New Britain Herald Newspaper, April 6, 1915, Page 9

AT BERLIN MEETING (Continued From TFirst Page.) wards the unfortunate people. Let the tax collector report at the town meetings about such taxes. A tax collector who accepts notes in lieu of money for taves is too tender for the oilice. Swinging on the special commit- tee, Mr. Dean asked of Chairman Claude W. Stevens, why his commit- tee nad rot paid more attention to he $15,000 of back taxes instead of taling such great pains as to see how they could save twenty dollars on Baldwin's tclephone, agan threw the into the next col- for had 4 for $1.36, as hown in the speclal committee’s rt. and made a motion that this tax be abated at once. Colleator Maikes Explanation. Replying, Colector Austin said: Knoaw of no reason why all these flow- ers siiould be placed on my grave.” presented o Mst to Clerk Shaw. Tt an itemized@ account of wrongly aesesscd laxer and he desired to ask the meeting b them. By Vi tae of the fac at tne suprema court had given adverse decisions regarding the collection of cartain taxes, T ned now, he said, a total of only 707 tor 7l] the outstanding taxes. Major “Vilmex questioncd the power ¢! ithe mcetlug 1o abale any taxes. Whid, v the floor, he oscasion 10 Mr. Dean's kg cons }-eeu was i was took il the tewn of Ber- in & pecnliar sitnation and voter i'n is pew the ¥nade known, he te have been street corner and ev “I was one of the erim- there | no apology to make—who met in the room upstairs and talked things over with my fellow men. To correct the misunderstanding which has been spread broadcast, I will say that there were no barred doors, anyone was welcome and no resolutions were pre- {pared or presented at that time. We }asked the first selectman about his {report and received explanations from him and left the session much en- lightened.” Town $100,000 in Debt. Major Wilcox went on to tell that it is the fault of the voters them- elves that the town is racing the ent situation. He said the tax- srs vote for various things and prepared an enormous budget, expect. ing to meet the expenditures with an inadequate tax of sixteen mills, He remarked, incidentally, that ftown is about $100,000 in debt and that facts, which have been brought out, show officers have handled in business- liko and anner, but had ywn dhat they were managing in a slovenly hion. He it understood that the meet- in the court room by the a shed was heid to be of service to the voters at large. Opposition Faction Heard From. Thomas Emerson, who was sccre tary of the “Opposition Meeting” Kensington week ago, repiied Mr. Wilco stating plainly that the action of those who met in the court room had been freely ~demned a meeting which he and a number of others held in Kensington. The condemnation was the result of the fact that those who inet in the cour 1toom hud offered no explanation for their action in Inviting town officials i which, ho contended, they had right ta do. He felt that such a meeting could not he satisfactory in view of the fact that it might savor of the overbearing. inflience of a town oflicial. “We grant that you had right to meet,” stated | st ker, “but were nat justiiied Lringing an oflicial before you.” “@Why not?” interrupted Major Wi cox. Mr. Emerson began an e planation, but was again cut short h the major. Dean After the Mujor. Pointing an accusing finger at Major Wileox, E. O. Dean arose from his a in public-speakers, athletes, toilers—all know the advantages of Keeping the mouth moist and refreshed —the throat soothed, WRIGLEYS Dentists will tell you of its helpiul- ness to teeth and gums, doctors attest its aid to appetite and digestion. It is absolutely wholesome, bene- ficial—and economical. Made in the largest, most up-to- date and most sanitary chewing gum plants in the world! Sealed in wax-wrapped packages to insure your getting it always fresh, full-flavored and clean. * UNITE PROFIT- SHARING with each package—good e for valuable the ' not ! in ! to | at | no the | COUPONS the floor. e . gentleman S e floor and T insist that he be given the right to say what he wants to,” de- clared the vater from Blue Hills Continuing, M Emerson ked “How many years is it going to take the selectmen to bring in an item- zed account. They've had long {enough now. Are they qualified to frun the town. We spent $300 be- cause the first selectman did noat at- tend to his business. Do you gentle- men want to sanction the office of \first selectman when it is being con- ducted in this fashion?" | Selectman Gibney asked the floor I long enough to state that he was the only ‘own official at the meeting held in the court room two weeks. He sald that he did not, at that time, care to respond to the rémarks which had made about the E ashion in which he had condus ted his affairs. Tax Collector Austin arose to state ‘hat sirce the last ol the fiscal year, he collected taxes cnough to bring down the amount of uncollected taxes ‘rom $15.000 to $2,300, except- ing the total of the items of the list {which he asked to have abated. Gibney Vindicated—Murray. “I don’t like the way this thing is going on asserted Mr. Murray. ‘We've ‘got to have a Moses to lead out of this desert of death.” In | nis op:nion the right kind of a spirit twas not prevalent. Some of the pro- !posals which had been made, he said, were not made on husiness principles Lut rather through personal vindictiveness. From » glance into the faces of several of hose present, it would seem to him e said that they were ready to pop up and shout, “I've got my: gun load- ed