New Britain herald., 1927-05-19
THE MAYORS MESSAGE
 TO HIS CITY


 mon Council-weighty documents in which all the ills of the city are diagnosed. the medicine duly pre- scribed, and then the patient is duly left to carry on for another year.
 The system ot "messagins' the Common Council every year. how ever formali,y, is good-just as logical as the messages of pres ident to the congress. They give us something to think about: refresh our minds of what's what in city affairs; yield us some points of in formation we had never thought of before; stimulate us to take a great CT interest in civic affairs.
 The mayor paid a tribute to the efficacy of these annual messages by pointing out that many of the |. recommendation of the last annual message had been adopted. It can be said here that the mayor of New Britain has better luck with his recommendations than the Pres ident of the United States, whose recommendations to his Congress very frequently do not fare so well.
 As was to be expected" is a phrase that might be uttered in connection with the mayors sug gestion that the city departments develop the spirit of true economy. The potency of the word economy" has not yet disappeared. A govern ment-even a city government when not guided by economy is like an automobile without a steering wheel. Ever since President Cool everybody is doing it-that is to say, everybody identified with city gov erments. How they succeed is diff ferent matter. Mayor Weld, aided and abetted by the financially cautious Edward F. Hall, intends to succeed by not biting off more than one thing at time.
 The prospect of increased city ex- penditures for necessary improve ments listed by the mayor includes the probability of improving and enlarging the Northend school on BAssett street. the construction of an incinerator, a park in the north western section of the city, exten- sion of the Piper brook and Cherry street storm water outfalls, and sx- tension and improvement of the city waterworks system.
 This is constructive program and is quite conservative outlook. A half dozen other essentials could be listed just as easily and the to- tai cost would make quite a neat sum. The cost of even the foregoing will be considerable.
 Community use of school gym- nasiums, mentioned by the mayor as plan he would like to see eventuate, comes under the classification of being a constructive suggestion and of L.ip J void of much expense. This would be in line with making neighbor- hood centers of the school buildings, a scheme advocated by many citi- zens and somewhat opposed by others who think the schools should be used only for educational purposes If public good is 10 result from the use of school symnasiums by the community there can be little logi- cal objection.
 The improvement of the water system. described in some detail by the mayor, is one of the major problems before the city, one which will have to be solved in the very near future. New Britain, like all other growing municipalities, is fac cd with the problem Of maintaining all adcQuat" and pure water supply The mayors suggestion that develop ihents be made ot the WhigvIllc and forestvillc schemes will bear care ,ul analysis. His claim that they will increase the present water sup ply by S5 per cent without going 10 the expense of raising inc Shuttle Meadow dam for several years long .r was point well taken. However. II i. matter for the engineers to determine.
 The mayor n!,de a fine impress sion last year when he brought for