The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-01-20
PUBLIC HEARING HELD
ON LOCATION AND C0NsoLIDA.
TIoN OF NEW BUILDINGS.

To be Used by Both Police and Fire De-
partmcnts In Ninth ward--LargeIy
Attended Meeting-All Present Favor
Present Location OF Station House
A Few object to ConsoIidatIon--Com
mittee Discovers That 1t Has No
Jurisdiction in the Matter.
The petition for d combination FIRE
and police station in the Ninth ward
came UP for public hearing in the
city hail last evening before the special
aldermanic committee appointed for
this purpose. All the members Of the
committee were present except Alder
man Langley. The meeting was at
tended by about fifty citizens, all OF
whom favored the petition that the To-
cation of the police station remain the
same Most all those present also
thought that the city should purchase
the lot adjoining the present Dixwell
avenue police station and erect the new
engine house there in conjunction with
the new police station. The lot is 50 by
140 feet and has frontage on Webster
street.
After a number Of people had been
heard Alderman Minor who is on this
committee, raised the question as to
whether this committee had any right
to place the location. Chairman Chad
wick consulted the city charter and
discovered that this right was vested
exclusively with the fire and police
commissioners, and the only jurisdic-
ton which the board of aldermen had
in the matter was to sanction the pur-
chase after the selection had been made
by these boards. 1t was decided, how
ever, to continue the hearing, as sew
eral persons seemed very desirous OF
speaking. i
After the hearing the committee vot-
ed to report to the board Of aldermen
that it had no jurisdiction IN selecting
the site, and to recommend that the po-
lice and fire commissioners be request
ed give the public chance to be heard
before they take any definite action in
the matter K
The first speaker last night was w.
F. Moran, who thought that the present
station house should remain where 1t is.
He said that there were ten saloons in
the vicinity, and that its present loca-
tiorl afforded better protection than
could be had anywhere else. He thought
that the combination house was practi-
cal. He then spoke about the city buy
ing the adjoining lot for the fire house,
and said that it could be done and was
practical. He thought that the fire
house, being located there, would give
better protection to the center Of the
city than anywhere else
# J. H. Barlow said that the record of
the present station showed its need in
that location. @.s... 4 d ..
C. e. Prince was a police commits
sioner when the station house was es-
#tablished there. He favors retaining it
there. & ,t# ss
Chief Wrinn was present at the hear
ing and he was asked how many beats
there We're in the precinct. He replied
that he did not know exactly. In reply
to other questions he said that the GEN.
ter beats were shorter and that it would
take longer for the men to report if the
house was located farther out, The
chief said that when he took his present
position. eight years ago, there were 1877
patrolmen and eight veteran reserves
in the department. At the present time
there are 115 patrolmen and two veteran
reserves. The department is at present
fifteen men short, while the increase in
the city's population is from 1900 to
$4,000. In reply to a question the chief
stated that he did not care to give an
opinion concerning the petition.
J. S. Osborn stated that so per cent.
of the business property in that pre-
cinct was located below the present sta
tion house, and that there was only one
fire house in the western section of the
city. He said that during the time the
present station house had been there
six years-there had never been an
alarm west of the station.
Frank Seward, Ralph Pagter, Henry
Donovan, John Doughan, Policeman
John I. McGrath and Peter J. Born all
favored the retention of the. present To-
cation. Mr.. Donovan, however, object
ed to the police and fire houses being
combined into one building.