New Britain herald., 1915-03-02

vded by statute.
 Discrepancy of $l.61.
 "We would report that we find the total amount of selectmens orders to be $6S,5OS instead of $6S,513.41- as reported on page "A of the town report-a difference of $4.81.
 Summary-Selectmcn Orders.
 Your attention Is called to the sum- mary of selectmen's orders, as printed On pages 3 to 6 of committees report.
 Aims house barn man, $15.00 per month; net cost, $172.50 for year re- ported.
 Your committee would recommend, for your consideration, that this cx penditure be stopped and that the work be done by the aims house su- perintendent or teamsters.
 "Highways-labor and material; men and teams:
 Cost of highways ..........$S $S,199.24 Aims house barn man ..... 172.5O One-half salary aims hause
 Supt. 42O.OO Total cost for highways .... $S,791.74
 We would respectfully call your at tention to the fact that in this item is included the labor and stone Crusher. We regret no separate ac- count has been kept of the cost of operating this crusher or of the amount of stone crushed. We find items of supplies for crusher. s247.S1 and for quarry stone purchased, S9S.S5, but no complete data to know whether the purchase of this plant has been profitable.
 Any private party operating such d crusher would have this inform ation and we regret the town officials did not keep an account of cost of operat- ing and production.
 Town of Berlin owns and supports three double teams at cost of $1,34S.72, plus barn-man, $172.50, which equals $1,521.22, plus cost of drivers
 Enquiry was made from several towns in the state to ascertain if they owned teams and your attention is called to the comparative report on pages twenty-four and twenty-five of committees report. Of the nine towns referred to in this report, only one reports as owning teams, namely: Portland, who owns one pair of oxen, one driving horse, and one horse at nose house.
 Only 5S Miles in Berlin
 Tn connection with the labor and material for highways, also cost of maintenance of teams, arises the ques- t1on of miles of road in the town of Berlin. It has been generally under stood that there were about 150 miles of road in the town, but your atten- fiOn ic tn referred to, which shows total mile- age to be fifty-eight miles. (Statc roads, ten miles.) These figures were ! furnished the committee by the state highway department.
 We also find, in making some com- parative costs of maintenance per mile of road, with other towns of like size and population, that our cost l Is somewhat higher-Berlin $1SOOO 1 per mile,
 'In view of the facts referred to above, we would recommend, for your consideration, the advisa bility of disposing of two pairs of horses now owned and kept by the town.
 Paving at R. R. Bridge-$e0O.OO.
 Your committee would call atten- tion to the fact that nothing has been received from the trolley company for their share of this expense. We believe that the trolley people should stand at least one-half of this cx- pense.
 We would call attention to the item of two tons of coal furnished the almshouse. This practice of furnish ing coal for the almshouse came about. we understand. when the se lectmen held meetings there. We would recommend, for your consd- eration, that this expenditure be stopped.
 Cut Out Telephones.
 The town furnished, during the year in question, six telephones--not l including three furnished the schools at a cost of $171.30, minus rebate of ss.15, making net cost s16s.15.
 Inquiries regarding telephones were addressed to the same towns as were inquiries regarding teams. and your attention is called to the com parative report of committee report:
 "Town of Thomaston pays for tele- phone for one constable.
 Town of Bethel pays for telephone for first sclectman and town clerks | office.
 Town of Suf1ield pays for tele- phone for town clerks office and | town farm.
 Town of New Canaan pays for telephone for town hall and town farm.
 Town of Portland pays for tele- phone for selectman and judge of probate jointly, town clerks office and town farm.
 Town of Cromwell pays part of telephone for first selectman.
 Flown of Plainville pays for tele-