned until the meet ing fin DeceYal1er