Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-09-20
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
Location of Electric Lights Created Some Controversy.

IHeIADSTS being present except MeSSrS Hewitt, Stanley, Holmes, Macauley and Brophy.
 A few petitions for new work were referred to the department of public works. The board of public works submitted report relative to voting booths for October and November elections as follows:
 First ward-Archer's livery, % Phoenix avenue.
 Second ward-Temporary structure, north side of green.
 Third ward--City court room.
 Fourth ward--Jacques' Auditorium.
 Fifth ward-Temporary structure, 57 Jefferson street.
 Sixth voting district-Carter's hall, Waterville.
 The report was accepted and a vote passed authorizing the department of public works to make the necessary arrangements to secure these places for the purpose mentioned.
 The recommendation of the board of public works regarding electric lights created quite a snarl It was attacked by Aldermen Callan, Murray and Bergen, but it went through all the same with one important amend ment, that the light at Randolph < Clowes,' recommended removed to the opposite side of the street, be car ried about hundred feet south, and that the one at the office of the Farrel Foundry & Machine Go be moved to point nearer Jackson street. Tn the early stages of the discussion MT Gal Ian wanted the light recommended for Bank street, between Meadow and Grand streets, removed to the other side of the Naugatuck tracks. MT Filling thought it rather bad taste to amend the report of the committee and suggested that light be peti- toned for at the place the aldermen was talking about if public necessity and convenience required 1t. "I beg your pardon" remarked the alderman from the third, hotly, "a member of this board is within his lines in offer- ing an amendment to any report, and besides I think an alderman who walks a certain street regularly ought to know something about the dark spots"
 A short recess was taken while Sheriff Rigney was sprfnting down Bank street and back to see if there Is a light at any point on Bank street between GSand and Meadow streets. During the stay of hostilities Alder man Filling had a heart to heart talk with MT Callan and it would seem that he coaXed him into withdrawing his opposition to the report. Any way, when the sheriff returned and said he couldn't find a light between the points mentioned and City Clerk Nettleton read full text of the conn mittee's report, MT Callan said no more and withdrew his amendment asking for change in the location of the light to be installed on Bank street.
 ''I didn't notice any light recom- mended for the fourth ward" said MT Murray, "although there are many places in that district that ought to be lighted I suppose there were not enough to go around, but it looks strange to see nearly all the thirty or forty new lights ordered installed in the first and second wards. If this kind of business is continued the first and second wards will be verita ble Luna parks while all the other parts of the town will be in primitive condi- ton so far as lights go. I'm not find- ing fault with the committee nor claiming that Night has been recom- mended any place where 1t is not needed What mean to say Is that as the demand for lights is greater than the supply the proper thing to do is to distribute the number we can af- ford to install evenly in the worst spots in the different sections. Of the city, not place all of them in one sec ton and let all the other places wait" s When questioned about these mat ters MT Murray could not recollect any of the dark spots in his ward, but he knew they are there. While the clerk was reading a petition from Pratt place that had not met with the approval of the board, because the committee thought the Night was asked for on account of the rough element that pass through it and thought hinted that the improvement of the place be considered on that basis, MT Filling wanted to know what ward that was in. MT Murray fathered 1t, adding that it was in the fourth, and the people wanted light and that they ought to be pretty good Judges as to what the conditions demanded.
 Alderman Bergen said he didn't sup pose that there are darker spots in Waterbury than on Baldwin street, between Liberty street and Stone street, Washington street from Syl' van avenue to Dublin street, Sylvan avenue from Luke street to Washing. ton street and Luke street between Baldwin street and sylvan avenue. '"These streets" continued MT Bergen, "are used by large numbers of people en route to and from their work and ought to be better lighted, but I no. ticed that the committee didn't even mention them as dark places The report was then referred to to prove that the committee considered Luke street comparatively well lighted, whereupon MT Bergen replied that tha street in question is over thousand feet long and has but one light at its extreme end. He didn't think the committee gave that part of the town much consideration. It's investigation must have been very superficial.
 ''Why don't the people petition for lights if they want themp inquired MT Filling, apparently growing some, what impatient.
 'eThe petitions are here" replied MT a4urray, ''but the committee pushed them aside. What more can the peo- pie dor They want more lights and the only road to relief is through this board. They have filed their petitions and the board of public works has mt baan ahln tn hnIn them What