Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-15
LETTERS TO THE EDITO3
Exrensive Gas.


 MT. Editor: The city meeting the other night was a great success in variety of ways. but there were short cor1ings which were slipped over with out the proper attention which they demanded.
 The city treasurers salary was ef- fectiyely settled and settled right ac cording to the view of the citizens and taxpayers.
 The question of that big appropria- : ton for the gas and electrical com mission however slipped by without the proper information being given to the citizens which it demanded. I suppose it was beca use there was such a great amount of Business to be transac cted that evening that this ap propriation got by almost without mo- tice. There is constant report around town that this expert who was certain piece of work did part of that work. I presume he has been paid. We all saw newspaper full of items rega rding poles, and wires, and insulators, and cross arms, etc. and we presume that it cost us thousand dollars for that informa ton, together with other information which it seems is not so. but which he gave us. Now runor has 1t that his report was made up 10 the month of May and then ceased. What was the object of that? To get 8 further employment with the compar-? Is 1t a fact that he has been hired by the gas and cleo trical commissioners, or is about to be hired by them, at a salary of ten per cent. on the net income of the plant, and also ten per cent. on all the moneys expended for new improve ments? Pretty soft snap Tor this gen. tleman and pretty soft bunch that will allow him to get away with it.
 Is it true that MT. Case has insur- ed all the automobiles of that depart ment at cost Who knows what MNI stuff. Commissioners selling goods to the department. Fine busA.ess once more.
 Why should the rates on gas and electricity be raised n this time The department has shown a profit of some ten thousand dollars more or less, even with the unusual conditions pre- vaiNng. Is this raise for the purpose of making a larger sum on which this expert is to get his ten per cent. sal ary? Why should he be paid te1 per cent. on all money which the city is to expend in new improvements in that department? What has he told us in that report that we have not known for the last ten years? The only benefit which the citizens can get out of that department is the benefit which they derive from the low rates on gas and electricity. Now if we are to have our rates boosted so as to fat the salary for an outsider, where do the citizens get off2 At the incomes that department has made in various years under ordinary business conditions these ten per cents. which he hopes to rake off the revenues of that depart ment would give him yearly salaries anywhere from two to five thousand dollars per year for very little time given to that department. He has practically told the citizeZs nothing which they have not already known. The only question was-Do they want to spend the money and pay the price? They certainly will pay the price if that gentleman is hired by the gas and electrical commission CTS, and it seems to be the impression that a ffve-year contract with him has been up for consideration, and 1t looks as though they were seriously considering hirfng him for three years, and a nice fat purse he will take away out of tha. department when he gets through with it. The citizens will have paid the bills and we will still be !n the same old nest as before.
 It Is a matter which demands se- rious consideration and it will be well to have a special meeting to consider proposition that is going to cost the citizens the money which this will It is about one of the ripest things we have yet had to consider.
 TAXPAYER.
 Norwich, June 14, 1917