The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-19
COUNCIL FAVORS SWEEPING CHANGES
 IN CITY CHAR TER
Paving Commission Shorn of Its Power in Proposed
 Amendment.
People May Have Chance to Vote on Commission
 Government.

seven changes to the city charter
 will be presented to the general as- sembIy for ratification according to
 the vote of the common council last night
 The most important was that pro-
 viding for commission form of gov ernment The mayor as told in The Farmer yesterday, is to appoint a
 committee of three aldermen and three citizens who will draw the pro- posed charter amendment. When l presented to the legislature the pro- l posed amendment is to carry a rider permitting referendum vote in
 Bridgeport before the proposed
 amendment becomes law. It is quite likely that the amendment for com
 mission government will be identical l with that reconm ended Joy the spe-
 ciaI committee which was raised to
 investigate the matter.
 1 stThe term permanent paveme ent, l as used in this section shall mean only those agreements which have a. wearing surface laid on a Portland
 cement concrete base,'
 | With this apparently harmless sem
 tence a change in the city charter,
 the Republican administration pro-. poses to take from the Paving and lSewer commission it's powers to op-s i pose the wholesale laying Of War
 renite in this city.
 l This is one of the amendments to the city charter proposed last night
 and adopted by the board of alder
 men and which will go to the Iegis- Iature today for ratification. This I sentence is intended to restrict the lcommiss from interfering with 1 the laying of any bituminous maca- dam pavement which the Republican machine desires.
 Alderman Moran was rather ap- a prehensive when the proposed
 amendment was read: .'Ts that a draft of what will be submitted to q the 1egislature ?s he asked. did
 not hear anything there about con E5racts being let by competitive bids.,s Il Mayor Wilson assured the alder
 man that such contracts were taken care of by ordinance at present. The Republicans had previously [ planned to abolish the commission
 entirely but fearful of public opinion
 they hesitated about such action.
 They also hesitated about taking
 away the power Of the commission
 to lay sewers and finally left them
 supreme authority in this work.
 An amendment was also reported
 and adopted to give the board of af-
 portionTnent power to transfer un-
 used appropriations from one de- partment to another without getting the consent of the common counct : as required by charter at present. A report from City Treasurer Manwaring requesting that the char l. ter be changed so that the city treas urer may deposit city funds in any bank or trust company at his discre- : ton was approved and will be sent : to Hartford as another proposed | charter amendment. At present the city treasurer can deposit city ) money only to the extent of 80 per : cent of the surplus and capital od 3 any city bank or trust company. IT 7 consequence of this charter provi. : sion the city treasurer in the pas has been obliged to send more thar $6O0,0OO for deposit in banks out : lsides of the city,
 : The other proposed charter change 9 all of which were unanimously pass ] ed by the common council will b, 9 Hound in other columns of Ths 2 Farmer.
 $ As usual the Republican aldermen q were locked up ins City Clerk Rob e Iinson's private office for half hou, : before the session where they wer e told what was expected of them a Il the meeting that was to follow. . The Automobile Club of Bridge = port was given leave to withdraw 1t n suggestions for changes in the traf e fic ordinances. The club had sug : gested that pedestrians be forbiddel n to cross principal streets except a F | regular street crossings
 t A petition from Trainmaster L. ] e Bristol asking that certain stree q lights near the Sprague Meter Go. i I- Water street and in Barnum avenu = and Seaview avenue which shine i r the eyes of engineers and blind them Il be changed or shaded, was referre e to the committee on lamps.
 IT It was voted that the lien place # against the property of Stephe r. Horan, estate of James Horan, an n. property of Ellen F. McKenna, Ev e E. Hawkins, James H. and Ethe n TIoran be withdrawn as soon as the IT signify their intention to withdra' ss their claims against the city for dan le ages for change of grade to propert -e in Cherry street.
 is On motion of Alderman Clancy tn ee board of apportionment will be aske IS to provide $50 a month pension 1e Mrs. Ellen Haggerty, widow of F'f1 l. Lieut.. Philip Haggerty, or in case sf v- remarries or dies within two year CT to provide an equal amount for h, e, daughter until the latter is 19 yea. n- of age.