New Britain herald., 1921-02-24
COUNCIL SUSTAINS
 TWO PLATOON VETO
Matter Will Now Go to City
 Meeting as Separate Issue

council at It's special session last night voted to sustain the veto of Mayor O. r. Curtis to the two-pIatoon
 amendment in the report of the board of finance and taxation. and author ized the president pro tenn. to intro duce a resolution at the city meeting for 4-10 mill tax to provide for the inauguration of that system in October. This action will bring the budget and the platoon system before | the meeting as TWO separate items calling for two separate votes.
 Alderman J. r.. Gill was called to the chair while Mayor Curtis pre-
 serded the following veto message:
 ''1 herewith return to your honor able body. without my approval. Che estimates, appropriations. and tax rate
 ms passed by your honorable body for
 the incoming. or fiscal year. as
 amended and passed on the evening
 of February 16.
 one of the principal reasons for
 withholding my approval is-that notwithstanding the board of fire
 commissioners stated in their report
 to your honorable body. that they did
 not think it was good Judgment at
 the present time to put into operation
 the two platoon sysem, and that after
 your honorable body had especially
 requested tho board of finance and
 taxation to recommend m appropria-
 tion for tho purpose of putting it into
 operation the case being again pre-
 Rrnted to them by the chairman of
 the lire commissioners and the mat
 ter discussed by those who favored
 it-tho report of the board of finance and taxation to your honorable body
 without including that appropriation
 was unanimously adopted by them. AIso in view of the fact that the tnx payers will be required to pay over one-half million dollars more this year than last simply to carry on the routine work md maintain the different departments in fair shape without any additional i'm provemens this year. the prevailing business depression which has re- suited in throwing thousands of peo- pie out of employment, or putting | them on part time. and that nearly always the great burden of taxation eventually comes down 10 the work | ing people-has caused a large amount of discontent unrest and dissatisfaction in the large increase | in the valuations of property. and ! the prospects of being obliged to | pay heavier taxes: it would seem un- desira ble to place further burden. | however small. on the taxpayers to
 meet next July if it can be avoided.
 Another reason is-that on ] partial investigation. I am convinced l there has been no special study made as to how this proposal would | operate; there has been no definite
 showing how their plan would work ] out in the program advanced by the | board Of fire mmissioners: there l has been no discussion in the com mon council as to how it would oper- 1 ate and it appears to me that It is unwise to appropriate mono yfor a purpose that you do not know
 whether tho amount is too large or too small to carry it out. I Believe that some plan could be evolved which would give the fremen better conditions and less time to work
 undeN and still only a slight increase ! in the appropriations are required for tho department. recognize
 the good work that the firemen do: that they arc loyal body of men
 and that they should. I believe, and that the public will be willing when
 shown. to do what is reasonable for their advantagP and comfort.
 T would recommend that before ! application is made for appropria- tions, or they are acted on at the city meeting, that some means be taken
 to investigate the operations of the | department with it's present force l with the allowance and time for va cation. time off. pay, etc. as at pres ent constituted so as to more clearly determine as to what 's necessary to 1 bring about a shortening of the time l the fremen give to the city.
 Another objection that I have-I | think that on n matter of this i'm portance in voting n proposed in crease fixed charge for -ho year to come that the taxpayers will be | obliged to meet sooner or later Of $s5. 1000. or more per year. should be | brought up before the taxpayers at ] the city meeting. as a distinct propo- i sition; as an amendment to the cs- ] inmates and appropriations that will , be presented there. for the carrying
 on tho city government for next year
 The taxpayers should have an op- i portunity to discuss it without other ] questions being involved. and if they deem it wise after that opportunity to add 1t ns a change or amendment | to the budget as presented. it will be their responsibility. not ours, if the burden Is too heavy. or the change | NL-.- Ae AWza