Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-08
THE WAFER COMPANY.
Get uis Dill to tho Lstis tislatuss. III uni-
 cipal llatters Generally.

Get uts btll to the LeStslatusessn unt.
 cipal Aattsrs Generally.
 The Naugatuck Valley Water Go managed to get its bill before the gen eral assembly without giving the al- dcrmen chance to say what they think about it, although committee appointed by the board to inquire into the matter has been trying to get hold Of it for the past couple of weeks, hut all they could pick up was that the document was still incomplete. That was all they knew Monday night, so that whoever had the work of prepar- ing the bill in hand must have worked overtime to put the finishing touches on it by the following morning. It is understood in case the bill had been submitted to the aldermen an effort would have been made to get a public bearing on it and it appears that the company didn't want that. Colonel Rurpee claims 1t is good thing and perhaps it is, but if the statement he true why should anybody object to seeing it thoroughly aired before the hoard of aldermen: The indorsement of an attorney is q poor staff to lean upon. for everybody knows that coun- sel can be employed to sound the praises of any measure, good, bad or indifferent. A few years hence and the permanent office holders. aided by their friends, will want to knock the aldermen in the head and run the city themselves. Even at the present time there are men who regard the alder men as handicaps upon the munich pality and would like to see their wings clipped, but just the same it cannot be denied that the board comes pretty near doing what is right on all occasions. Practically all the serious blunders that have come to public no tice for years past, if traced to their source. would be found to have oc- cured because the authority of the aldermen was ignored and work done without going through the proper channel.
 The present administration was elected with a view to ferreting out alleged abuses of long standing in tho city government and correcting them. It attended strictly to business so far as certain officials were concerned. but they failed to find the slightest evidence of wrongdoing or misman- agement of any sort. and were candid enough to say so. But they didn't ga far enough. and finally the public had to look 10 the aldermen for redress and they were not mistaken. The principal source of complaint in the city government had reference to the miX-up regarding the whereabouts of money which people claimed they had paid on street and sewer assessments and for which they held receipts. al though the charges were still standing against them on the c0mptroller's books. The former administration appointed committee to look up this matter, but their successors took scant notice of it and the thing drag ged along until the aldermen took it up and Kept rapping at the board of finance about it, and they are at them still. The report is said to be coming. but as Alderman Beach said the last time the subject was introduced by Mir Murray. who appears to be the only person that had the courage to speak of it in open meeting. ''It is long time on the way and it is about time something was done about it. have q receipt for $50 In my pocket . that paid long ago. but that is all have to show for it." Supposing the aldermen had kept their tongues ill \their cheeks as others have done whose duty it was to sec that the mon ey was accounted for long ago. does anybody suppose that an investigation ever would have been made? It is said that the bills are Outawcd now and cannot be collected, anyway. and that there was method In letting the ! thing drag along. but this is something nobody can tell until we see the end. Tn any ease it is nothing more thau justice to every city official who was in any way connected with the hand ling of such funds to know what be came of them, and citizens who planked down their money in good faith arc entitled to have the cloud rc- moved from their property even though the city never gets copper of the missing cash. After people are put in possession of all the facts it may be shown that nobody has biuu- dered. and no doubt every honest tax payer hopes it will turn out that way. hut in the absence of proof to this ef
 feet most people will hold to the opin- ion that somebody is at fault and that others are using their influence to keep the public in ignorance of the fact. Bringing whatever there is to this muddle to light is a part of the work which the business administra- , tion was expected to do. and it looks strange to say the least to see that 1t bas been left to the minority repre- sentatioH to force the hand of the ma jority and compel them 10 turn on tine | light.