Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-08
BOARD pr PUBLIC WORKS.
Next Spring Hay See EmpsOvsments
 On Che lfiddlebury Read.


 The board of public works met yes terday afternoon, Mayor Elton presid- ing and all the members being pres ent.
 State Highway Commissioner James Macdonald. replying to communica. tion from the mayor relative to plans for the continuation of improvements on the Middlebury road, spoke favor ably Of letting contracts now in towns where they intend to use local crushed stone. This would give the success full bidder time to get crushed stone ready ana be ill position to take hold of the job as soon as the frost is out of the ground. The mayor asked Engineer Cairns how that suited him. lit sounds all right" replied the en- gineer 'It is the first sensible letter ever knew him to write" 1t was decided to call for bids for further op- erations on the Middlebury road, pro posals to be received at the first meet ing in January. While this question was before the board somebody asked if the engineer could have plans ready by that time. The mayor said that MT Macdonald had already sent on the plans One, of the commissioners expressed, some surprise at this and wanted to know if Mir Cairns was not supposed to attend to that. "No,'' an- swered the engineer, 1T have no more to do with it than iflI were a mouse running about ot1 q pantry shelf" There is still $1,000 due Contractor Ffdgeon for his Middlebury road con tract which Mir Cairns thinks the city ought to pay without further delay, but the state highway commissioner has not yet approved the work and Pidgeon will have to wait until he does. The bill was approved subject to the wl1ifn of Mir Macdonald. who appears to hold the whole board in the hollow of his hand
 The petition of Thomas R. Manners for the acceptance Of certain streets on Town Plot, forwarded to the board by the aldermen, was received and on motion of MT Goss it was voted to ask the petitioner if he had complied with the state law in making streets on his property, which provides that streets shall be rods wide unless otherwis9 ordered by town or city officials. This is the first time the question has ever been raised in Waterbury. Most Of the streets now being laid out by the city are but 10 feet wide. The petition of the Milford Land and Cottage Co for sewer changes in Bank and Center streets was referred to the engineer. The other matters which came in from the aldermen were put on the list for investigation.
 Some of the members got pretty heE on account of long delay on the part of the city attorney in giving tie board an opinion relative to the power of the city to order all overhead wires under ground, and instructed the clerk to remind him of 1t again. It was voted to recommend thnt the sum of $250 be transferred from state roads account to election expense, which ran over about $200 on account of the i'm proved voting booths in the first ana 1 fifth wards.
 The petition of the Southern New 1 England Telephone Go to open por- 1 lions of Center and Bank streets was granted on condition that the pave ment be replaced as and when the en- gineer directs and kept in satisfac- tory condition for one year. CommiE- sioner Jackson called attention to some. of the telephone conlpany's work I dbOubs lA1C BIACCLS TfkAAA board that according to the condi tions on which th company was al- lowed to construct conduits here, the city was to replace the pavement ana 1 the company to pay the cost. This, he said, is being ignored. the company attending to putting back tue pave ment itself and not doing it in the best possible manner. The matter will re- ceive attention.
 Engineer Cairns reported that he had received an option on the Johnson farm at the Valley turnpike at the Branch for $600. It comprises 40 acres and the owner is to have two 1 years to remove the wood. The report was approved.
 The mayor said something about q ] transfer for the city court, but he fol- lowed it up with q remark that it was not necessary to do anything about 1t. 'sWhat have we got to do with the l city court anyway 2' his honor con- cluded '.No,' replied MT Goss, ''bur we may have some day.''
 l The superintendent Of streets was 1 instructed to make some repairs at the South Leonard street bridge at the Naugatuck river.
 1 The board adjourned for 8 week,