Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-08
gBOARD OF ALDERMEN
Mayor Thoms SeDds Communl.
 cation to lbe Board.

business in less than an hour.
 The following communication from the mayor was received and the clerk instructed to send copy of the docu- ment to each member of the board: Gentlemen: AS the biennial ses- sion of the general assembly opens early in January, 1t would be wise at this time to instruct the city at torney what, if any measures your honorable board desires him to pre- pare, present to the assembly and urge the passage of. l would recon mend that the following measures, at least be represented by him and that he be requested to secure their pas sage if it be possible:
 An act authorizing the city of Waterbury to limit and control the speed of all motor cars within its boundaries.
 An act requiring any street rail- way company, now or hereafter oper- atiug upon the highways within this city, to transport any passenger from any point on it's lines to any other point for a rate of fare not exceeding five cents.
 An act authorizing and empower ing the board of public safety to or der any car used upon any street rail- way in the city of Waterbury, equip ped with air or other sufficient brakes if in their opinion public safety re- quire such appliances, and providing penalty for any disobedience of such order.
 An act authorizing the city of Waterbury to issue bonds to the amount of $600,000, the proceeds of the sale of said bonds to be used only for increasing, developing and puri- flying and perfecting the municipal water supply.
 An act providing that the city at torney to be elected in the year 1911 shall serve only until the first Mon day in January succeeding his cleo tion, and providing for the creation at that time of a legal department, to consist of corporation counsel and an assistant corporation counsel, and such clerical assistants as may from time to time be employed by them with the consent of the board of f. nance, and that such corporation counsel and assistant corporation counsel shall maintain an office i'll the city hall and receive salaries of $3,- GOO and $500 per year respectively, and shall De appointed by the mayor on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January of the even years, to hold office for two years. and until their successors are chosen, unless sooner removed after hearing and cause shown.
 'I make the time when this last suggestion might go into effect far enough away to remove from it any just suspicion of being brought for ward for any political or personal reason, and earnestly recommend it, for 1t is the usual rule, and it seems to me the proper one, that the coun- sel for the city, who is more closely associated with the mayor than any other city official, and is to large extent his personal counsel, should be appointed by him. Moreover, 1 am convinced that the legal business of the city has increased to so large an extent during the past few years that it cannot be advantageously handled under the present system.
 An act dividing the city into not less than twelve or more than twenty wards, each ward to elect one alder man; the boundaries of said wards to be determined by a committee of your honorable board, upon which committee both of the larger political parties shall be equally represented.
 Our present system of division of the city into five wards, each with a population of 12,000 to 15,000 is extremely satisfactory. It is prac- tically impossible for an alderman to be closely in touch with the needs of so large a ward, nor is it possible to conduct an election properly in a ward with a voting list of substan- tially 2,500 It is not fair to our citi zens to keep them standing in line for perhaps an hour on election day, with the natural result that many of them are obliged to leave without ex- ercising their right of suffrage. Such large and well populated districts as Brooklyn, Washington hill and the north end should have polling place of their own. I believe redivision of the wards can and should be made which will be of very great convent ence and advantage to our citizens, and fair to all political parties.
 Yours respectfully,
 WILLIAM F. THOMS. Mayor"
 All the recommendations of the board of public works, including the proposed sale of $100,000 worth of water bonds and certain transfers were approved without debate.
 The following new petitions were referred to the board of commission CTS of public works: John Lehr, ct at. for water main in Post and Thomas streets from Simmons avenue to South Main street; William Nj Gil- lette, ct al, for an electric light on East Main street midway between Wolcott street and 914 East Main; Hiliare Rodier, ct al, for an electric ,.h. m Traav oyapno poar tba ract.