New Britain herald., 1923-02-03
CITY MEETING BOARD
 HAS WARM DISCUSSION
teonunusa From First Page,

tContlnued from HAtst Aebs@
 ing board and that board, after som
 discussion, rejected il and adopiel
 one substantially the same as lh
 beard af finance and taxation orig
 finally recommended, Taxes wen
 laid accordingly
 Question af SupremacS,
 ''fhen the common eonneil, dlsFs
 earding absolutely the vote of ihl
 meeting and previous Teeemmenda
 ti0ns Of the board of finance, pro
 eeeded to spend money according l'
 its own selections not only with re-
 gard 10 salaries, hut also othel
 iiems, They bought Cadillac eal
 Tor one department with no mone,
 provided therefor, This is part ol
 what you are asked 10 lay a tax for
 As has heen pointed out m the press
 the question Is whether me common
 council or the city meeting board IS
 supreme in deciding the expenses ol
 the city, Calls Cutting salaries "t.ond business
 ''I agree that a meeting Of this size Is not competent 10 fN individual sal- aries. there was no attempt to do so' II is true that some salaries Whleh appear as special items on the budget were cut 10 Der cent, Our idea was that the total nf salaries should be reduced by that percentage IL was not polities--lt was business, Prac- ticaily every conservative business house in the city Of New Britain re- duced its payroll. The salary roll in n factorq. It was simply good business Many reduced the number Of em- ployes as many Of the city depart ments could have done, It is n lame excuse to say that the entire per- sonnel was required.
 "I have no axe to grind, but there is n principle at stake The finance board puts in much time and receives no remuneration for 1t. Politics does not enter into its business for its a bipartisan board and politics is never mentioned. The principle to be con- sidered is. Is il possible for the tax payers through their representatives, to say how much money shall be spent?' If the finance board and the city meeting board vote a certain amount and the common council ex- ceeds 1t. where is your check? They can go ahead and then come before this board and say very coolly that they have overdrawn and we are to appropriate more money for them.
 No Intention to Force Suit
 We have heard lot of foolish talk about making city employees sue for their salaries. There is no inten ton to force such an issue. They'll get paid. The question is whether the city meeting board has right to say anything or if it must come here merely for the purpose of voting af-1 iirmatively. don't see the use of a city meeting board, if its judgment does not carry.
 My recommendation is this: In order to establish a precedent, the city meeting board express itself that votes passed here are for the common council to abide by, and that tonight's recommendation be voted down. True, some items are proper, but we can take care of those next year. The board of finance and taxation will meet again next week. If the com- mon council follows out it's procedure of last year, it will again throw down the boards recommendation If the budgets printed in the papers are al- lowed, you will have the highest taxes in the history of the city. I know the finance board will not allow all these amounts, but 1 don't know whether the council will or not. If you es- tabish the precedent that the com- mon council is supreme, you might as well dispense with the finance board and with the city meeting board.''
 Mayor Paonessa Enters Debate
 After Mir. Searle had concluded his Mayor Paonessa said it was not his place to argue, but it was his duty to correct. He reminded the speaker that the board of finance recommended a 2024 mill rate, while the recommendation of the common council was Fl mills. The city meet ing board made the tax 20 mills. If Mir. Searle says the common council the report of the board of finance, then Mr. Searle as member . of the city meeting board, disregard ed the board of finance also.
 Mir Searle replied that the change T came as result of the discovery of incomes that had not 1een originally calculated.
 Salaries Restored in Factories
 Chairman Hall of the board of f. t 1ance and taxation was the next to ake the floor. He said in part: V Regardless of what action is taken i. y this board tonight, the city's off, ,ers and employees will be paid, but it p will cost the city some money just so g hat some members of this board may \ De told by the court that they are vrong. W If the city meeting board doesn't is appropriate enough money to run the ity, the State of Connecticut will re- uire it. I can go, as chairman of the card of finance and taxation and ask F or more money and the courts will How it.
 You members of the city meeting A oard must not lose sight of the fact d hat when this action of cutting sal N ries was taken the city was facing . long period Of depression. My own Q, ay had been cut 45 per cent. But V, IF. Searle has not told you that with h he return of good times much of this f, ut was restored and so was his. It E' as necessary to pay well to hold to aluable city employees. I believe the n, ommon council took a wise step.
 At a recent meeting of the board f, finance and taxation, we had an in pinion of our corporation counsel fiji lat the common council has the fl ght to fix salaries and that the sa oards are required to hire the help Ii scessary to carry on their respective in