New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-06-24

Trent, is at the head Of the fertile
provements such as these are what
go to make New Britain a real city.
Decision of the common council is
once more deferring final action on
/ the white way" should not be criti-
cised too severely. It would appear
that if any board is to be criticised
it should be the board of public works
and City Engineer Hall. Under the
city charter the city engineer is in
vested with power to see that all man
dates of the board are effectively car
ried out. The board is empowered to
make contracts after they have been
approved by the council. To date
the board of public works has not sub
mitted any detailed and actual light
ing contract to the council for ap
prevail. Some written statements of
what will be done have been sub
mitted with the request that the board
be given permission to make a con-
tract. Even if this request is granted,
under the charter the contract as
made by the board would have to
go before the council again before it
could become effective. What the
council wants is a definite contract
for their consideration and discussion.
If such a contract is brought before
them and they approve of it. then
they can empower the board to ac-
cept it. But only after a genuine con-
tract has come before them can they
take such action.
Already the lighting question has
taken far too much time. 1t should
be settled at once but it cannot be
settled until something definite is
brought before the council There
fore 1T is obvious that the board of
public works and the lighting COM
pany should get together imm ediately
prepare contract and produce it at
the meeting Wednesday night
Under the charter the city engineer
must see to it that contracts under
his supervision are lived up to. Under
the contract for the present lights
the city is entitled to satisfactory ser
vice and it is up to the city engineer
to see that this service is obtained If
there is question of satisfactory in
which the lighting company differs it
may be settled by arbitration. Thus.
it would appear that even the present
lights could be made satisfactory
The terms Of the proposed white
way" would do away with all arcs
except in this district and would sub
stitute $50 watt incandescent lights.
In some places this form of light is all
right, but in others, particularly bus
mess sections such as Arch street,
East Main street etc. and also in
open places such as Franklin Square,
the junction Of Vine and West Main
Streets West Main and Cedar streets
opinion Of the General Electric COM
pany's expert.
The lighting company wishes to
have the city enter into a long term
contract is a lighting change is made
Queries to other cities furnishes the
Herald with the information that
long term lighting contracts are not
for the best interests Of the city
Waterbury advises against it. New
Haven does not make long term con- |
tracts. The reason is obvious. In |
no science has such progress been |
made as in electricity Inventors are |
constantly discovering new methods |
Of more efficiency at lower costs What !
is the best today might be relegated |
to the discard in a year. Thus, to
always insure the city having the best.
short term contracts are desirable. It
is of course possible to have a long
term contract embody q clause prom
Using all i'm prOVements that may come
but even that is not desirable Elk
perience has proved that once a sys-
tenn is installed and gets to running
smoothly, even though netting
better is discovered, things are gem
orally allowed to drift along in the
old channel and nothing is done
BY all means have this eternal
lighting question settled one way or
another and have it settled right. Let
he council. the real power in the
matter, see what they are going to
get for their money. Then let them
decide as they. see fit. That is what
hey are elected for.
There was some amusement at the
council meeting Wednesday night
when Alderman William McCabe and
Councilman O. F. Curtis had a verbal
flash. The alderman objected to as
;ess1ncnts and compensation for tho
Lafayette street pavement and moved
o table. The councilman caused
augh by suggesting that Mr.. McCabe
De named a committee of one to in /