Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-07-07
TROLLEY COMPANY IS
PLAYING IN LUCK
The Ctys Gift of 5000 is the Talk Of the Town-Well
Known Attorneys Say the Company Couldn't Have
Collected Cent - Members of Board Of Public
Works We're Easy and Generous to a Fault

The action Of the board of public
works in voting to allow tie Connec-
tlcut Railway S5 Lighting Co 5000 in
lieu of all claims the company may
have against the city for damage to
their property during the strike has
set the limbs of the law to talking.
All claim that City Attorney Kellogg
was right when he informed the board
last year that under the law as it ex-
listed at that time the company
couldn't collect cents worth of
damages from the city. f"That was
5000 bouquet tossed over to the troll
ley company said one disciple of
Blackstone, "and I suppose they will
not refuse to accept it. Nobody de-
MES that the company was damaged
during the strike, but there is not an
attorney in the state, with the excep-
ton of the trolley company's counsel
who would be willing to state that
they could collect for these damages
from the city. If they, could their
bill would have been presented long
ago. They did the best thing in hav-
ing an act passed making municipali-
ties liable for such damages as may
occur on such occasions from time to
time, SO If the strike happened under
the law as it now exists they could
compel the city to pay them a hundred
cents for every dollars worth Of their
property that was wantonly destroy
ed, and think that is right, too. If
the Honorable Mayor Elton and his
board of public works would come
forward and proclaim that a moral
obligation exists on the part of the
city to pay the trolley company some-
lhlng Tor such damages as they sus-
tanned, all right, but when they saw
tnaL The $500 has been given up to
aVold litigation for suits to be enter
eu against the city for damages dome
during the strike, then that's another
matter and 1T must have made Allan
w. Paige and Colonel Burpee LAUGH
When they read that statement in the
papers,
NO matter what way YOU look a+ ~
lr must be plain to everybody that e
PAID to keep track Of the rebates. even
though the city didn't get the dust
Ihe old board withheld 81 100 neodino
cue preparation of report setting
Iorth the facts, but N. r. bronson
.aiked lne present administration into
paying this over to the company with
demo nonstrated that the money Was nj
que, the full amount or as much of #
would be oheerfully refunded. The
company was anxious to get hold Of
tnat $l,lO0, so Mr. Bronson said. to
oaiance their books for the year. Anv-
way IL was well to have to use as an
onset 20 Hquidate the claim for dam
ages, for If Mr. Wade and the mayor
consulted the right kind of attorneys :
the city was liable and we wonl5
nave litigation galore if that 5000 had
not been there to stave it off. Besides
that their investigation helned 70 e,i,Je
the public better service, the electric e11
llgnEs giving more satisfaction now
tnan ever before. 1t cost the civ
about $50 to figure up the amount ~ of
the rebates and after settling the In
pending suits for damages for Iha
small consideration Of 5000. there viii
be balance of about $40 to the cra1
1t OF the municipality.