Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-16
THE ESTIMATES
Board of Finance Not Yet Finish
 cd With Their Work.

The board of finance Is wrestling with the estimates and while the work is not yet completed, it has progressed far enough to enable one to form an idea of what some of the items will look like after the commits sioners get through with their prun- ing knives.
 The worst thing the board has to contend with is the demand for im- provements in the outside. The con- missioners are between the devil and the deep sea. If they do what they know to be right and inform repre- sentatives of the several town in- provement clubs that ill order to be entitled to what they are asking for they will have to petition to come into the full taxation district, 1t means that many will take offense and get out to do" them at the next cleo ton, and if they neglect to make some pretence at protecting those on the inside they are apt to get Into peck of trouble, too, so that men III public life find it out of the question to know which way to turn and not get into trouble. It has been sug- gested that all the money appropriated for sidewalks be raised in the outside | district, and while this would not be | much of an improvement over the old plan, still it would be the short est step that possibly could be made in the direction of fair play, but even this is not likely to be taken pro- | vided the fellows on the outside stand shoulder to shoulder and threat en to retaliate in case they do not get what they want on the present system of taxation. A very promin- ent representative of the outside men told reporter that he knows the sys- i tenn is not right, but that the remedy should have been applied before the city went into the boulevard and onto Town Plot and spent thousands Of dollars raised in the inside district de- veloping property for private indi- viduals He objects to seeing the bars up now when things are asked for by property owners nearer the center or population than Columbia boulevard, Cottage park and Town Plot, and ih- timated that if such thing should be done the parties responsible for it will be made to pay heavy pen- atty. In any case it behooves the club l fellows to make out they are ill earll- est, whether they are not not, for il they show tie slightest sign of quit ting they will be down and out for good and all,
 Much interest is centered in the fate of the appropriation asking for addi- tions to the police force and the in- crease in the pay of tiremen. The commissioners are not of one mind on these questions, although it is said that no real opposition has developed against the advance in pay for Chief Engineer Snagg. From the chief down there will be some cutting unless the advocates of the measure do some wonderful missionary work with the tinanciers or the aldermen. All the new nc,icemen asked for will not be prov e,u for on the payroll, but il is likely that enough will be recom- mended to employ four or five more The superintendent asked for ten and a sergeant. Unless the commis' sioners change their minds there will be no additional sergeant and il wouldn't take much coaXing to induce them to Top off the whole proposi' ti0n and let the force remain as Il is for the present.
 With reference to the assistant truant officer it might be just as wei to say now as later that the chance ot getting an appropriation for that pur. pose is very slim. It is doubtful if any of the commissioners favor Il so that no matter how eloquently Superintendent Tinker might expos tulate on the good which he believes would come from an assistant to Nil Deeley, he isn't likely to win the com missioners of finance to his way o! thinking. It is question if De mosthenes could change their minds in this matter, so that youngsters who want to play hockey and car manage to keep clear of the scrutin' izing eye of Mir Deeley will have noth ing to fear for another year or so.
 The garbage question is still .n tht air and for all one can tell at thi! writing it may be left there for ar indefinite period. The intention wa: to move the plant into South Brook lyn, but q very determined opposition has been shown against any sucl course by property owners in that part of the town and a sort of com promise may be reached by putting Il in the city yard. although some yer! prominent officials do not favor tha location.
 The. board is not anxious to make the rate of taxation over fifteen mill! on the dollar; in fact some. prObabl! the whole board. would prefer to keel it below that. but this appears to bt out of the question. With a system of taxation which would be fair t' those on the outside and just to iII side property. the commissioners feS' that Waterbury could get along nice ly on a ten or twelve mill levy, bu while things remain as they are. am cne part of the people is made l.