New Britain herald., 1921-09-10
THE OBSERVER
MAKES
RANDOM 0 SERVATIONS
THE CITY AMI ITS PEOPLE

A wide difference of opinion seer1s
TO exist among members of the Com
mon Council with reference to the
installation of the two-platoon sys-
tenn in the fire department.
Reports favoring installation and
postponement were presented We'd
nesday night. and so far as can be
compared honorS must be given 20
the mem ers of the fire comm ission
who favored adopting the system this
fall Theirs was u businesS-like state
ments in which statistics were quoted
to explain the expense which would be
incurred and also the margin by which
the fire department would be strength
ened. 1t was a report which any bust
ness executive would like to receive
from a subordinate who had been
delegated to investigate an important
question.
1t is a noticeable fact that this
report paid some attention to the
moral obligation of the city to give
the firemen what the citizens voted 20
give them. Unless the government exc
cutes the mandates of the city meet
ing it will hold itself up to criticism
Whether the city meeting resolution
was a document of value. representinC
the conscience of the people, or mere
~ Il oSihp vi paper VIVA 'SpN'N
largely on the measure of justice that
is accorded the firemen.
Alderman Wells, according to pres
reports, pointed out that money had
been appropriated and should be dis
bursed in accordance with the will Of
the public. 1t might be mentioned here
that even the state legislature put its
stamp OF approval on the appro!~'ia =
| ton by legalizing the entire budget
when disturbing elements threatened
to upset the will of the city meeting
Councilman NJ. S. Porter also made
a good point when he called attention
| 70 the fact that Mayor Curtis, in his
annual message, had reported that the
appropriation had been endorsed by
! the voters. The councilman thought
| this rather Il late date on which to
| file exceptions, and his remark was
direct to the bulPs-eye.
Mayor Curtis might as well admit
| that he has been opposed to the two
| platoon system. He has played on both
sides of the fence but he can scarcely
hope to camouflage his conduct any
longer. In the course of his self de-
Tense. Mayor Curtis suggested that the
money originally set aside for the two
| platoon system be used for charity
Is the mayor unaware that it is not
considered sound business to spend
money for something which was
farthest from mind when it was APP
propriated? Doesn't the mayor know
that when a fund is eSta blished for "a
certain purpose it is bad thics to spend
| it for something else? This subject has
previously been discussed in the Com
mon Council and criticism has been
aimed at commissions which disposed
of funds without regard for the inten-
| ton of the appropriating body. 1t
seems that it is a mark of poor leader
ship for the chief executive of the
city to approve publicly a course that
approaches so closely to misadminis-
tration. If Mayor Curtis had an en-
ploye and sent him to New York for
supplies, and the employee returned
with something else. would he remain
an employe of Mayor Curtis much
longer?
The mayor and the city government
have succeeded in getting themselves
into pretty tangle by their determin-
alton to run around in circles There
has been too much hesitancy, too
much evading responsibility. The pub
lie is tired of it all and is praying for
! a government of business, not of poll
tics.
Among the Affections from which
small cities suffer is the Just at this
time" person.
If city employees ask for an increase
i'm salary, there is always someone
ready to jump 10 his feet in the Com
| mon Council and explain that, while
the employees are deserving, Just at
this time" it would he inadvisable to
increase the city's expenses.
If n street needs paving. the Just
at this time" person will deliver an
Grafton on economy which is so badly
needed Just at this time
When a commission believes that
new equipment should be bought,
someone comes to light to explain that
Just at this time it is necessary to
retrench, the equipment cannot be
bought
Time and again Mr.. "Just at This
Time stood up in the council or in
the city meeting and explained why
contemplated projects simply could
not be put through because Just at
this time" we need to nourish tho
public bank account.
Everyone likes to see economy 1rac-
ticed. Everyone wants to see caution
exercised in the expenditure of public
funds. Everyone likes to hear the