New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-03-13
II

main. 1t was sup
~-- posed that when the
committee left the
amendments providing for two as
SCISSORS that it would be changed to
three but instead the council decided
to make it four as at present and
now there is talk of having the COM
mittee on cities and boroughs make
it three on the ground that to add
one more to it would be simply pro-
viding a place for a democrat, al
though to make it three instead Of
two. as decided by the committee, Is
to make room for republican. The
motive behind the whole matter
should be one of betterment for the
city rather than the increasing of the
number of officials. 1t was proposed
at the council meeting this week that
the provision which calls for the
tabling Of the report of the board of
finance and taxation for a week at
ter it is reported to that body should
be eliminated and in accordance with
that view an amendment to the char
ter was proposed and it will be taxi
en- up by the legislative committee
when the report reaches the capitol
at Hartford. The only reason for this
am endment is that 1t delays matters
The idea in the first place was that
the members of the council should
have an opportunity to think over
what the report said before taking
action upon it. This looks like a
sound reason because adopting a re-
port involving close to three quarters
of million dollars may easily be
constr ucted as being a very impor-
tant matter. 1t may be that the
council feels that sufficient publicity
is given the work Of the board of
finance and taxation before it reaches
the council chamber and that there
is no reason for any further delay. It
is difficult to see how any good can
be accomplished by this proposed
change. 1t may be claimed that it
does no good but it has been of some
value and even if it has not it has
done no harm and no good reason can
be advanced for it's repeal The CITY
seems to be bent on making changes
of one kind or another in the charter
and this will account for the amend
ments rather than that there Is anv
particular reason for it, It is always
good plan to improve a document
Of this kind but changes are not de-
sirable unless this can be done. There
are apparently some who still believe
IN some of the old ideas of manage
ment, Notwithstanding the fact that
experience has shown that they did
not always produce the best results.
Ihe older members of the common
council are dropping out and it is
announced that more are. going to re-
TIRE this sprng. It is always a mat
ter Of general regret when good
member declines to serve any longer
1ood members are sometimes hard to
get and once they are obtained it is a
loss to the city to have them retire
The most important amendment
proposed this year is that providing
for the separation of the police and
fire departments. 1t has been under
consideration, one might say, ever
since the departments were CONSOLE
dated and those who favored it have
been just as conscientious in their
views as those who have been op-
posed to it. The time, however, seems
to have arrived when arrangements
must. soon be gotten under way to
provide new quarters for the police
and this can only be done by proVid-
ing new building for them and leav-
ing the fire department where it is as
a central station. The board Of pub
| lie safety could Oubtedly manage
| that undertaking better while at the
| head Of both departments than anoth-
er board could singly because the
| board knows the needs of both Depart
ments and could better plan for them
| than two other boards could separate
| ly. 1t has been limited that in the
event of the board of public safety
! being wiped out of existence that new
| members will be placed in both COM
i missions so that all personal feelings
| will be eliminated and the depart
| ments will be started out on the new
! path with a clean bill of health and
! told to paddle their own canoe.
| There may be something to this re-
port but Mayor Quigley would hardly
! select all new men for such work be-
cause it requires men of peculiar
| qualifications to manage such
| branches of the city service The
| board of public safety is the only
| one of the city that has caused any
| undue excitement in the political life
! of New Britain. 1t is the only place
where there have been any deadlocks
| and they have also extended the feel
| ing into the common council. This
| does not seem to have been the fault
of any individual member but was
| rather the result of the views taken
on certain matters If men will con-
| tinue to agree to disagree there can
! be no unanimity Of sentiment and
| there should be a unanimous vote
| on practically every question. During
| the first year of the board of public
! works there was but one vote that
| was not unanimous. When any ques-
! ton came up upon which there was
a division of sentiment 1t was laid on
| the table and each member of the
| board was requested to make a per-