Norwich bulletin., 1912-08-10

At the meeting or the court or com mon council the present week, author ity was voted for the issuance of $100,- 000 in municipal building bonds, as authorized by the state legislature, to be used in making new city hall out of the old one, the legislative act spe- cifying that the bonds were for the purpose of repairing and extending the city hall building. The vote was car ried with but one dissenting voice, and the dissentera was Alderman Frank Morgan. He stated that he wanted to go on record as being opposed to the measure as he did not consider that the work was being properly done and was not a good business proposition He stated that while 1t was originally stated that the cost of the building complete and furnished was to be ESQ.,, 900, it has been increased to s100.00O and in his opinion the building will have cost the city s150.000 or more be- fore it is ready for occupancy. When asked to specify reasons for his action, MT. Morgan said that $150 had been wasted in advertising for the bids, that no definite plans of the building entire had been accepted, that no one knows just where the city is at in the build ing business, and that while contract had been awarded for the building above the foundation, that no provis ion had been made for heating and lighting and that there had been a general exhibit of mistakes and pro- ceedings out of the ordinary from the very start to date.
 This is what Mir. Morgan said in open meeting, but subsequently, was the added statement, that although the foundation wall is partially construct ed, that the blasting out of the ledge on the city hall site had not yet beap finished and that every time there was a blast there was weakening in the foundation wall that was sure to come into evidence later on. Also, that it was quite noticeable that when good granite was being taken out in the excavation, that it was quarried to shape with a view to it's use in build ing an addition to the Bulkeley school, which is not the property of the city of New London. It was further said that the reason was quite plain to the initiated.
 Alderman Charles H. Thompson. the chairman of the city hall building committee, selected for the peculiar | fitness of the members for a duty of | the nature, and who is to supervise and expend the money appropriated l for the building, made reply to MT. | Morgans statement at the meeting. In an off-hand way he said that the ad- | vertising was in conformity to the charter, that the plans had been ap- | proved by the court of common coun- | cil members and that bids for the
 heating and lighting would be invited | before the week ended.
 Mayor Mahan said he was glad that
 Mr. Morgan had raised the question
 but did not agree with him when he
 states that the whole matter is not g l good business proposition. He con
 sidered it good business to reserve the right to hold up the heating and light
 ing and not include it in the genera building contract. He had received
 no notification that the work was no
 progressing satisfactorily, and he die not see how the work could be done any better. He believed the commit. tee acted wisely in deciding to have { cellar and not have it constructed a! was the old building, without a cellar
 in order to save money that coult have been profitably expended. H,
 said that the committee arranged fo
 the excavating of the granite, was
 saving to the city, and averaged ul
 to about half the cost per cubic foo
 that would be paid if that part of tn
 work was awarded by the bidding sys
 tenn.
 The mayor said he challenged inves
 tigation of the work done and contem
 plated, and said that every effort ha
 been made to save money for the city
 He said that there had been criticism I T1,a 011 11r41 AoI~ i. down and reminded that the none l. appropriated was for repairing and no the construction of new building. H
 said that when the building was com
 pleted and when the citizens could SC what they received for their cash ther
 will be general satisfaction. Witt ) Hartford expending $1,400,000 for l city hall, 8 s100,000 building for Ne1
 London is not extravaganza. He sai
 all the interests of the city were be } ing ably protected by the union com mittee of aldermen and citizens out
 side of the aldermanic body.
 Alderman Small, who represents part the Fifth ward, said there was n ! crooked work, but that the work with : out explanation tended to put tn ! council in bad light. The first plar submitted specified that the work coul be done for $60 900. and that sum wa
 voted specifically for the purpose an with the plain understanding that u
 sum should not be exceeded. M
 Small said that the people suppose
 that sum was final, but when it wa , gradually worked up to $100, GOO, u . people could not be blamed for ninth at extravaganza. Personally he be lieved that the people would be full 3 satisfied when they are shown to haJ l received full value of the money e1 r pended. MT Small said he had I reason for believing that the woI
 was not being conducted in a busine:
 like manner. It is very plain that u
 blunders made at the start of u
 work, but which perhaps have bee 1 corrected, or may be, Is the cause i the criticism referred to by Mayor Ms
 han and some of his associates in Il , court of common council.
 f This Small man cut considerable io = so to speak, at the council meetin S perhaps for the reason that several , the speaking members were abser r only about half the aldermen beir e present. With this small attendan, B 1t was but meet that they should l r addressed by Alderman Small. He hs = the floor much of the time and hs . something to say every time he stot = up to speak. During the meeting the t came a resolution authorizing the 8 suance of s50,000 worth of park bono e the proceeds to be at the disposal
 the commission for the purchase
 park land and park improvements. 1T
 mayor said that SS.000 was requir
 for the purchase of the Bates wood s so-called, and $12,00O for the triangul s tract of land bounded by Bank, Sha T. and Golden streets. It was stated tn = the plot was to be converted into $ small park and devoted to no oth U purpose. That means that the tw U story tenement house and store at t n corner, the one-story dwelling IL Shaw street, and the little one-sto
 frame building at the junction of Baa
 and Hebron streets, must go som
 where else, either as & whole or l1asa