New Britain herald., 1917-10-15

backing up the United States Govern ment, do you think it is right to call members of the City Council who are doing duty as soldiers for this govern ment ''slackers'? Furthermore Mr. Editor, do you think it is reasonable to expect that men with such short notices of meeting can come there and act intelligently on financial mat ters, on an expenditure of thousands of dollars, without chance to inves- t!gate the matter?
 On the matter of your criticism of an alderman, that you say, asked about an expenditure of $500 by one of the committees, claiming that it was done without getting permission of the Common Council or without public knowledge, you say that he was not justified in charging this committee with the expenditure and should be called on to apologize. Now, MT. Edi- tor, the alderman mentioned is g member of the Councils Finance Com mittee, and probably in that position saw this expenditure was made. He was mistaken which committee ex- pended it and to all the members of the committee which did not use the money an injustice was done with charging them with 1t. But this alder man made this charge to the Mayor of the City. He was on the f1oor and is a member of the Municipal Farm Committee and also appointed tho Home Garden Committee, and Is fa- miliar and posted with the work of the different commissions and members of the committees of the City.
 think it was proper for that alder man to ask the Mayor of the City If the expenditure was made without au- 1 thority, if another committee made 1t, l it was proper for this alderman to ask ] the Mayor this question, and he does not owe the Mayor of the City any apology for asking 1t. He was doing his duty as far as he knew how to the City in bringing the matter up.
 In the matter of the special City Meeting last Wednesday evening, you may contend that while there were no legal notices served on the members until a late hour the fact that the call, ing of this meeting of the members and the purposes for which it had been called, had been stated in the press two or three days previously, should have been notice enough to se- cure a good attendance.
 This in some instances might be a Justification for your criticism, but as our experience for the past few years has taught us, there have been state ments made several times that certain things were going to be done, and meetings be called, that did not mater ialize and they were dropped, so that we have to wait until we are actually notified regularly to be there, that they will be held, that while the mem bers of the Common Council take great interest in the City business and have been very prompt in their at tendance. some of them are getting tired of simply being called on to act as automatons, that is, being called on to fill up neetings, our Mayor be- ing presiding officer, floor leader, speech maker, and being dictator of about all council actions of any i'm portance.
 You might, MT. Editor, while on this subject suggest to His Honor. the Mayor, that it might be a good idea to get proper attendance and action, to notify members of the special meet ing at least twenty-four hours or for ty-eight hours would be better before the meeting takes place so they could make arrangements to be there and have 8 chance to inform themselves of the business which they are to pass upon.
 O. F. CURTIS.