Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-18
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
Made Rate of Taxation Bigber
 For C0mInD Year.

The aldermen met last night and after conferences lasting over two hours they finally came to an under standing and the things moved along without hitch.
 The republicans met in the ante room and the democrats talked things over in the mayors office. It was announced early in the evening that Alderman Larkin had passed the word along that they had the hip lock on the democrats and advising them 10 hold out and give them nothing, adding that the chairman B ruling that ten votes are necessary to raise the rate of taxation by the board of finance. while eight votes were all it required to pass without any change, was not right, and that the city attorney would so rule.
 Early in the evening a majority of the republicans had agreed to q proposition submitted by commit
 
 $10,000 instead of $S,000, the Walsh school $27,000 instead of $25,O0O and a new item of $6,00O to pay the old school bill, but the others, mo- tably Mr Larkin and MT Buck, held out more and in order to make sure whether eight votes would put them in the ascendency and enable them to tell the democrats they might go home, City Attorney Kellogg was called in and asked what he thought about Chairman Scully's ruling. MT Kellogg said it was safe and that he had always advised that it be fol- lowed cn sEch occasions; still 1t Was an open question and somebody else might interpret it differently. How ever, he would not advise any other course. This was somewhat dis couragins and the only thing MT Larkin was able to say in the hop Vas tha; the republicans hal nine votes against five on the other side The next move was to cut ouc he Mhicahy school and town clerk ln- deXing items. This was opposed hE the democrats. After some exchange O. opinions it was agreed to take $1 ,000 from fuel and lights and expense" in the school depar. .ment and ado it to the Drigss school making S12,000 for that ten. Tlen everything was all right until they came to tEe auto chemical wagon which some of the Republicans wouldn't stand for any way, but some of them wanted it kept in Things dragged along in this shape until the democrats got tired of the tomfoolery and after a conference with the mayor it was agreed to let | the republicans raise the tax tenth of a mill and no more. If they in sisted on going beyond that the | mayor would favor holding out even the budget should not be adopted at all. proposition to this effect was submitted, the messenger re- marking as he delivered that that was his last trip and if it was not acceptable all hands might just as well go home. Then there was some more talking, coaXing and whisper iHS. neDuDllCdlS ItluS6Q lO dCL uu l less they have every man in the ranks. That policy was carried out ! last night, but it took Mir Walker Mr Templeton, MT Sellew and Nil | F'itZsimons more than an hour tt talk MT Larkin into submission and l then he had to be accorded the dis | tinction of floor leader during the carving of the appropriations
 l The few slight changes agreed by | the democrats and 14 S-10-mil
 tax instead of IA 7-10 was adopted by a vote of IA to 1, Alderman Hayes voting "No," on the ground that he did not think the depart
 ment of education had been treated right. The estimates which provide for the new fire wagon, five new DO
 lcemen, the advance in wages asked for by the policemen and school of