Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-08

disclosed al a Speclal meeting or tne court of common council Tuesday night At the regular meeting Mon- day evening the fire department bill presented by Chairman Thomas Fl. Beckley amounted to ss.ss5.s7, nearly three times the normal amount of the current expenses. In the course of routine, this discrepancy in amount was temporarily overlooked. but it came up after the meeting when among the bills for the month that of $4.65o from the Pope Manufacturing company Of Hartford for a chain driven motor combination chemical hose wagon greeted the surprised mayor and all the members of the council save the ire commissioners They knew it was there, and 1t also developed that there was dissension in their ranks because of its presence there. The large amount of the bill gave rise to com ment Monday night, but Chairman Beckley said that it would come out later, and nothing was given out
 Surprise for Mayor and Council.
 Mayor Murphy and the members of the common council gave the problem consideration after recovering from their considerable shock Of surprise at learning that Norwich had become the possessor of a new. autochemical without their knowledge, and on Tues day decided to have a special council meeting Immediately to take action on the purchase qf this apparatus, costing $4,65o, That part of the resolution au- thorizing the payment of this bill of the Pope Manufacturing company was rescinded with only two opposing votes those of Alderman Beckley and Councilman Milo R. Waters. Today Mayor Murphy will take up the mat ter with the Hartford concern from out the authorization of the city gov ernment.
 No Mention of Auto Chemical
 The mayor called the special meet ing to order at sos o'clock with quite a numbef in the chairs outside the rail- ing. Clerk Moore's roll call showed all present except Councilman Baker Mayor Murphy said that after the ad- journment of the court of common council Monday night his attention was first called to the bill, which had passed through unnoticed, the fact that it was larger than usual being accounted for casually by the repair bill for the autochemicaI. He called the attention of the council to the last city meeting, and even earlier than that, the meeting of the heads of de- partments for the estimation of ex- penses for the coming year. At this meeting MT. Beckley recommended $1,000 or so more for the fire depart ment but at the same time wished to
 
 city meeting MT. Beckley gave an ex- planation of the amount of money he wanted for his department, and a mo- tton was carried that $36,O00 be ap- propriated, that amount to cover the extra expenses of the fremen. Noth- Ing was said about buying a new auto- chemical The mayor doubted if the common council could conscientiousIy recommend spending $4,60o without i the people knowing what it Is for The mayor then read the recommendation of Chief Stanton for more motor 1 driven fire apparatus.
 Need of Precaution.
 At the rate they were going there would be nothing to hinder this board of commissioners from purchasing all the apparatus recommended. It is UT to the council to use precaution in l spending money and this meeting Is called to enable the council to use I judgment in so doing.
 I Councilman Kramer, the minority member of the board of fire commits l sioners, forthwith presented the fol.
 lowing resolution and moved for it. | adoption:
 Whereas at a meeting of this court | or common council held July 9th. 1914
 a vote was passed to pay the bill. presented by the Committee on Fire | department, which bills had been ap.
 proved by a majority of said Com. mittee, but not by all of the member. | thereof, and in the list of bill so pre- sented was one from The Pope Man. ufacturing Company, in amount ($4s5O.
 Forty-six Hundred and Fifty Dollars | Tor certain fire fighting apparatus
 known as a Pope Hartford Chair 1 Driven Motor Combination Chemfca | and Hose Wagon and said bill befcr,
 the vote taken as aforesaid, had no
 been read before this council and
 many members of the council wer not aware that said bill was in the lis
 or bills presented and were not awar
 that there had been any negotiatiol
 Tor the purchase of said apparatus; an Wheras 1t appears to this body tha no appropriation has been authorize,
 for the payment of said bill or for tn purchase of the costly apparatus men toned, and said vote as te the pay ment of said bill of s4s59 was passe
 by mistake. without consideration an 1 without authority; now therefore, be
 Resolved, That the vote providin
 for the payment of said sum Q
 $46o0.oo, and all action taken at sai meeting of July 9th. 1914 in regard t making an appropriation for such pay ment be, and the same are hereby re , scinded: and
 , Resolved That this court of com mon council hereby disapproves of tn
 attempted purchasce of said apparatu I
 received by the City of Norwich or b
 any of the representatives of said cit. Has Done Duty Faithfully.
 Alderman Beckley, chairman of tn i, board of fire commissioners, took tn ,, floor All that he had said before tn
 city meeting or in private had bee
 acted up to In every respect, he began
 AS fire commissioner he has authorit
 to perform various functions, and |
 had carried out faithfully his dut
 He read sections 2 and 8 of the ord r nance of 1902 stating the powers of tt 2 nre commissioners. These sections al I as follows:
 5 Authority of Commissioners. Section g. Said committee on f, . department, shall keep such -buildinf
 in good repair and shall equip the san |. with suitable furniture, fixtures, hose
 engines, trucks. carriages and oth, proper apparatus, and shall proviC horses necessary for the work of u
 department and may sell or give exchange any of the personal properi of the department which may be uI
 suitable for use. and shall from tin to time communicate to the fire d, partment. through the chief of suc department such orders as said con
 mittee may make for the regulatic N and efheiency of the department ar
 the care of It's property.
 Section g. Said committee shall d, termine the number of fire compani, for the city, the number of men for company. and what officers shall be a tached thereto. shall have the power appoint, suspend and displace sut men and officers, fix their compsns. tion, which shall be paid by the ci