Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-20
BRooKLYH BRErs

and Mrs Patrick Ryan of South Leon-
 ard street.
 The Pioneer basketball team will
 go to Torrington this evening, where
 they will battle with the Red. White
 and Blue basketball team. The play
 CTS on the local team are Patrick Donahue. Stickberg, Devine, Dunphy and Brickel.
 Another step was made last night
 in the direction of paving the way
 for the Town Plot trolley, when the report of benefits and damages aris-
 ing from the layout of James street
 was taken from the table at the all
 dermanic meeting and adopted. This
 report was held up few weeks ago
 on the ground that If passed the city would have to come down right on with the damages awarded This
 was mistake. That used to be the
 law. but like good many more of
 our charter handicaps that ought to
 be relegated to the grave of oblivion
 from which they never should have
 emerged. 1t was repealed two years
 ago.
 The Brooklyn Improvement so-
 ciety should see that their neighbors
 on lower South Leonard street get
 the water main extended into that
 district next year. It is a nice resi-
 dence location. but for some reason
 1t is poorly lighted and has no water service. That railroad bridge is still
 there, although 1t was said that plans
 were under way to remove 1t years ago. The bridge was black eye to that whole region. It left 1t almost in pocket, but notwithstanding this
 setback the place has many advan- tages over sections that are growing faster. With lights, water and small outlay on the street the place would be wonderfully improved. To
 be sure some of the Improvements al- ready in the works will give meas
 ure of relief. but even so the lights will always be needed and water is essential to the development of that or any other district.
 Property owners in this part of the town don't need any proof of how citizens are treated by contractors who come along here. from other towns and. acting by authority of the city government. enter upon their property and actually put them out of business, and then walk away without giving them copper to re- pair the damages they have done. Such things are quite common, but the most fragrant case of the kind that has been brought to the atten- ton of the city fathers is that of Pat rick Barnes of Railroad Hill street. whose retaining wall was torn down by the McGovern Construction Co while operating for the trunk sewer into South Brooklyn, and 1t appears he cannot collect from the company or the city, although he Is out about $1.000 on account of what has hap pened. There is something out of the ordinary in this. It is generally understood that the contractor binds himself to the board of public works to make good all damages done to public and private property and puts up sufficient bond to cover such things. Private individuals can't look to the contractor because they have no business relations with him. but they do look to the city and n has been the custom of the boards to see that they were protected. and they have done it. Just what sort of a hitch there is in the Barnes case does not appear. but there should not be any. Do you suppose the McGov- erns could have done this mischief without the aid of the city? The line of the sewer was run % that in order to make the excavation the wall in question had to come down. % that the city was primarily responsible and is morally as we'll as legally bound to make good the damage and then let it be kept out of the S20. 900 bond which the company put up. There is too much of this business of playing sharper upon unsuspectinx property owners going on and it is about time somebody called a halt If the city fathers don't want to poss as highway robbers The idea of like the city of Water bury creating a condition that takes sI 900 out of the pocket of an ordi- nary working man. about two years wages. and sneaking out of settling m a technicality. is too small to merit commendation. even though those who have worked the game claim that they did it in the interest of the city. Before the city reaches a point where 1t VIII have to resort to that sort of tactics to get money if had better go into bankruptcy