Norwich bulletin., 1909-10-16

spect But Mir. Benn's visit to the convention at the city's expense has been in vain. for he is no longer chaiN man of the street light committee >
 There are sixteen standina conn rittees m the court of common coun- ell and of these Mayor Mahan gave nine chairmanshlps to the republicans, six to the democrats and one 10 the selectmen. that of town affairs. which is considered fair distribution, even if the council is republican by twelve to seven. Alderman Fitch. in addi- tion to sbeing chairman of the fro committee, has membership on nve other committees, while Alderman Cooney, the most favored democrat, is on but four committees. So, all in all. the committees are fairly well dis- tributed partywise. Of course, tho- mayor in making up the committees arranged them to best suit his pro- posed municipal politics, it. being nec- essary as q rule for the mayor to have the important committeeman with him rather than against. for per- haps as the administration grows the bouquets of last Monday evening will have withered just ttifle. if not more.
 The mayor and his associates in the court of common council have made a good start and they evidently intend to work for city rather than party. now that the election of city officers within the gift of the council and the standing committees have been ap- pointed.
 Mayor Mahan had been at the helm of the ship Mare Liboruni but a short time when he decided that there was need for economizing in the street de- partment and in short order the serv- Ices of the deputy highway commis- sioner. four or five foremen and a doz- en and half of laborers were dis pensed with. thus making a saving in the labor account on the city streets. or course. there will be appointment of new deputy highway commis- sioner. as soon as the retention or discharge Of the present competent and faithful highway commissioner is decided upon. as that position is an ordinance requirement., but 1t Is e question whether there will be any more foremen in the street depart ment.
 These special bosses or foremen are not absolutely necessary and the amount paid for their service could better be applied In the general im- provement of the streets It seems almost the height of folly to hire a foreman at a fair salary to watch a konh UA AllIGt UT AOuI men noe NnN shovel dirt in the highways or in high- way repairs. especially as these fore men are not trained in that special line of work. It would seem as if the old ways of Commissioner John Brown were preferable. He had working boss for each gang of men. who did as much work as any Of the gang and received a slight advance in pay for the service. When the men were sent. for instance. to clean out the gutters in a certain street, the work progressed as satisfactorily un- der the direction of a working boss as if under the system that hns been in vogue for the past six years when c loafing boss. or foreman, was given charge Of a working force of three or four men at S25O per. day.
 Now that the mayor has made the change it would perhaps be just as well to make it permanent Since Mayor Mahan has become an exten- sive contractor and with added experi- ence in work afhliated with general repair and care Of streets, as we'll as the building of the same. he will un- doubtedly give the city some of the benefits of his experience. He will probably conduct that feature of the business as he does his own private business, and If he does there will he no loafing foreman to half dozen working men. when a working fore man can turn the trick just as well and for considerably less money.
 It has been no uncommon sight in New London to see one of these fore men bosslng three men to load dump cart or sit in the shade of a tree in the good old summer time and watch three or four men do work that could be even better supervised by one of the men at work with hoe or shovel. If there is need of economy in the street department, the mayor has commenced to economize in a direct way when he dispensed with the serv- ices of these street foremen. They are all good citizens and worthy of hire if their service was actually re- quired by the city. but it is not, and these same citizens are fully oogni1ant of that fact.