Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-20
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
People Who Want Improvements
 Don't Want 10 Foot Bills.

of aldermen last night was the most
 important session of that body held
 since the act of consolidation was dis
 cussed and 1t was a great pity that the
 whole proceedings could not have
 been witnessed by every rate payer
 in Waterbury. The real source of the
 trouble regarding tho difficulty In
 raising sufficient money to meet cur
 rent expresses was laid bare by Alder
 man Elton, who made no bones of
 stating that demand is being made
 for things in the outside for which
 the people don't show willingness to
 pay and that they shouldn't have
 them until they do.
 Besides Chairman Filling there
 were present Aldermen Noonan,
 Bowe, Lawlor. Spain, Malone. Sher-
 wood, Buck, Walker. Fitzsimons, El-
 ton and Goss, but the two last men
 tioned didn't appear until the row
 over raising the firemen's pay and the
 change with reference to the Driggs
 school item had been disposed of.
 At the opening of the session Mir
 Lawlor called attention to commu-
 nication in the hands of the clerk ask
 ing that the appropriation for the fire
 department be increased $5,OOO to en-
 able the board of safety to give the
 firemen an increase in salary in ac-
 cordance with schedule published
 in the papers and which the alderman read and compared with that of other towns, showing that Waterbury does not pay its firemen as much as some smaller New England towns do. MT
 Filling refused to entertain n motion to consider the matter unless the vote of the previous meeting should be re- scinded and a resolution to this eff feet was put and carried. Then AL spoke enthusiastically of the prCposi- tion, but when the question was put it turned out to be case of five in favor and five opposed. all the demo- crats voting yes and the republicans opposing it. The chair declared the motion lost
 As soon as the firemen had been knocked in the head Alderman Spain called attention to communication from the mayor, which he said he understood had been turned over to the clerk and asked that it be read. This was met by another refusal from the chair. The ruling appear ed to nettle the alderman from the fourth and he moved that action on the estimates be deferred until after the reading of the communication from the mayor. The motion was carried and the document was then produced. It suggested that instead of binding the board of education to build an addition to the Driggs school the $4O,O0O appropriated be available for school purposes in any part of that district, reminding the board that the northern part of the district which is nearly mile from the Driggs school is growing rapidly and 1t might be deemed wiser to build there than add to the present Driggs school. The recommendation of the mayor was unanimously adopted.
 At this juncture Alderman Elton entered and by the time he got into his chair the board was making ready to adopt the rate of taxation. The alderman inquired how much it fig ured up to which the chair replied that in the full taxation district 1t made fifteen mills and four tenths.
 That's too much tax for Water bury" said Mir Elton. rising in his seat and adding: I'm not prepared to vote for any such tax levy as that. If we pass such vote here, l don't know what the people will say of lt, when you consider the sub increase in the grand list. rk<, t, .hA I,x,t .tll at the most. What's the matter with that first district. anyway. A de mand is being made for things ont there that they are not paying for md we owe it to those who are paying md not getting what they ought to nave to hold up these outside i'm prOvements until the people who want them come in and say that they are willing to pay on the same basis IS others. Why if we keep on this way we'll start riot. I can pay, but don't want to. What about the man who will be hardshipped simply be- cause he Is made to carry more than his share of the burden"
 The alderman's remarks created a sensation and when he suggested a 'ecess to see what they could tear out If the first district in order to whit le the rate down to fifteen mills. the met with the approyal of III. At first it was decided to wipe ut the 5000 appropriated for water main extension and the 5000 for ewers In the outside district and ! ,ass a vote instructing the board of | works to construct no sewers in that | district nor lay any more water pipes | intil the system of taxation Is hanged hut finally in dcfercnce to the | wishes of Mr Walker. but not because Ie does not believe that the system | f taxation is rotten. these were al- | owed to stand. and 5000 was pared | rom roads. reducing 1t to S20.o0o; the tenn streets new work in the same listrict was reduced from s10.c00 10 | $500 and the S13.OCU for voting ma hines was stricken out altogether. | hus reducing the rate four-tentl.s c. | l mill in the first district and inak- | ng just fifteen mills In the second | district. Mir Elton said this was the | ,est that could he done at this time. ,ut he believed thst with a proper re- -ision of the system of taxation moro | money could he raised and fh. raie in | he second district wouli not exceed I welve mills. Mir Go>s came in while | he changes were being made. but he ook no hand in the discussion. When I he meeting reconvenef the vote ta- ,en Monday night approving the ap- | was rc~rinde1 and such | as had been agreed upon | 'ut and carried after which tlG foot I ng were changed and the ap7ropri- tions tlen adopted as amended by ca and nay vote. all voting in the The ne'csssry votes