Norwich bulletin., 1911-01-28

Inere mas been pubI1c criticism Of
 the last lot of fire hose purchased
 for the fire department by the com
 mittee of the court of common coun-
 Gil having in charge the affairs of the
 department and which emanated from
 members of the fire committee who
 were unfavorable to the purchase of
 that special hose as it was not up to the standard to that already in use in
 the city. It was purchased by reason
 of its cheapness by vote of a majori-
 ty of the committed, and when the
 hose arrived claim was made that it
 was not up to the standard of the
 sample furnished The hose was for
 the new wagon of the Northwest Hose
 company and that company filed pro-
 test against receiving the hose as it
 was claimed the hose would not stand
 the test that was guaranteed.
 The hose was guaranteed to stand
 a test of four hundred pounds and the
 committee finally agreed to put the
 hose to the test, which was done, but, as a matter of fact, the test was farce, as it was no test at all, simply g. case of wetting the hose to see if they would leak. A line of the new hose was stretched from tic Niagara steam fire engine and the steam was run up to 240 pounds and a stream of water forced through an inch and quarter
 
 formed that the pressure was about double of what would be used in active service the test was declared satis- factory and all interested seemed to be satisfied.
 Still one of the kickers who did not happen to be at the test has decared that inasmuch as the hose was guaran- teed to stand test of four hundred pounds pressure that a capacity test should have been made and that the test made did not show the true worth of the hose. Even a cheaper quality of hose than the latest lot purchased for the city, the common single jack eted min hose, will stand a test of three hundred pounds when new, but the guarantee that usually goes with fire hose for the city department is that it will stand test of four hun dred pounds for a period of four years, and it usually will, and then comes the difference between the cheap and the moderately priced fire hose being seven years, although there is service able hose in the local department that has been in use for twice that length of time. At the time when the then Alderman G. Curtis Morgan made things lively in tho court of common council by openly declaring that among other city business there was graft in the purchase of fire hose, stating that salesmen would bid for hose at a certain price, furnished quality in ferior to the sample furnished, and that the difference in the price and part of the legitimate commission of the salesman furnished the graft to the dishonest aldermen. Alderman Nor gan used to say that these hose sell CTS, would spend several days in New London before the bids were opened, entertain the fire committee and some of the department officers. This coup led with the car fare and hotel ex- penSes meant quite an expenditure for the salesman who sold hose on com
 mission basis, and from all this the graft came and was included In the cost of selling the hose.
 As a result of this graft, the alder man alleged, that the city did not get real good fire hose, as after all the city paid paid the freight by reim- bursting the salesman who made him self a good fellow Of course this was years ago, and Alderman Morgan never proved his allegations to the satisfaction of his fellow members
 of the court of common council.
 At present every member of the New London court of common council IS beyond suspicion, and therefore there is no intent to reflect upon their in tergrity and honest, but simply to H.
  man. Morgan, when he was the lead ing refermer in the council years ago. As outlined in this correspondence a week ago, Mayor Mahan has made public his plan to bond the city for the purpose of new sidewalks and ex- tension of the park system. and his plan has received the approval of re- publican court of court of common .os1 +1r1res tpcN.y " 1Aa the adoption of the recommendation in city meeting, in order to get it in to proper trim for a sure passage through the legislative shoals no mat ter how determined the effort to block the passage; for with the approval of
 the council and city meeting all op--
 position would be a waste of time and energy. The total cost of new sidewalks is estimated at $414,O00 and of this the abutting property owners are to