Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-03-18
PATROL
 WAGON.
Commissioners Are
 Investigating.
Two or Three Plans Being Considered Iris Said A HorseIess Machines Being One That Has Been Talked Up.

The department of pnbIic eafetv must have been working nights since last January. One would think that between cutting off policemen's heads. reiegating others to the background and appointing new men, they would. have had their hands full. but if seems they have done more than this, aIz though the public may not have heard Of it. The rate payers will remember that when the annual estimates for tha present year were approved the budget included an item of 5000 for a patrol wagon. Nearly everybody was pleased to hear of this and so much had been said in reference to the heed Of it for the past i've Or six years many thOught it would be put in commission within a few weeks after the money was placed to the credit of the department- lnasmuch as the wagon has not been seen on the streets and nothing said about it in the papers, some folks got the notion into their heads that the board was so busy with other matters they forgot that an appropriation had been made for that purpose and want- ed their attention called to it.
 There is no need to be alarmed over this matter. The board had several talks about 1t between the acts. but so far nothing definite has been agreed upon. It will cost over $1 GOO to buy a wagon and horses, and then it is a question whether the balance of th@ money would buy lot and pay for suitable building, to say nothing of the cost of maintenance. Some of tI1es members are of the opinion that iE would be we'll to wait until they cafs see what arrangement if any can bvI made with the owners of the block il& course of construction on the ScovfI1 house site with reference to quarteTs before purchasing the wagon and horses, and others believe that if the department of public works legislata wisely regarding the remodeling of tha City hall the present police station can be used as a storage house and stable for the patrol wagon and horses. and in this way save the cost of buying a lot and putting up a new building One member of the board leans to the opih- ion that it would pay the city to arr range with somebody to furnish a wagon instead of purchasing one and fitting up a place for it. He claims that such an arrangement can be made at greatly reduced cost to the city and that the service will be all that the de- pertinent requires, as good and proba- bly, better than could be maintained if the outfit belonged to the city. Whilas| the talks held on the subject thus far were nothing more than informal. enough has been done to warrant the statement that the board is cognizane of the existence of an appropriation OF $5,0O0 for patrol wagon and hava already given the matter considerable thought. They may decide to prr4 chase a horseless vehicle, provided thaf in their judgment such course would| be for the best interests of all partie& concerned and it may turn out tha1 they can make better bargain for the city by letting somebody else put u1A the money and have the board pay at reasonable sum for the use Of the coach, if that be a proper name for ''black Maria"
 So much has been said about all Una. available space in the basement of fha City hall building it might not be- amiss to inquire if the board has ex= plored that region with view to sec ing if the horses and wagon could noE be kept there There can be no doubnS but that the wagon could be run int0 one of the various chambers antn would injure nobody, but somebody might kick about the horses, and ln they didn't the animals might thoW up their heels and clean out the building