The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-21
MEETING OF THE ALDERMEN
lcontlnued from 1st pagel.


 president: Aldermen Weiss, Montgom- cry. Elliott. Rieketts and Allen.
 A second communication from the mayor was also read, as follows:
 New Haven, Conn.,, June 20, 1904. To the Honorable Board of Aldermen. City of New Haven.
 Gentlemen:-It is now several years since the charter and city ordinances of New Haven were revised, and the sup ply of copies for distribution has long ago been exhausted.
 The revision of the ordinances under the direction of the corporation coun- sel was completed and submitted to your board several months ago, but no action has yet been taken on that re- vision.
 I desire to call your attention to this subject in the hope that the matter may be taken up and disposed of speedily. It is important that not only the city officials. but citizens who de- sire them, should be enabled to secure copies Of the revision.
 Respectfully submitted,
 JOHN P. STUDLEY, Mayor.
 It was voted to accept and file this
  to the regular standing committee on ordinances.
 A third communication from the mayor in regard to free text books for use in the high school was read by the clerk The communication read as fol- lows:
 New Haven. June 20, 1904. To the Honorable Board of Aldermen,
 City of New Haven.
 Gentlemen:-Under the statute in re- gard to furnishing free text books, the towns of Connecticut are authorized to furnish free text books to school chil- dren by vote taken at the towns an- nual meeting. In New Haven, the board of aldermen, so far as this mat ter is concerned, has the same author ity as the town meeting. In my opin- ion 1t is the duty of the board of al- dernen to decide whether or not free text books shall be supplied in our schools.
 The policy of furnishing free text books is well settled in New Haven so far as the grammar schools are con- cerned. But objection has been raised by citizens to furnishing free text books 10 the pupils of the high school
 would therefore respectfully sug gest that this matter be referred to a special committee for a public hearing klnd finally determined by vote of your board in order that the board of finance may be advised what to do in the premises.
 Respectfully submitted,
 JOHN F. STUDLEY, Mayor.
 Alderman McGuinness spoke heartily in favor of the plan of providing free text books in the high school, as is done by the city in the grammar schools. The alderman said that a high school education was the best service the city authorities could do for the coming young men of the city. There were many parents who could not afford to send their children to the high school, and he thought that the furnishing of free text books would be greatly ap- preciated by the poorer parents of New Haven. He therefore moved that the k matter be referred to a special commit- | tee of five appointed by the chair to \ consider the matter and report at a later meeting, and that it be the sense of the board that free text books be provided.
 Alderman spreyer objected to the last part of the motion on the ground that 1 if such a motion was voted there would ! be no use for a special committee being appointed. Several members of the l board spoke for and against the mo- ton, and some discussion and trouble arose as to the wording of the motion and whether the last clause should be iyncI,1ded If was finally decided to leave out the last clause, and the mo- fion was then carried. The following committee was appointed: Aldermen McGuinness, Devine, Spreyer, Minor and Chadwick.
 Alderman Ricketts stated that the reason why the board of finance, of which he was member, voted down the proposition to provide free text books in the high school was that it felt it had no authority to do so. The citizens of New Haven mad voted that the text books used in the grammar schools should be furnished free, and had voted an appropriation therefor. No similar vote or appropriation had aver been made in regard to the text books in the high schools. By voting to provide the books the board would establish a bad precedent, as the police, ire and other departments would also ask for larger appropriations.
 A communication was read by the Jerk from the corporation counsel in segard to the offer made by Attorney 3uckland, counsel for the Consolidated Railroad company, as to the opening lip of new Union avenue. This is a