and I'm going to shoot.” “Mr, Gibney, to my wa: of think- g, he continued, as assumed | just the -ight kind of an ‘attitude in regard to the report. I. belicve that embodies enough foran, man. They i talk about the expense on this freight and that thing. What do we care i how that freight bill was paid as long as it is scttled up sutisfactorily. Lose this man, Mr. Gibney, and you're not g0ing to replace him m future years. Who 0 vou people call up when your i cinickens are stolen, for intance. I'm speaking to you, 1. Emerson,” he ridiculed (hat query.” “You're speaking meeting.” replied Mr. Emerson, just as Theodore Savage arose to object, amidst loud cries of ‘'sit down” from the rear of the room. The moderator ruled the question as being out of order. to the whole Paid His Taxes Twice. John Emerson, in referring to the statement, “Do you want anything plainer than that?” which Mr. Austin bad previously, told of instance in which a man in Kensington was obliged 10 pay his taxes twice and has two receipts from the tax collector to prove this fact. He said that when this man called Mr. Austin’s atten- tion to the matter, he wanted to fight, und that the man has not received his money back to this day. “I think I know about whom the gentelman is speaking,’” rsponded the collector. Klanagan of Kensington. He paid me only once and holds one receipt signed by me, . “One signed by you and Mr. Shaw,’ interrupted M. Emerson, ‘“and one signed by you alone.” Mr. Austin questionead it. After the Collector Again. of being a blackguard,” broke in Mr. Dean. “However, he says, the balance on back taxes is only §2,300. Tl ask the chairman of the com- mittee if that corresponds with the figure in his report. According to the statement of the gentleman, he has fiscal year, then.” “I said $2,300 besides the total of the list of which T submitted for abatement,” broke in Mr. Austin, “What is the total of the abatement list?" Mr. Stevens took the floor to that the committee’s report matters transicted before September 23,1914, so that he really had no way of knowing how much Mr. Aus- tin has collected since. “The total of the list submitted for abatement amounts to §1,272.71," said the tax collector. “You still say then that, excluding the abatement list, there is only $2,300 due vou,?” queried Mr. Dean “Yes, 1 do.” i “Well, that's all 1 care to know then,” said the gentleman from Blue Hills, sitting down in evident disgust. Colonel Jarvis had a resolution which he thought would clear matters up perceptibly, Before reading it, he took occasion to justify the much- mooted court room meeting. Upon the request of William W. Fagan, he agreed to table the motion until the tell Get your copy of “WRIGLEY’S WMOTHER GOGSE Introducing the Sprightly Spear men — 28 pages lithographed in colors — new jingles and pictures—free! Send a postal today to Wm Wrigley Jr. Co, 1203 Kesner Bidg. CHICAGO end of the meeting, so as ‘to avoid complication In a long speech, H. H. Spooner called attention to the bill of $300 which R, O. Clark had againsi the town: to the deterioration in the value of the stone crusher because of lack of care, and of various other acts of slovenness on the part of the admin- istration. Telephones to Be Eliminated. The following motion, which was presented by Harry Taylor and seconded by Colonel Jarvis, was then passed, viz: “That the Town of Berlin, after this date, pay but for three telephones for the town officials, one for the first selectman, one at the office of the town clerk and one at the Town farm, the one at the Town farm to be $18 per vear, and that the town clerk be instructed to notify the Telephone Co.. of the action of this meeting at once.” Before the matter was put to a vote, Selectman Baldwin, in an ex- haustive speech, shouted “Take your old telepone out because Newt Bald- win is amply able to pay for his own telephone”—Jason Taylor. E. O. Dean and Selectman Gibney spoke in favor of retaining the second selectman’s *phone but to no avail. $50 Each for Committee Men. A resolution to the effect that the members of the special committee be compensated by the town to the ex- tent of $50 each and expenses con- tracted during their service to the town, was passed. Upon the motion of Clarence B. Baldwin, the following resolution was passed: “That the tax collector shafl be made to submit his annual report to the selectmen, and incorporate in his report the names of the taxpayers not having paid their taxes, botn personal and property tax after one vear, and that the same be published in each | annual town report.” ! New Bookkeeping System. i"ollowing, these introduced cession: “That the town officlals be in- structed to install at once & svstem of secounting, suggested Frank W, Taylor, as shown in the report of the special committee, in accordance with the price named and keep all ac- counts in that way hereafter.” “That no moner shall be borrowed | by the town officers, in the name of the town, without the vote of the tax- pavers at a legally called town meet- ing.” “That the selectmen be Instructed to have the voting booths removed from Clark’s hall in East Berlin and the rent for the same be stopped at cnce, ard that the selectmen be in- structed to draw an order on the town treasurer for the amount due on the account.” An “Idiotic A resolution by which instructed resolutions were and passed in quick suc- Resolution.” E. H. Spooner, the town. treasurer not to pay any bills in the future un- jess he first received & town order properly signed by the selectmen, was characterized