New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-11-10
FARM Commission
FIXES POTATO COST
Will Sell Over 1000 Bushels at
$3.50 and $1.95


The Municipal Farm committee, at
its adjourned meeting last night, re-
ceived q detailed report concerning
the seasons activities, including the
total crop production and the cost
thereof. and from the figures obtained
set the price Of potatoes for the pub
lie at cost. These potatoes will be put
on sale Immediately at $1.so per bush
ell at the store house or $1.95 per
bushel delivered. Orders may be left
with Earl Kisselbrack, clerk of the
War Bureau. His telephone is 2211.
In the meantime a special commit
tee composed Of Judge B. F. Gaffney
City Engineer W. H. Hall, Frederick
Parsons and Mayor G. A. Quigley will
devise a more detailed method of the
sale and disposal of the potatoes.
Won't Pay Police Bill.
Those present at the meeting last
night were Mayor Quigley, City Engi-
neer w. w. Hall, F. H. Afford, T. H.
Kehoe, William B. Rossberg and H. r.
Jones. Judge Gaffney arrived later
in the evening. Bills for the season
introduced bill from the board of
public works for $159.2O which, he
explained, was not only for the SER
vices of his employees who had worked
at the farm when they were needed
in their own departments, but also
for the use of the board of public
works car and driver. There was
considerable discussion over this bill
and after closely scrutirizing it Mr..
Afford said it looked as though it had
been padded, especially since the SER
vices of some of the men was charged
up for seyen days a week for Twelve
consecutive weeks, when, as a matter
of fact, it was said they did not work
that length of time. There was no
objection to paying for bona fide
claims such as the time of employees
transferred to work on the farm, but
there was dispute over paying bill
of more than $50 for the use Of the
chauffeur. 1t was argued that the
board of public works lost nothing by
letting their chauffeur take a gang
of workmen to the farm daily as
otherwise he would have been sitting
around City hall or in the park wait
ing for something to do. The commit
tee was willing however, to pay for
the gasoline and oil used and the wear
on the machine. It was finally voted
to allow the board of public works
500 in full payment.
Another bill was received from the
police commissioners. 1t was for
$799.95 for the services Of Dennis F..
O'Keefe, supernumerary policeman.
Who has been on duty at the farm all
summer. The committee almost unan-
imously opposed paying this bill. F.
H Afford opposed it's payment, cx-
planning that Judge Gaffney had ad-
vised tabling the bill on the ground
that the Municipal Farm was city
property and as such should be prC-
tected by the city. Mayor Quigley re-
marked that the Park Commission
does not have to pay an extra bill for
the services of a supernumerary po-
liceman at the park in the summer. 1t
was the general sense of the meeting
that the police commission was not
entitled to reimbursement and on
motion of Mr.. Rossberg it was voted
to table the bill.
City Has 1888 Bushels.
Reporting on the potato crop. Mr..
Halls records showed that 3,1O2 bush
els of potatoes were harvested at the
Municipal Farm and the committee
secured 1886 additional bushels by
purchase, following such instructions
by the common council. This makes e.
| total of 1888 bushels of potatoes on
hand and as most of them are to be
| sold soon it was not thought that the
| shrinkage would be much. 1t was de-
| cided to allow for a shrinkage of ,
! per cent, a loss of 153 bushels, which
will bring the total supply down to
/ 7,4S5 bushels. Other records showed
| that the total expenses incurred by
the committee coincident with raising
! the crop and making the additional
purchases of potatoes was $16,142.SO.
The money on hand, including over
| $4OO from the sale of cabbages, bills
receivable and money on hand totalled
| $661.47. The special salvage commit
tee reported that the salvage on TOOLS
machinery, equipment, fertilizer, etc =,
IS $1,732.82, bringing the total assets
Of the committee up to $2,394.29. De-
Quoting this amount from the cost of
the potatoes makes the net cost Of
securing the supply $13,948.51.
Price Set at $40 and $1.95.
Figuring out the exact cost per
bushel it appeared that each bushel
owned has cost the committee just.
s1.84. There will be an extra cost
Of weighing, bagging and selling the
potatoes so the committee, on motion
of Mr.. Kehoe, set the price at $40
at the storehouse and $1.95 delivered.
In connection with this Mr.. Hall re-
ported that the market price OF po-
tatoes yesterday was 1920 per bushel.
GIFTS FOR MILLERICK.
F. J. Millerick. q foreman at the
Stanley Works in the mill department,
left this morning with a section of
the conscripts for Aver. Mass. To