The morning journal-courier., 1908-07-07

Continued from First page)
 for the reasons that the finding and recommendations of your committee | have been based on the petition and | representations of the United States | Standard Voting Machine company alone, that your committee confined It's Inquiry and examination to one particular kind of voting machine namely that manufactured by the peti- tioner, and that sufficient opportunity has not been given to the makers oe rival machines to enter into the com petition and present their claims in i behalf of their respective products 1t seems to me in no other way can in- | formation as to the working of ma chine voting in general CT as to the defects and impcriections of any par ticular style of voting machine be more readily obtained than by invit- ing and securing the competition of rival manufacturers, who may reason ably be expected not only to set forth the merits of their own goods, but to point out and bring to light substant- ially all the defects and mperfectlons in the construction and operation of their competitors products, some of which may not be perceptlble to or recognizable by ordinary lay inves- tigators. In my opinion, the value of the voting machine is largely to be estimated in the light of knowledge of its shortcomings and defects, it's lia- bility to derangement and the facility of wrongful manipulation as well as by considerations of It's efficiency and accuracy under favorable conditions, when carefully and properly handled, and not tempered with for wrongful and fraudulent purposes.
 , am aware of the fact that the : United States Standard machines have been in practical operation for some time and that favorable reports and , opinions as to their operation have been received from a number of cities : where they have been adopted and l used. l also know that there are other communities where their use , has not been attended by such satis- factory results but on .he contrary has been followed by strong demands l for their removal and abandonment . and the return to the former method of voting
 l am informed that the city of Chl- cago, having at its disposal the sum e of sl0o00O for the purchase of voting T machines, recently made, through it's y board of elections, an exhaustive ex- ! animation of the leading types of vot- , Ing machines Specifications were is- - sued, bids asked, and a fair and open Competition afforded. The competing bidders were given and took advantage Is of the opportunity to criticse each oth- = CTS machines with the result that the ' purchase was postponed, presumably 1t until improvements in the machines
 should have been made remedylng tho
 imperfections and deficiencies brought g out In the investigation. II has beer 'f given out that the Standard company ii d one which has undertaken to mak Ie such changes and improvements in iti D. machines as would meet the obiec Ie tions raised Whether those il propos II es to install in New Haven are of sucl o an approved type or of kind that wll
 soon become obsolete should be ascer tained before the taXpayers' mope. a' should be spent on them.
 ,f Under the circumstances do no T. consider il wise or consistent wit n sound business principles to commi In the city of New Haven 10 So marke d and important a change in it's electioI
 methods and to the expenditure of s
 large a sum of money as the passag
 of the recommended order entails unt
 after more thorough and complete ir
 vestigation and as free and open
 competition as possible
 It should be clearly established tha
 whatever type of voting machine is [
 be adopted for New Haven is the yer best on the market and free from sue defects and objections as might ou l weigh the advantages claimed in a the
 oretlcal way by the advocates of th
 machine evstem of voting
 I therefore recommend that you honorable body take the matter of in purchase of voting machines undo
 further consideration provide for
 more complete examination, and affor
 competing manufacturers of voting ms
 chimes ample opportunity to appear an
 be heard before Q committee of you
 board and to make exhibition of the
 goods, if they deem fit
 Respectfully submitted
 JAMES B MARTIN, o, New Haven, July 6, 1908 Mayo = The next matter taken up was + <. veto of the relocation of tracks ar " this was likewise sustained and r, @ ferred back to the committee Tn thes ,,.. words the mayor expressed the reasc ha for his disapproval of this measure: n,, My reasons for disappearing said r .c port and order are that Grand avenl oe has been recently widened upon Il h,, south side at and near it's iunctic <. with State street after many years .n agitation and at cost to the city = more than $20,000, for the purpose
 providing for more room between tl
 curb line and the nearest car track ar - thereby obviating tho great dangt . from rapidly passing cars to both DO
 destrian and team traffic, that Il
 plans submitted provide for the r,
 moval of the tracks so much nearer
 the curb as to restore in q large mea
 ure old conditions, revive the dang,
 that 1t was intended to avert, and les
 on the provision for greater public col a venience and safety which has resul S ed from the said improvement and i
 large cost
 The director of public works the eli
 engineer and the president of the pc
 u11np,1t o