Norwich bulletin., 1915-12-10

1 hundred taxpayers in attendance and with a class from the Westerly High | school and citizens not qualified to vote on the expenditure of money as spec tators. Moderator Eugene Pendleton and Clerk Everett E. Whtpple were on 1 the platform, and at 10 o'clock the 1 moderator declared the meeting to be in order. The clerk read the first | Shall the town make an appropriation for repairing the Watch Hill road and
 roads in the village of Watch Hill? Town Solicitor Agard stated that 1 Treasurer James NJ. Pendleton had a l resolution to offer: that Mir Pendleton 1 was in the building, and with the per 1 mission of the meeting he would go l and summon him. After a delay of five l minutes, Treasurer Pendleton arrived l and offered resolution that S65, 900 be 1 appropriated for the building, recon 1 struction, straigh tening and repairing | of the Watch Hill road, which was 1 subsequently amended by motion of 1 Thomas H. Peabody that the work be
 done by contract, as provided for in i section 6, chapter S3, of the general statutes. The resolution, as amended, i was finally unanimously adopted after | considerable discussion. not based on I opposition to the project, but to secure 1 some definite information as to the nature of the proposed work.
 l Milo Clarke declared that the high 1 way committee of the town council, or | someone else, must have definite plans ] in regard to the proposed work, and 1 that the people were entitled to some l information in regard to the pTOpoSi- 1 tion- In reply. Councilman Francis G. , HaSWeH, chairman of the committee, said that consultation had been held l with a committee of the Board of 1 Trade, and that the different methods ] of road construction had been consid- l cred. These methods were simmered l down to one or two, and the commit l tee had not definitely decided which l would be the best for the town of ] Westerly, and there was but little diff i ference in cost of these methods The i committee thought that after an ap- ! proDTiation was made it would be in i q position to handle the matter. would 1 then be in a. better position to decide i which method of construction would be ! the best for the town.
 i Charles Henry CrandaII asked if the l town council was to expend the money 1 and supervise the work, or was the l work to be done by some responsible i contractor. Mir. Haswell replied that ! the town did not have the requisite :. fT7@c''tr cry and was not equipped to do
 the work Milo Clarke said he was as |; i!4.i .-.l l..,@.eS-eu as anyone in having a , @Qc- r. aC Ac Ween " eSteTly and Watch /, diA, put there was only a bald propo- i s.ticn before the meeting, and the , f;>ctS seemed 10 be In the air. He said i something definite as to the plans of 1 the highway committee should be made ] known. If the committee is not pre- I pared to give some Information at this 1 time he favored an adjournment to | give more time for preparation. He | believed the public should be taken T into confidence to the closest extent. | Councilman HasweH stated that the
 eomnittee had two propositions under
 consideration, a Topeka mixture con- i crete and a cement read. He did not
 think it advisable to quote the prices 1 in open meeting, and the probability was that the road would be one of
 these methods of construction. He did not think the freenlen desired to handi- dall said he would like to have the committee inspect the piece of road in
 front of the Samuel HoXie place, as it
 might serve as guide for decision.
 pr. Michael H. ScanIon could con
 ceiVe of no valid reason for not giving i details to the people in town meeting. It ought to be known when the work
 was to be commenced and when ended
 where the money was to be expended
 and by whom, what changes are to be
 made along the road in the sections to
 be strengthened, and who is to super
 wise the work, and like details Coun- cilman Haswell replied that the work
 was to be done under the supervision
 of a competent engineer and inspector
 outside of the highway committee. The
 work would be started near the merry go-round, thence by the Ocean house
 to the Watch Hill road towards Vest
 erly as far as Wells street. Mir Has
 we'll again said that no one should
 handicap the committee in getting the
 lowest. possible price for the best pos
 sible road work, and he did not think
 it advisable to give the cost per mile
 of the proposed new or reconstructed
 road.
 pr. ScanIon asked how it was pro-
 posed to raise the money, and Council
 man Haswen replied that was up to the
 meeting and the treasurer.
 Tristan D. Babcock believed that a
 good road could be provided and money
 saved if the road built by Contractor
 Gill several years ago were repaired
 and new road added thereto to extend
 into the village of Watch Hill; the
 town would have a good substantial
 road for not more than $20 000. Fred
 erick c. Buffum said the time had come
 when even Westerly must give con-
 sideration to modern road building. The waterbound macadam road would not do. and the upkeep of roads was
 an item that must be considered The 1 cement road has the call at the present
 time. It has resisted the action of the l automobile and there is economy in , , maintenance. He could not understand , why the committee did not come to the
 meeting with a clean-cut proposition , for cement road. It was a surprise
 to him, as he had supposed that the } joint committees were agreed on the } cement road proposition. The Watch l Hill road is used more than ery other , and the taxpayers in that section pay 7 one-quarter of the taxes of the whole ? town.
 Thomas H. Peabody stated that an,
 action of the meeting would not be 7 binding on the town council, as al l matters pertaining to highway i'm. provement was vested in the council and any money appropriated for work carried with it, under the law, that the work be done by contract and moi
 by the town proper. Under the reso. , lution almost anything can be done
 but before anything can be done the
 town council must take the requisite
 steps as defined by law, with specia
 reference to public hearings under Ger.
 tain conditions. It Is a compliment for the town council to invite taxpay.
 CTS to consider road matters, but the
 town council can ignore the action of 2 town meeting