Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-03
REALlH OFFICERS NEXT.
Will They bs Made Permanent undsr
 the Charter Amendments.

the Charter Amendments. Dr Rodman of the board of health ] is an entertaining speaker and feels as much to home before an audience as he does when talking to patient Ill his private office. This was plain 10 everybody who listened to the doc- tors remarks before the aldermen Monday night. when he explained the i why and the wherefore of the pfo' posed charter amendments which the health board wants the aldermen to instruct the city attorney to champiou before the general assembly. unIlke most people who appear before the city fathers, the doctor didn't act as IT he thought the board consisted only of the chairman and his colleagues on the majority side of the house. He was conscious of the presence Of the six democrats and at times turned his back on all the others and talked dl- rect to the minority in manner which showed that he believed they deserved to be made acquainted Wltn l all the facts in the matter just as well as if they were ''it." instead of help less though very active minority. IT all charter amendments as well as the various other important questions that come before the board from time to time were handled that way and the minority given an opportunity to know the ins and outs of them just as tue other fellows do there would be bet ter feeling in the aldermanic chamber and some wrangles that take place there never would be heard of. It ire quently happens that republicans would like to do differently after hearing the objections raised by the other side, but having agreed to do certain things at private session they don't like to back out, and as a result many of them keep their word with good deal of reluctance. On the other hand. the democrats rarely know what is coming up and the re- publican leaders, having the neces- sary number of votes to carry their point. give very scant information as to what they are aiming at and this often leads to a lot of confusion that could and ought to be avoided.
 Of course, men aiming at political capital don't want to give reasons ill open meeting: they wouldn't look well. so that while nearly every charter amendment introduced into the alder manic chamber during the present ad- ministrati0n was so impregnated with politics that blind man could see the end in view. still with one or two exceptions nobody had the courage to come forward and admit that it was tha interests of his friends and not the good of the public that prompted the proposed changes. As matter of fact, such thing could hardly be looked for and it is question if the men who made these admissions meant to be understood that way. but inasmuch as there was absolutely no ambiguity in their language nobody had any reason to doubt but that they had made clean breast of the situa- tion and told the plain unvarnishad truth.
 Some of the republicans are sAne- what suspicious of the present board of health and on this account they don't know just what to do with their recommendations. It is admitted that there is great deal of merit in them. hut how about the office of health of- ficer and food 4ad sanitary inspector in case the proposed bills should be passed and become operative this year? Would the present hoard of health he re-appOinted, and if SD would Dr Kilmartin have sufficient pull with them to get reelected for another term? Would Mr Callahan. whom they chose to succeed Harry Moses. fall in for the office of inspec- tor? These are the things which arc worrying the republicans and not the good and the bad points of the pro- posed amendments. and if the alder men act favorably on them the public may rest assured that somebody will know the makeup of tho board before the measure goes through. Ii appears to be understOod that the intention is to re-appoint Dr ROdman for five years. r. F.. Stanley for four years. and F. J. Loomis for three years. These are the three republican me'n- bers of the board of health. With this combination. regardless of the minority. would the republicans he likely to make anything out of the change? Some of them think not and claim that they will not vote for that part of the recommendations until they know more about it.
 It may have been fishing after in- formation of that sort MT Holmes was when he asked Dr Rodman if he thought if would he difficult to get com. nctent professional men to accept a five years appointment on the board of health. If that was what the alder man Was trying to find out he received q reply that confirmed the suspicious of the wary ones. for the doctor in. formed him that he didn't think there would he any trouble in securing the services of the right kind of men and if they died or resigned others could hc chosen 10 fill the vacancies. After Ecarink this there was some nudging an:i winking among the leaders on the republican benches, and after a while Mir Reach announced that the amend ments contained some things which he should want to know more about be. fore voting on them and moved that . committee be appointed to confer with the health board and report back at move to gain time and see what could be learned before the measures came up for adoption. As 1t stands now it looks as if all the officials to be ap- pointed by the board of health will he passed upon before the committee re. ports back and if the coast is clear the health board will get what it wants. if nvt rbav will have to waif