The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-08
M Murray Leads Fight in Council For Passage of O'Neil Resolution, Which Wins 12 to 1O-

Wins 12 to 1O-
 John J. Phelan Who Led
 Fight in Tax Board, a Year
 Ago, is Expected to Present
 the Case For The People
 Again Tonight-One More
 Would Have Won the Vic
 tory for City in 1909 - Re-
 port for O'Neil Resolution
 Made by Conlin, Mahoney,
 Paddock and Meyer-Min-
 ority, Against, by Jackson.
 Last night in accordance with the pledges of the Democratic party made to the people in three successive party platforms, every Democratic Alderman voted against the proposed appropria- tion for fire hydrants, under the in- iquitous 20 year water contract.
 Lined up by the so-called leaders of the Republican party, who in no sense represent the views of the rank and file of their party, all but one Repub- ican voted to protect the contract. The single exception was Alderman Eugene I. Meyer. Nearly every Re publican Alderman who voted against the people and for the contract had in former years cast his vote in opposi- tion to the appropriation and the re- newal of the contract
 The fight to save the contract was led by Alderman Horace H. Jackson of the Fifth, who, as member of the Miscellaneous committee. brought in a minority report.
 The matter came up on the resolu- ton introduced by Alderman D. E.. ONeil at an earlier meeting of the council, providing that the Mayor raise a committee of three Aldermen to urge upon the tax board that no app1 opriation shall be made
 Upon this resolution Aldermen Ma honey, Paddock, Conlin and Meyer. of the committee, reported favorably. Alderman Jackson reported adverse ly.
 Once more the matter will be fought out before the tax board.
 
 sidered the appropriation.
 In 1908 the board voted to defer the question for lack of time.
 In 1909 the board divided upon the question. Every Republican voted to sustain the contract. Every Demo- crat, except MT. Loewith, voted to sus- pend it.
 The so-called 20 years contract, as it is called, is not a contract at all, for such a term of years. It is an arrangement which terminates every year, and may be renewed every year by an appropriation to continue 1t.
 This is the substance of the opinion of the City Attorney to the tax board, rendered in 1908.
 It is understood that Hon. John J. Phelan. who led the fight to break the contrac ct a year ago, will lead it again tonight
 For the fourth time since the sign ing of :he 20 year water contract the Board of Aldermen voted, last night, to request the tax board not to make an appropriation under that contract. Last night the council went on record as being opposed to the appropriation for water for fire hydrants.
 Upon @ resolution offered by Alder man Dennis E. O'Neill, and reported by the Miscellaneous committee, last night, it was voted that the mayor
  men to appear before the Board of Apportionment, at it's meeting, this evening. to oppose the appropriation.
 It had been thought that the re- port of the Miscellaneous committee would go before the council unani- nously, although on the night the committee met Alderman H. H. Jack son was absent to attend a banquet of a fraternal organIzatlon.
 Last night Alderman Jackson sur- prised his fellow committee mem bers by presenting a minority report against sending a committee to the tax board.
 Aldermen Conlin, Paddock, Mahoney, and Meyer.
 The vote on the substitution of the minority report for the majority re- port was lost by a vote of 12 to 10.
 The majority report was adopted by 8 vote of ? to 10. Mayor BuCking- ham appointed Aldermen D. E. l. Meyer to appear before the tax board. The aldermen who voted to put an end to the payment by the city of $12.50, for eacn and every fire hydrGnt, connected with the mains of the Hydraulic Co.,, whether used or not were Aldermen D. E. 0 Neill, John H. McMurray, Eugene l. Meyer, v IT,, Henry J. Clampett, Hugh II. Lavery. James H. Conlin, James p. O'Neil, John J. Finlan, Garry Pad dock, and John H. Cassidy.
 The aldermen who voted to keep the contract alive were all Republi- ca ns, H. H. Jackson, Berger Bertil- son, George F'eyrer, John J. O'Connell, Robert H Gould, D. B. Buliard, w.. E. Primrose, Benjamin Fletcher, Francis M. Wilder, and Thomas Stewart.
 Aldermen John N. Near, Democrat and George Zink, Republican, were absent from the session.
 Alderman Jackson, who in the past has expressed himself as being op- posed to the 20 year water contract opposed the proposition when it was before the Business Mems Associa- tion Now he said it had been thresh- ed out :hree times in as many years before the board of aldermen and the board of apportionment, without re- suit. In his mind it was only a diff ference of opinion regarding the mer- it's of the contract and he did not see any benefit to be derived from break ing the contract in the manner pro- posed.
 Alderman Promise supported AL derman Jackson by saying that every time the common council considered the matter it belittled the body in the mind of the public. He thought it had been proven that the board of