New Britain herald., 1915-04-21
ESTIMATE 1INRERINC IS A THANKLESS JOB
City Meeting Uadoes Cutting Of
 Appropriations by the Council.

With but lew dissenting NolceS, New Britain's citizens at the annual meeting last night placed their stamp of approval on the estimates for 1915-16 as adopted by the board of finance and taxation and by their same act showed their resentment of the common councils tinkering with the appropriations. In less than fifteen minutes the meeting voted to uphold the schedule of the board of finance and taxation and decided on a tax of sixteen and three-quarter mills, which establishes the tax rate for this year at seventeen and three-quarter mills, including a special tax of one mill which was levied to give work on the streets to the unemployed last fall. Mayor George A. Quigley presided.
 All the work of the council was rejected. The council had made the following changes: School expenses, miscellaneous, $5,724 to $3,724; street department, $42,620 to $26,S7 in first district and $29,974 to $44,224 in sec ond district; permanent pavement, SS,- 500 to nothing; fire department, city service truck from $5,000 to nothing: supplies for horses, $2,50O to $3,2O0: incidental account, $40O to $50; char ity department, repairs, 500 to $1.- 900 ;outside poor, $13,000 to $12,OOO: health department, sleighs, $4OO to nothing; special appropriations. New Britain Institute, $11,O0O to SS,0o0. All these items were put back to the original schedule of the finance board.
 Chamberlain Leads the Attack.
 President F. s. Chamberlain of the board of finance and taxation led the fight to have the estimates restored to their former amounts. He pre- sented a substitute resolution for the one drawn up by City Clerk A. l.. Thompson, which called for the es- inmates as adopted by the council. The council resolution would leavy ten and one-half mills in the first district and five and three-quarter mills in the second. MT. Chamber lain's substitute called for eleven mills in the first and five and three-quarter mills in the second.
 Estimated Condemned Without Hear
 ing.
 'I suppose I should speak in defense of this substitute resolution, but I
 
 essary," MT. amberlain said. "The board of finance and taxation pro- duced what appeared to be a good and well-balanced set of estimates. Cuts were made by the common coun- cil without the benefits of hearings on the items such as the board con- ducted. The cuts were too deep and were not we'll made at all. I could go through the whole list and show mistakes that were made in cutting the appropriations and l be- Iieve I could convince many of the council members here that they were mistaken
 Curtis Supports Chamberlain.
 Councilman o. F. Curtis spoke in tute resolution. He said in former years he had been on the side of economy, but he did not think it was economical to make cuts in the man. ner in which they had been made. The economy program of the council would mean savings of about fifty cents on $1,000, he said, and he ex- pressed the opinion. that the council acted hastily. .. Councilman Curtis was warm SUD- porter of city service truck appro- priation. He said it would be neces- sary to spend about $70O to repair the present ladder truck and put it into shape for use. It would be nec- essary also, he said, to spend about $70O for new horses and the feed of these extra horses would cost about $4S0, which would mean a total ex pense of $1,880 to save $5,000. He had been informed that the actual cost of running one of the fire de- partment's motor trucks for the past year was $30 only, and he compared l this with the $4S0 it would be neces- sary to spend for the feed for new horses.
 "Its poor economy to pay interest l to loansharks," he said. T think the l fire department needs help. The common council should inspect the department before taking any action such as it did in reducing the appro- priation.
 Two Beers or Good Cigar. Cutting out the s5,ooO appropria- tion for a city service truck means the saving of about ten cents to the average citizen, the price of two beers or a good cigar.
 1T could point out places right now that need fire escapes. If they have no fire escapes we need ladders to get people out. You wouldn't want to wake up some morning and read that 1 men and women had lost their lives 1 just because the city didn't have any 1 ladders, would your"