Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1915-05-14
NO APPROPRIATIONS
Voters Refuse to Spend More Money
For Highway Improvements
North End Citizens Practically Solid
Against improvements

the Municipal building Tuesday the
voters voted down the appropriations
/ recommended by the Common Council
for the improvement of Tatem, Brown
and George street and Union Square.
| The call was for action on three differ
ent appropriations, the first to see il
the city would appropriate the sum
of 1913 tor placing curbing and laying
cobble CUTTERS on George, Brown,
Tatem and Florence streets. The
second to see if the city would appro-
pirate 1857 for the same purpose on
Florence street between George and
Brown streets, and third for the i'm.
provement of Union Square for which
an appropriation of So 200 was asked.
! The first two clauses we're voted down
by reclamation. On the matter of
Union Square the vote was by ballot
and the polls were open from 8 a. m
to ? p. m, 575 votes were cast of which
No had 81 and Yes PCS.
1t was rumored for the past few days
that the citizens of the north end of
the city had gotten together and
would vote solidly against the appro-
priation, the reason given being that
they felt that their end of the city was
being sighted in the matter of high
way improvement. Before the meet
ing opened there was a large gather
ina oh ct of hn iai al
building and the hand writing on the
wall made it plain that the rumor had
solid foundation and that in all pro-
liability the appropriations would be
defeated.
The meeting was called to order by
Mayor Macdonald. He stated that he
had to leave to catch his train for
Hartford and as Alderman-at-large
Dady was absent from the city James
B. Tate m was elected chairman by the
meeting.
As soon as the first motion was put
= lderman La Rue spoke for the citi-
zens of the north end of the ,city. He
said that the council had voted to
have Battey and Smith streets curbed
and improved so that 1t would ne bet.
ter for the school children. 1t had
never been done and be asked the
reason. They say that the citizens Of
the other end do not ask for improve
ments and therefore don't get any
thing. He called attention to the con-
dition of Providence street as in need
of repair. He asked if it was econmy
to improve Union Square as was done
last year, to spend money in oiling it
as has been done this year and then
tear it to pieces. He said the council
has been preaching economy and going
right on spending money. lie opposed
the motion.
W. S. Johnson opposed spending
money to improve side streets when
main thoroughfares needed attention.
He said money enough had been
squandered in the past 10 years to inn
prove every street in the city. He
called attention TO the condition of
L
motion on the ground that the i'm
provement was not necessary but later
stated that If another meeting was
called and the north end of the city
was to be benefited he would not
oppose the improvements.
Alderman johnson, chairman of the
!, ii he folf
it his duty as a member of that COM
mittee to state few facts. He said
the committee was composed of three
men, Alderman Byrne, who was not
present, Alderman LsRue and him.
self. He called attention to the fact
that Elm street had been improved by
the state and that the city had received
a remarkable bargain. 1t WAS the en-
deavor of the committee to treat all
parts OF the city alike. A meeting of
the highway committee was held the
Monday before the council prepared its
recommendations and at that time
apparently all of the members of the
committee concurred in the recon-
mendations. Elm street from May TO
Providence street should be improved;
also Providence street between
Woodstock avenue and School street.
Every resident gets a benefit from
Union Square as ii is the entrance to
the city and creates a first impression
of Putnam by those arriving on the
trains. He said that the impression
that many had that the streets in the
north end of the city had not received
as much attention as the streets in the
south end was not the fact and cited
the following figures. Streets graveled
north and west of Bridge street, in
1909, 5 $40 feet; south and east, ?, 40
feet. In 1911, north and west 2,450
feet, south and east $500; 1911, north
and west 2450, south and east 5000:
1912, north and west 3754, south and
east 2250; 1918; north ard west 6l50,
south and east $500. The committee
tried TO do the fair thing by all parts
of the city and would at any time
meet and advise with citizens OF any
section relative to highway repairs
and Improvements.
Those opposed TO the appropriations
showed their great interest in the