Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-05
BOARD OF FINANCE.
Bill Which Had Been Held Up for Lights Out, Ordered Paid.

aftern0on, Mayor ElLOn presiding, anu al the members being present The bill of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Co, amounting to $1,- 137.72. for rebates on lights, withheld pending investigation by the old board and recommended for payment by their successors, came up for a hear ing, and it required all the skill of the mayor and that of Commissioner Blakeslee to get it through. Commis- ai0ner Wells said If it were due was willing to vote to pay, otherwise he should object. If the city has not Received the service" said the com missioner, somewhat notly, Il see no reason why We should pay that bill
 MT Blakeslee explained that the bur E den of proof rested upon the city and that so far it had not been produced. A statement, he Said had been pre- pared showing the amount of the re- bate claimed, but 1t got lost or mis- laid. and the city was in duty bound to pay the claim, and later on if it can be shown that the citys claim is correct the money can be withheld from some other bill submitted by the company.
 # MT Frisbie: ''If there is any ques- tion about whether it is due or not I think our chance of getting it is much better by holding it up. If We pay it, it may be lost sight of, and in any lease it will complicate matters all the more: but if the evidence is not at hand and we have no date to work upon I don't See what else We can do but pay the claim"
 Mayor Elton said that 1t had been crdered paid by the board of public works, but that a committee consist n s,f nT1H Taa 5still investigating, and if they could 3fnd anything to base the claim upon it would still hold good
 Y This did not satisfy MT Wells, and he suggested that 1t be laid over for the present, but the mayor thought that the withholding of payment % looked like an arbitrary matter on the part Of the city, and in this he was slls- tained by MT Blakeslee, who reiterated fhe statement tha all evidence of the number of lights out had been lost.
 -Commissioner Scully of the board of public works, who was pres ent In the capacity as reporter, was asked if he knew anything about the matter. He said that it was not true that the evidence had been lost. The document referred to as lost or mis- laid, he said, was prepared from re- ports submitted to the board by the chief-of-police and these are still in the safe in the City hall annex and can be gone over again and the same results obtained.
 MT Frisbie: s'Then the source of in- Formation you had is still available?'
 Mir Scully said 1t was unless it had disappeared very recently, whereupon Dir Kellogg remarked that the reports of the police department didn't show how long the lights were out; but MT Scully claimed that they do, adding that if this was not so nothing like an accurate report could have been prepared.
 The mayor said that under the cir cumstances the company could collect the bill with interest by law and asked the city attorney what he thought about that, MT Kellogg said that would depend upon what evidence tho city could produce. ,. #..a., 7, After a good many opinions one way and the other, during which com munication submitted some time ago from N. R. Bronson, the company's at torney, was read, MT Wells moved that the bill be laid on the table. Mir Frisbie seconded the motion. When the question was put the chair was in doubt and requested the clerk to call the roll Assistant Clerk Reeves called the names of the board, and Commissioners Wells and Frisbie an sWered 'tYes," but Commissioners Blakeslee Goodrich and Northrop voted 'sNo.'' The chair declared the motion lost and inquired what was the next move, to which MT Wells replied that he didn't see what was to prevent the passage of vote ordering 1t paid IA vote to this effect was put and car ried, MT Wells still protesting with a very pronounced No" That's busi- ness," said the chair, as he called up som ething else.
 Commissioner Van Keuren. repre- senting tue department of public safe ty, appeared before the board and ex- plained the law with reference to the poliee pension fund, which will now commence to be drawn upon to pay the officers placed on the reserve force. de made special reference to bill of $3O0 deducted from the pay of police men for time lost in 1903 and small sum from the same source in January, 1904, which should be credited to the police pension fund. This money and other sources of revenue such as any, lining found and the owner not discov- cred, rewards given to men by private fndividuals in appreciation of service
 
 by the men, together with per cent of the receipts for liquor licenses, all belong in the pension fund. So far only the liquor license percentages have been paid ini The total amount of the fund at present amounts to $1S,- poo. The money was ordered paid to the treasurer of the fund.
 A communication was received from 8Burpee & Carmody, representing Con 4tractor Thompson, asking that bal lance of $500 due MT Thompson on his contract for work on the Mulcahy school building be paid. The matter was Referred to the comptroller for in vesfigation and report.
 City Attorney Kellogg submitted ar opinion regarding the request of Col gector Hunt for the payment by the city Rof his bond as collector and for his salary and clerical hire in monthly in stallments. instead of annually. MI Kellogg explained the report, whicI was substantially to tie effect that he