Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-18
BOARD Or ALDERMEN
Law csnmiss.s wlll LseA Over nastss
 of Abatink Taxes.

ofAbatinS Taxes.
 The aldermen held meeting last night, Chairman Blakeslee, presiding.
 The draft of an ordinance providing for deferring actionon the collection Of taxes in cases where the income is not sufficient to enable the owner to settle didn't meet with the approval of some of the members, although it has more merit than any other charter amend ment submitted to the board in years. It frequently happens that an old cou- pie ask that their taxes be abated and upon investigation the committee fluids that while the petitioners have consid- erable equity in their property the rev enue is not large enough to maintain them .and pay the interest and taxes. In most of these cases the petitioners have children who look OH at the old folks trying to save this property for them, but would not give them dol lar. The aim of the city is to fix things so that action could be deferred on the collection of such bills and let them stand until the estate is being settled up and then have the heirs pay the back taxes.
 Some of the aldermen thought that the draft submitted might work q hardship to people of small means, and others feared it might give the city the hip lock on the. mortgage. During the discussion Alderman Holmes inti- mated that MT Blakeslee was exceeding his authority by debating the question from the chair, told him he was Ollh of order and reminded him that he had the floor. This raised Chairman Blakeslee's ire and he called Vice-Presi- dent Beach to the chair and stepped into the arena and talked back. Things looked like big row when the mat ter was finally disposed of by referring it to the law committee with request to report in week. .
 The amendment to the building or dinance, submitted some time ago by Mir Chatfield, was referred to the city attorney. The aldermen are beginning to be suspicious of the building inspec- tor. Now that he has life berth they fear him all tile more and don't want to give him too much rope. The in- spector seeks imperial power, but the aldermen are of the opinion that prop erty owners always should enjoy the right of appeal to the aldermen.
 The several recommendations of the board of public works, printed herein before, with the exception of the cases noted, were approved, including the in- stallation of lights at the following places: Fox street. corner Ledgeside avenue and West Main street; South Leonard street extension, Avon avenue and Maple street, High street, Water vile; Clark and Dwight streets, Wa terville; Main street, Waterville; three lights at Morningside, FairWOunt and Luke streets: North Main, near City Mills lane; North Main and Simsbury streets; North Main and Winchester avenue: Welton street and Kenyon place; Walnut and Welton streets; Laurel and Williams streets, Park place. Silver street, 400 feet east of Dublin street: Long Hill road; Cooke street, above reservoir; Holmes avenue. opposite Mitchell avenue: Willard and Putnam streets; Bank street, opposite Jackson street.
 It was shown that the department of public works is winking at the charter and as a consequence some of the work already done by that board will have to he gone over again, including the widening of Bank, street at. Grand. street and the building line iiiestion' on Baldwin and Chapel streets. Tn these cases the board had no permis sion to hold hearings for'that class of work. The aldermen are begnning to grow, tired of the utter disregard shown for charter provisions and think it time at least some attention was paid to such matters. The wise heads will not like this. but if the charter cuts any figure at all with the busi- ness administration they will have to retrace their steps and govern their conduct according to law.
 The following petitions were read and suitably referred: John Barry ct al. sewer and water main in Fairmount street; Thomas F. Halpin ct al, electric light in Washington street: Finton BOwe ct al, electric light on Sylvan avenue; Mrs Michael Robbins, sewer fin Orchard street; Carl w. RrOmberg ct al, sewer in Greenmount terrace; Charles Tyack ct al. an electric light in Avon avenue; r. H. Humphrey. change of grade in sidewalk On West Main street, between Holmes avenue and North Willow street; Charles H. Davis ct al, sewer in Railroad ? Hill street. ...,..- ...A ..a
 The claim for damages by August Liberty for fall on Baldwin street on April was referred to the committee on law, as was the claim of H. c. Xiii bourn for damages Occasioned by his horse falling into hole on South Oak street on March 30.
 The following matters were referre'l to the bureau of assessment: Layout and grade of Watertown road from Irv- ing avenue northerly: discontiuance of Hayden street: layout and grade of Baldwin street. from old city line to Pearl Lake road. Favorable action was taken on the report of benefits and damages arising from the establislt ment of a building line on Bank street from James street to Porter street. and on Chestnut avenue from RidgewOOd street to Babcock avenue. benefits anG damages being equal. to all parties.
 X communication from ex-COllector Griggs relative to abatement of taxes and other applications of d similar na. ture were referred to the committee OH abatements.
 It was voted to authorize the mayor to employ an expert to balance the city books.
 A committee consisting of Aldermen Holmes, Bergen and Stanley were aps pointed to draft suitable resolutions