Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-23
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
City Attorney Will Give Opinion
 on Alderman Fines Case.

II " i night, Chairman Scully presiding and
 all the members being present.
 Alderman Hayes quoted section
 126, page 72, of the charter to show
 that Alderman Charles A. Fine, who
 Is now Tn the employ of the water de-
 partment, has no legal right to be on
 the payroll, and suggested that his
 name be stricken from the roll--the
 aldermanic roll or the payroll nobody
 knew which. The alderman read the
 section of the charter referred to
 which is as follows:
 No member of any board shall fur
 nish any materials to said board, or
 be employed to do any work except in
 his official duty for said board, or be I directly or indirectly interested in the furnishing of such materials or the doing of such work. All officers of
 said city shall serve without com
 pensation except as otherwise ex-
 pressly provided in this act.
 Chairman Scully didn't think that
 the section applied to MT Fine, and took the ground that 1t had reference " oaS-oAo uUihS WOl iOI uOGIu VI which they were members at the time the work was done, but Alderman
 Hayes and MT Larkin took the other side of the question and in order to dispose of the matter properly the chair suggested that the city attorney be requested to enlighten the board on the matter. A motion to this ef- feet offered by MT Larkin was passed without opposition. While the ques- tion was being discussed Alderman Hayes said that it was shame to have an alderman going around in specting faucets while the water was running over the spillway. He wondered if his honor, Mayor William E. Thoms, was aware of this. Alderman Lawlor said he wanted to know if physician hap6ened to belong to the board of aldermen and he should be chosen health officer or employedNto perform some other pro- fessional service if any objection would be raised MT Fine" contin- ued the alderman, lis not inspecting faucets, but is going over the streets Investigating the condition of water and sewer boxes" There was a very strong disposition on the part of AL derman Hayes to confine the inquiry to Alderman Fine. but 1t was finally decided to make it take in several and have done with 1t.
 The traffic ordinance was adopted. Similar action was taken on the amendments to sections , and II of the plumbing ordinance.
 The following new petitions were read and suitably referred: John J. Carroll ct al, for sidewalk on Wall nut street; N. r., N. II. & H. R. R., asking for permission to build a sub way in West Main street for the pur- pose of laying wires along West Main from the green to Willow street; the Waterbury Boys club, for the paving of Cottage place; N. r., N. H. & H. R. R. Co for a double track in West Main street at Church street.
 The different recommendation of the board of public works were adopted. These included the con- struction of sewers in Wolcott street, Hill and Oak streets. hearings for sidewalks on Washington avenue and Willow streets, building lines on North Willow street. sewer in Wash ington street. A water main was or- dered laid in Washington and Merry streets. The proposed layout of Weyman and Ludlow streets were re- ferred to the bureau of assessment. The petition of C. Maloney for per- mission to erect clock and bulletin opposite the Democrat office on Grand street was granted.
 On motion of MT Lawlor, the reso- lution regarding the layout of Thom- aston avenue was taken from the ta- ble and passed along to the board of public works. An opinion from the city attorney being received. to the effect that it was legal to release all the tax liens filed by the late Charles J. Griggs, a former tax collector of the city, that action was taken. A vote to release the Hens in question was passed.
 Alderman Malone called attention to the need of fixing up a little around the watering trough at. Bank and South Riverside streets and sprinkling Charles street. He wanted these things brought to the attention of the board of public works. Alder man Fine wanted the traffic ordi- nance amended so that trolley cars shall not stand in everybody's way in Exchange place, but the board though it better to reach this in some other way. and referred the matter to the department of public works.
 The nnacffoo rafead at regarding the right of members of boards to be on the city payroll Is a pretty old one. but it never was claimed until now that 1t applied to any board only the one a person be- longed to. Two wrongs do not make a right. but usage has some- thing to do with the conduct of public and private affairs and for this reason inasmuch as nobody ever took any notice of that provision business men who were on boards got a share of patronage just the same as if the law never existed. Daly was member of the board of public safety the firm of which he was the head was awarded the plumbing contract for the North Will low street engine house. Somebody who wanted to get the job called at- tention to the charter provision which states that no member of any board shall be interested Directly or indirectly in furnishing material 10 his board. but the eonlslissioners took no stock in 1t. When Thomas D. Barlow was a member of the