Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-10
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
Commissioners Clash on School Question = Executive Session.

night, Chairman Filling presiding ant
 all the members being present. Com
 mittees were present representing the
 school department and the Town Plot
 and Second Ward Improvement so'
 cieties. ,>
 When all the routine business on
 the clerks desk had been disposed of
 MT Filling called Vice Chairman Buck
 to the chair and then passed through
 the chamber and held short chat
 with Aldermen Goss and Spain and
 Mayor Thoms In due time MT Filling
 returned to the chair and Mir Spain,
 looking unusually wise, moved that
 the estimates be laid on the table.
 The motion was carried unanimously
 and then all who cared to speak were
 heard. Then motion to adjourn was
 put and carried and the members
 rushed for their coats and hats and
 pretended they were in hurry to get
 out into the open. But the reporters
 were onto the game and hung around | just to bother the board and remained there until finally Chairman Filling got out of patience, and stamping his
 foot on the floor, remarked that the board was going into executive ses-
 sion and requested all not members thereof to get out. The reporters
 withdrew, Mayor Thoms following
 close behind, but was just in the act of closing the door behind him when he was given the beck to return and
 without any hesitancy his honor re-
 traced his steps and once inside the chamber the door was closed with a
 bang that could have been heard in Exchange place.
 While the meeting was open John J Mcdonald, Finton J. Phelan and c. s. Chapman were heard regarding the pairing of estimates for the board of education. Mir Mcdonald confined his remarks principally to the item, Teachers Salaries" which was cut something in the neighborhOod of $9,- GOO and the evening schools. MT Phelan talked on the condition of the school buildings and MT Chapman ex- plained the need of more room. Dur ing the talk MT Phelan and Mir Larkin locked horns and when they got through the honors were about even. It all started about the Driggs school addition, which MT Larkin pronounced the most expensive job ever perform ed under the school department, to which Mir Phelan replied that this was due to the high price of labor and o1 o1I IaI hot fo,, hn was concerned he never saw the need of the addition and that if he had had his way it never woul have been built at any price.
 You're not very familiar with the conditions up there, then, MT Commits sioner," remarked Alderman Larkin, somewhat sarcastically.
 MT Phelan: q have been up there once Or twice every couple of weeks for the past few months"
 MT Larkin: That may be true, but l don't think you went through the different rooms, else you wouldn't say the addition isn't needed"
 Mir Phelan: "Yes, but look at the district. Why it comes clear down to The Elton hotel, when everybody knows that children on West Main street and other places In that neigh borhood should attend the Lincoln school, or at least school located ill the Sperry street district"
 This was getting monotonous and finally Mir Larkin wanted to know if Mir Phelan thought it fair to the peo- pie to pay an architect five per cent | of the contract price of the addition to the Driggs school To this MT Phe- | Ian replied hotly, warning the alder man to look out lest that query prove a | boomerang. Was it fair to the peo- pie" asked Mir Phelan, flor you, MT | when you were a member | of the board of education to pay an architect five per cent of the cost | price of the Croft school?"
 Mir Larkin Ut wasn't five"
 Mir Phelan: "Yes, sir, that's just | what it was."
 At this juncture, Mir Goss, evident ly fearing trouble, remarked to Mir Larkln in aside, that you cant secure the services of a competent architect for less than five per cent, and the matter ended there.
 Then Mir Sherwood took the com missioner in hand and wanted to know why certain amount was ask 10 the Driggs school, and now more Is needed for exactly the same thing. Mr Phelan replied that in this, the present board was governed by pre- 'edent. It has always been the cus- -om to get certain amount of money md make it go as far as possible and hen trust to the aldermen to furnish nore. Mir Phelan said he was simply explaining. not defending that way of lOing things. His own scheme would De to get plans before the money is and officials could pro- 'eed with their eyes open.
 John ]. Geraghty, representing the clubs was heard re- -arding an appropriation to finish 'oOke street, which Is now in the works. He was informed that after he appropriations become available O the department of public works lext year it will be up to that body O spend a portion of the "Streets- lew Work" money on that job. Hans Rasmussen and several others from Town Plot were present, but none of hem uttered a word.
 Several new petitions were received nd suitably referred. including one Ieaded by ". W. Holmes. asking hat the Watertown road from Sun blacksmith shop to West lain street be used as a speedway , turing the winter months. All the |