Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-16
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
HIr LOwndes Election and Resigna .
 tion Came in Five Minutes.


 night which will be remembered by those who were present as the most remarkable in the history of that municipal body. The plan of action mapped out by the republicans was to take what they wanted and say noth' ing, not even answer a civil question. The principal feature of the meeting was over the increasing of the salary of the engineer from $3,000 year to $5,OOO, and for time 1t was case of now l am and now I'm not with Assistant Engineer Rawlins Lowndes, and now I'm not and now am with Air Cairns As matter of fact they came and went so quickly few real ized what was going on and in oruer that no hitches might occur Chairman Blakeslee wielded the gavel In Tom Reed style, ignoring parliamentary law and charter provisions so openly that Mir Murray felt constrained to remind him that he was abusing his position.
 The following members were pres ent: Chairman Blakeslee, Aldermen Filling. Stanley, Beach, Holmes, Mo- Auley. Hewitt, Callan, Murray, Hur- ley, Dunn, the full republican fighting force, and just half of the others. Be- fore entering the chamber the repub' licapS held a conference in the mayors office.
 The row started when the clerk read communication from the depart ment of public works recommending that during the work of designing, construction and experimental opera tions of the sewage disposal question the salary of the engineer be $0,OOO per annum. The communication was received and placed on file. Then MT Beach moved that commencing at this date and continuing for three years the salary of the city engineer be $5,- 0OQ a year and thereafter that 1t be $3,900.
 When the question was stated MT Murray asked for some light What has the engineer done for Waterbury to merit this increase inquired AL derman Murray. "Here is an increase of nearly $7 day and not word said as to why 1t should be ordered by this board The sewage disposal work will add something to the duties of the engineer, but he has q score of as- sistants to help him and don't think their work will at any time be so arduous as to keep them out nights. Not long since one of the commission CTS of public works found fault about paying city laborers $1.50 a day, now the board comes forward with a recommendation that the engineer re- ceive $7 a day in addition to his regu- lar salary. This is gross imposition upon the taxpayers of Waterbury. It is not fair to the public to use their money this way simply because We have the power to do it. 1t is not business. They don't do things that way in the factories. When great proiect is under way with a private corporation you don't see salaries going up. No. that's the time they try to economize. Don't you think we should act in a similar manner with the taxpayers' money? I'm very strongly opposed to the passage of this resolution and in fact I'm sur prised to see such proposition in- troduced here at this time l have nothing to say against MT Cairns, but | don't think he is worth that much money to the taxpayers and for that reason I'm opposed to 1t. The ad- --vance is too large for him or any other official in a town the size of Waterbury"
 Everybody on the inside expected that few words would be said in ex- planation of the resolution, but mo- body budged on the other side, all re- maining as still as bronze statues un- til MT Blakeslee put the question when the republicans answered ives" some in an inaudible tone and others with some gusto. The call for nays brought out trio of voices in opposi- tion to the increase of salary from Messrs Murray, Dunn and Hurley. The chair declared the motion carried and the curtain was rung down.
 The next act opened with the res ignation of R. A. Cairns as city engi- neer. This was followed by an in- formal vote to proceed to ballot for city engineer. The chair appointed Aldermen Beach and Murray as tell CTS and Alderman Holmes nominated Rawlin W Lowndes as candidate for city engineer.
 MT Murray inquired why there was to be change in the office and was informed by MT Holmes that Mir Lowndes was competent man and wanted the position MT Murray asked a few more questions regarding the candidate, but the chair said he was out of order. The alderman fn- sisted that his questions were to the point and should be answered, but the chair wouldn't have it. The result of the vote showed nine votes for MT Lowndes, one blank and one scatter ing. The chair declared MT Lowndes elected city engineer.
 At this juRcture Alderman Holmes u1SApp6dTGU uuTTISu1y IuIO tue COT ridor. He had been gone but a few seconds when he reappeared with a document in his hand which proved to be the resignation of the newly elected city enginer, MT Lowndes. This provoked laugh on the demo- cratic side of the house, but the situa- tion was too grave for the actors in the scene and in consequence all wore sober faces and one or two of them appeared as though they felt very much surprised to learn that MT Lowndes didn't want the job. The resignation was accepted.
 The next act opened with grace full bow to the chair from MT Beach, who modestly nominated MT Cairns as candidate for the vacancy in the office of city engineer caused by the resignation of MT Lowndes.
 ''Mr Chairman" chimed in Alder man Murray, object to immediate