The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-14
HARTFORD'S CITY ELECTION REAL CONTEST OENTERS AS TO
 ASSESSORS, BOARD 1

SSn-Aast haecIloA Tor One- I ear
 Boards of Selectmen-The Candidates
 --Other Hartford Political Notes.
 Hartford. March 1.-The regular city election will be held here ,on April l, the whole council board and half the aldermen being selecued. The real con- test centers in the selection of the board of assessors for term of three years. The personnel of this board has not been changed for dozen years, the republican members being Robert D. Bone and P. Davis Oakley. while the democratic membership is held by James T. Farrell. Ex-Mayor Sullivan and ex-City Marshal Philip H. Pagan are in the field for assessor Farrells place. MT. Farrell has had long expe- rience on the board and is con1petent and painstaking official. But he has been obliged to put up a hard fight for reelection during the last two con- tests. It can not be said at the present time that his chances of reelection are in doubt but the contest will be the hardest one of his life. Assessor Farrell is good campaigner and has the best element of his party back of him. The election in April will be the last one in which the board of select men will be chosen for the one year term in Hartford. Under the constitu- 1 tional amendment the two year term will begin in 19OS The republicans have carried the board of selectnen for a number of years and this course is 1 anticipated for the election three weeks from now. Two of the republl- canmembers of the board, First Select man HI. B, Philbrick and John w. Tihcomb, are members of the Putnam 1 Phalanx staff and of Washington Com mandery, Knights Templar. Select man Titcomb has been in the habit of running ahead of his ticket for years, and has first-class record as public official. The term of Daniel Readelt of l the board of fire commissioners will expire in April and there is more than usual interest felt in the selection of his successor. He was appointed by Mayor Henney at the outset of his aG- ministratton and has been a vigorous critic of the board. The fact is Com- missioner Readelt Is a practical engi- neer, growing up with the Consolidated road and holding an important place in it's administration in Hartford He is fearless in the expression of his con- victions concerning the fire department and its equipment He has been sos outspoken that some of his associates in the board are bent on carrying his scalp. Whether the mayor will co-opa- rate with this scheme remains to be seen, but those who know Mayor Hen ney's answering attitude toward off, cial independence do not believe that he will drop Commissioner Readelt from the board, Water Commissioner Frank c. Sumner, whose term will not expire until 19OS is regarded as the most promising candidate now thought of for the democratic nomination for mayor year from now. His name has been canvassed a good deal during the winter and has shown decided strength on all sides. MT. Summer has
 been a life long democrat and could have had nominations on the state ticket of that party time and again if he would have said the word. He has received important trusts in Hartford and Is universally popular His stand ing as a business man is wholly in his favor and the democrats of the city be- live that he would give an adrninistra-
 tion of unmlstakable force. There are large numbers of republicans who
 would vote for him in place of any re-
 publican who could be named as a
 candidate for the office, Senator
 Thomas J. Spellacy of the Third dis
 trict, who is only twenty-six years of age has sustained Hartford democracy in the legislature with ability and suc-
 cess through the session. He has be-
 come force in Hartford politics. and
 stands for straight forward. clean
 management in municipal interests.
 He represents the only democratic sen
 aItorial district in Hartford, sharing in
 that line with Senator John F. Shanley
 of New Haven, who is the only demo-
 cratic senator from the University city.
 Both men stand for upright politics. } The Hartford Times is so competentlN
 edited under the eye of w. 0. Burr ] that most political readers were sur } prised at mistake that erept into it's
 columns a few nights ago, giving an
 honor of suspending the state tax to , Captain Val. B. Chamberlain of New Britain, who died in that city in 1898. } It was Congressman F. Stevens Henry of the First district, who, as state
 treasurer during the administration of
 Governor Bulkeley, suspended this tax, and its revival has not been thought of seriously since then. MT. Burr s one of the best informed editors in the state, and knows the political and , financial history of the commonwealth l so thoroughly that the mistake would not have been made if he had seen the CODY.