New Britain herald., 1915-11-09
LITTLE PROGRESS BY.
 BRIDGE SITE BOARD Dr. Martin and New Haven Road
 Lawyer Have Frequent Tilts
 NO COURT, CLAIMS PHYSICIAN

NO COURT, CLAIMS PHYSICIAN
  Insists It is Public Hearing and
 should Be Conducted as Such But
 Attorney Buckingham and Judge
 Coats View It Otherwise.
 Acting as a commission under the statute providing for land condemna- tion proceedings, Judge John Coats, William J. Long and Joseph Buths Of Hartford, this morning gave a hear ing in the police court room on the Corbin avenue bridge site matter. Attorney Norman R. Buckingham of New Haven represented the railroa company which applied for the com- mission to condemn the land, and Dr: J. B. Martin acted for himself ana John w. McCabe, another interesteu property owner.
 The commission organized, Judge Coats bc'ns named to preside. Mr' Ruths was appointed clerk or LII" commission After the commlssloh' CTS were sworn, Judge Coats read ona court order issued by Judge Joseph P. Futile, providing for the appoint lnent of the com,nission and the con- demnation of the property Tn Ques~ tion. A description of the propert" to be condemned was also read.
 Blue prints were examined and the first tilt of the proceedings occurred when Attorney Buckingham objected to the admission of map submitted by Dr.. Martin. The latter maintained that regular court procedure dld not rule the hearing, saying it was an ln- formal affair where all could De heaTo | the same as at a hearing of the board l of public works. Attorney Buck1ns, 1 ham, however, insisted on his poln1 l that it was improper for Dr. Martin i to introduce his map at this point. Judge Coats said the map could De ln- taking evidence.
 1 Attorney Buckingham said the la" l provided first that the commission should view the land in question and l that the company had an engineer l here to explafAathe situation. pr. Martin agreed to this suggestion, but | had he first understood the matter he would not have called his witnesses l together until after the land had been viewed The attorney for the railroad l company had not called his witnesses because he understood the law. Dr. Martin thought MT. Buckingham should have notified him, put the latter maintained that he assumed l that pr. Martin must kno" the ia as he was conducting the case .ol l the respondents. Ihe ooii. then adjourned for nall an houl '' view the property.
 Dr. Martin Loses First Point.
 When the commission returned At torney Buckingham asked to produce an engineer to explain the railroad company's proposition. Dr. Martli objected on the ground that the pro cedure was unnecessary. Judge Coat
 ruled that the engineer could testl1! to such information as would en l tighten the commission.
 Richard McLawton of 6S1 Orang |. street. New Haven, an assistant en eineer employed by the New York
 New Haven and Hartford Railroa 7 company, was then sworn and testl . fled as ao the layouts of the land an
 what the company proposes to do
 the way of grade changes.
 Thirty Foot Bridge.
 Engineer. McLaWton explalned LII } order of the public utilities comm1s
 sion ordering the elimination Of tn
 grade crossing at Corbin avenue an )the layout of a new street He tol
 of the grades and construction or In
 bridge which is to proVloe TOT
 thiftv foot roadway with sidewalk
 There will be a three per cent. grao = approaching the bridge from We ! ha 'S of two feet in the grade of the ne n street in the center and three to thre l. and a half on the sides of the road. Is Tn reply to a question of Dr. Ma Il tin as to whether the layout of tl l. rroposed bridge would not cause depression of land on the side, mai ing it necessary to use filling, u
 engineer admitted slight depressit would result.
 T. J. J. Higgins, the realty man, w called by Dr. Martin as his first wi - ness. Attorney Buckingham object' 10 to a question by Dr. Martin as le prices obtained by MT. Higgins f ao.e land in the northwestern section y the city on Hunter road. Dr. Mart - again maintained that the hearil l was no court or at least quass :" court and that court rules were n ,;- operative.
 Judge Coats ruled that the eviden .o being sought was irrelevant at u 10 stage and that the court would ha III III 10 be bound by such rules as col ~, monly govern similar courts. ,rt Tilt Over Land Value. he Another tilt occurred when l
 Martin endeavored to secure ,e- answer to a question as to what bui
 ing lots were worth in the Vlclnl
 cf the proposed bridge. Mir. Hlgg 5. said he considered the land adapt elk for building purposes Another des ,o. lock occurred when Dr. Martin in tempted to question the witness in