Norwich bulletin., 1910-12-09

III CIie nlH ana no one mad 10 go away without getting in. The attendance
 must have been over 1000. They had come there with their minds made up, and while 1t took some time before they could express them so as to count, there was no getting away from the feeling of the meeting after the ballots had been counted. The seating capac- ity of the Town hall had all been talk en at 7.15, and the most of the crowd
 was there before the time for calling the meeting.
 Both sheriffs of the city and Regis
 trars Tyler D. Guy and c. J. Downes
 were on the platform for the taking of the ballot by check list, which the mayor decided was the proper way to proceed. Though this took over an hour and a half, over 500 voted, and
 there were many who refrained from going through the la.boriouS task.
 The sentiment was unquestionably
 against Pease brook and it was turned
 down, but a sum of s30,000 was voted
 for a temporary supply the real QueS-
 iton of the hour, and the meeting rec
 commended taking the water from Trad
 ing Cove brook because of the smaller expense. Most of the time wa taken
 Up with hearing the report of Engi-
 neer Pitcher and the voting of the
 proposition.
 Mayor Thayer Speaks.
 At o'clock Mayor Thayer called the
 meeting to order and the session of
 nearly four and a half hours opened.
 It was midnight when it ended.
 Mayor Thayer said this meeting has
 not been called on the petition of citi-
 zenS to talk, but to give authority for
 the carrying out of the vote or the
 people in regard to a permanent water
 supply, also the consideration of the
 amount for that and for a temporary
 supply. If these are voted favOrably
 there will come up the question of glv-
 ing authority to the proper ones to pe-
 titiOn the legislature for the right to
 issue bonds to carry out the proposi-
 tions.
 After having watched the play of
 the city meeting for two nights he
 thought it his duty and personal priv
 ilege to make some explanation, also
 to make a confession. He had heard
 that some of the good people have be-
 come alarmed and that a clergyman
 said that everyone seems to feel the mayor has something up his sleeve.
 This may mean a surprise, but ] may say T have something up my sleeve. When elected mayor ten years ago 1 got something up my sleeve and ] have had it there ever since and l wish 1t
 was so that the people would imagine it was for the best interests of the city. I had no ambition to occupy the posi- ton but when elected to occupy it |
 proceeded to work for the best interest of the people. This is what l have been trying to do to administer the office to which l was elected according
 to the law, my best ability judgment and skill, and not according to the judgment of any set of men or any community. So long as I do occupy
 the position I shall administer the of fee to the best of my ability and skill as sworn to in my oath. No amount of misrepresentation shall move me out of my path, if the heavens fall. This is what l have up my sleeve. have been greatly interested in the recent city meetings. The most inter esting thing was to hear speakers and then see those sitting by looking for informa ton. ] heard 1t sad last Tuesday that the Pease brook proposi- ton is being foisted on the people by the chairman of the meeting and that he is trying to do this to the citizens because he has bought ID two or three 1 farms on the watershed to make @ profit to himself This Is. a most fool sh proposition, as such would be shown in the records and would easily prove him grafter. The story was l peddled to prejudice the minds of the people. So far as I am aware do not own a square inch of any property on the Pease brook watershed which could be affected by the project. If the peddlers think there is grating and will show me where I own pen ny's worth of property there l will give ~h-h1 settle that question. I would like to ask this body if they think that gentle men by lying and slander have a good defense against the proposition by that action to prejudice your finds.
 So that you will not be misIed I want to call attention to the statement
 made that no official is greater than | the city meeting. Disabuse your minds l of that The city meeting isn't greater 4T,aT f E fr duty. He can call out the militia. The water board can initiate water prop | osition. Can you? They can do no more than the powers given them by | the legislature The law has made them the custodian of that power. Your power is in furnishing money to | carry out the proposition Will you listen to men knowing nothing about | the water question as against the opinion decision and judgment of men i trained for years for selecting and car | rying out water plants for great com munities? It has also been said that l the consulting engineer is preparing to 1 graft. This is utterly untrue. and he 1 said he never knew Hill, Quick x Allen until they were employed to come here
 and look over the proposition. The mayor looked up the standing and l character of the firm. He wrote the 1 Engineering Record and read the reply | showing the enViable reputation for 1 uprightness. experience and close at ! tention to clients interests. He knew 1 of no firm less liable to recommend un- necessary construction. They made | the water plant in Baltimore one of the 1 best in the country Mir. Quick is now | superintendent of the water depart ! ment of Baltimore He also gave the 1 record of the individual members of ! the firm. Here the crowd began to get l uneasy but the mayor reminded them | to preserve order or leave the hall i The city charter provides that only | electors of the city shall vote on this i question and he had the registrars of | voters there with their lists to see that | this is carried out.
 I promised to call this meeting when 1 provided with the proper figures and | | was assured that I would have them l today and received them at noon. | Engineer G. F. Pitcher was selected 1 at the start as the city engineer and I ] have faith in him to believe his figures 1 will he ample to do what work there is | to be done under them. I have done ! in this matter what T would do in my own business. selected experts. and if 1 you can't rely OH them you can't rely ! on auy50d- Mr. Pitcher has collected l data not only ou the PeaEe bI0Ci, but 1 on all the propositions, including Card ! ner lake Stony brook. Jordan brock, ] and all the liable siLes.
 ] The thing you are to acf Cn IS Pesse i brook but you have the right to know
 all possible about the other proposi- 1 tions. He called on George P. Pitcher l to make an explanation of the figures 1 he had secured.