Norwich bulletin., 1912-10-05

Mayor MahanS a0mlnlStraIlOn re-
 ceived the practically unanimous en-
 dorsement of the people at the very
 largely attended annual city meeting
 which was illustrated in the unanimity
 with which every item in the budget
 was favored and appropriations made
 to meet the expenses as recommended by the court of common council. Con
 trary to the usual custom of railroad
 ing measures through the city meeting, the mayor invited discussion on every single item. He went farther and per mitted Ex-Mayor Gorge F. Tinker, the oldest living former chief magistrate of the city, to give expression Of his views on the conduct of city affairs even before any part of the budget was presented for action. Mayor Tinker,
 as usual advised the citizens to go
 slow in an increase of the city ex- penditures as he considered that New London was going too fast for a city of it's size and cautioned conservative action. Mayor Mahan reminded the ex-mayor that there had been a change in the conditions since he was at the helm of the ship Mare Liberam, the fast steamships had taken the place of sailing vessels, that the troll ley cars had supplanted the old-style stage coach and omnibus and aNto- mobiles had replaced the slower-go- ing methods and that even fishing smacks were now with motor power.
 The mayor said that the budget was carefully prepared and that the
 amounts recommended were, in the
 opinion of the members of the court
 of common council. necessary for the proper conduct of the city business. 
 Mayor Mahan then extended like courtesy to Ex-Alderman Thomas w. Casey to give general talk along the | line of extravaganza and lax methods
 of conducting the public business. MT. Casey considered some of recommend ations excessive, especially the ap- propriation for streets, with which he was best posted having served as chairman of the street committee. Both these gentlemen were given ample l time to give expression of their views on municipal management before the real business of the meeting was in- | troduced for action. The gentlemen were given respectful hearings and
 Mayor Mahan reminded them and the rest of the citizens that there would
 be ample time given for general dis | cussion on every item in tbe budget
 as they were to be presented to the meeting separately. Both Messrs. | Tinker and Casey spoke in opposition
 to the size of some of the recommend
 ations and Representative Lucius $. Whiton asked for explanation of some | of the items, satisfactory replies be- | ing given in every instance. Every 1 item in the budget was unanimously favored and the meeting was devoid | of wrangling of any description, which
 was in marked contrast to some form CT city meetings in the not very long 1 ago.
 l As expected, there was just insinua-
 ton enough exhibited to show person. i al bitterness against the mayor of the city, who has placed New London ! more prominently on the map than ever before. Engelbert Sauter learn 1 ed that the chauffeur of the city ma chine received the munificent salary of $500 a year Being of opinion that 1 the salary was paid from the miscel- laneous fund, he made motion that the fund be lessened $500 and that the highway commissioner be the driver of the automobile. The motion l of the gentleman was not even sec onded. After this action, the mayor | stated that the driver of the automo- bile was a city employe and that he 1 streets just as are the other employees of that department. It was a harmo- nious meeting and there was no se- rious opposition to what the mayor had cone and what he proposes to do, | if reelected. Every dollar expended he said was for the best interests of
 the city and that the books were open to investigation. The same tax of l6
 mills was laid.
 The city election will be held next
 Monday and the voters will have op- portunity to give approval of the ac- ton of some of the leading members
 of the present court of common council
 who have served the city for the past three years, as besides Mayor Mahan, four of the candidates for reelection to sAe council as aldermen are in the present membership. In the First ward is Alderman Charles c. Perkins. republican,, a member of the finance
 committee and senior alderman. In the Third ward js alderman John J. Ryan, democrat, chairman of the po- lice committee. Alderman James k. O'Leary, Is the candidate for re-elec- tion He Is the efficient chairman of
 the public property committee with
 membership on the fire and other 1rn- porthnt committees, and one of the best working members of the council. He has not only represented the Fourth ward but was foremost in many measures of general importance to the who'e city, He Is one of the live wires i and Alderman Robert Small republi- can, of the Fifth ward Is another There are net many matters that are
 introduced iii the meetings of the
 council that do net get by until they
 are thoroughly understood by MT | Small, He is a valued member and
 there is ne doubt of his return as the Fifth ward is the stronghold of local republication. even if party lines are
 nal to kA afwiatiV ApaN Nyn in tha rnn1-