by Mr. Dean S an idiotic resolution inasmuch as there was a state law covering the point, Mr, Spooner answered: “Well, it's not the first time I've peen fooligh, and probably not the last—but there are others.” “Dicl Murray also ridiculed the resolution. He took Mr, Spooner to task for trying to improve on a state jaw, which able legislatures deliberat- “I'm not accusing the tax collector | collected $13,000 since’ the end of the | included | « The Range that . Makes Cooking Easy Despite the objections, the motion prevailed. Presented by Major Wilcox, the fol- lowing motion was passed: “That the selectmen be instructed to prepare and publish in their annual report a budget, first of the expected income of the town for tne following vear, and second a condensed state- ment of all prospects for expenditures of the town for the following year. Town Court Deficit. The motion which follows was in- troduced by H. H. Spooner and sec- onded by Selectman Gibney, viz: “That the officials of the town court be instructed to make a full re- port on each case heard, with the amount of costs and fees, and to whom paid, and the amount received in fines and costs from each, This to be printed in full in the town report annually.” During his remarks on the pro- posed resolution, Mr. Spooner men- tioned the fact that, according to the special committee, the town court had a deficit last year of $831.90. Judge Denies Big Deficit. Judge Griswold, wha was present at the meeting, took the floor and stated that no such deficit existed. The chairman of the committee knew it, he said, and should make an expla- nation of the fact that it did not ap. pear in the caommittee’s report. An item of $541.31 on a liquor case had been misplaced, was the judge's as sertion, and this, together with an- other misunderstanding made the" court deficit only about $171, which was not bad, in view of the fact that the court was not intended to be a money-making proposition anyway. Repiying, Chairman Stevens of the committee, said that his board invited Judge Griswold to a meeting held at Deming’s house during the win- ter, it being the members’ object to question him about the town court. They had no authority to investigate the town court, he said. He read a list of deficits which have existed in the town court for the past eight years. Murray Scores Stevens, “Did Judge Griswold notify you of the misunderstanding before the com- mittee’s report was printed?” asked of Mr. Stevens. ‘T certainly did,” replied the judge. ““Then that is what I should call a contemptible, underhanded thrust in the dark,” continued Mr. Murray. “If Mr. Stevens had the information from the judge that the deficit should be about $171 instead of $831, I consider its abgence from the committee's re- port as an unkind cut.” “[ thank you for those said Mr. Stevens. “I don’t want you to thank me for them,” shot back Mr. Murray. Mr. Stevens explained that the com- mittee simply took the accounts as shown in the court book. Judge Griswold may be right about having told me about the mistake in a trol- ley car one day. I won't dispute him. If he told me, I failed to tell the other members.” AMr. Murray thought that if My Stevens had neglected to give the mat- ter a clean slate, he was subject to censure and criticism. “We looked for a bunch of crooks and found few honest men,” he added. Spooner’'s motion was remark a car. r. Wilcox presented the following resolution d over very carefu before passing. That all loans made for the bene- | Mr. fit of the town and all notes given in the name of the towns up to date by the selectmen and town treasurer be approved.” It was passed. Motion to Censure Stevens, of Murray, stating that, in Then came the surprise the evening. Mr. consideration of the fact that a great injustice had Judge Gris- wold by Mr, Stevens, presented a res- been done olution providing for his being cen- sured by the mecting: The tion follows: “Resolved:—That Mr. Stevens of the investigating committee be cen- sured for withholding extenuating cir- cumstances in reference to the ap- parent deficit of the towa eourt and ignoring the statements of the judge of said court in reference to same.” Comniitteeman Deming was on his feet in an instant to defend his col- league, he felt that Mr. Murray did not understand the situation thor- oughly. “I think that Mr. Stevens was act- uated by personal motiv shouted Murray. There was a remon- strance but the speaker continued, crying out. “I know what I'm talking about and inasmuch as T am a voter of the town, I'll have my say too.” Charles F. Lewis said that he was sorry that the motion had been pre- sented. He had known Mr. Stevens for many ) s and had never known him to doing a “dirty, nasty trick."” A motion by Mr. Spooner that the motion be indefinitely postponed w passed, 2 resolu- Committee Continued. Mr, taken from the table. resolution then It follows “Whereas—At an adjourned annuul town meeting held October 12th, 1914, a committee of three was appointed 10 Jarvis' was investigate the affairs of the town and | “Whereas—Such committee repori- ed to the adjourned town meeting on Monday, March 1st, their findings, and “Whereas—The town officials have | in- } expressed themselves favorably clined to adopt nearly all of the rec ommendations of said committee therefore, “Resolved—That the same commir- tee be continued and that the commit- tee be requested to hear such evidence complaints and recommendations as from time to time may be made by the citizens, town officials, pay- ers and residents, with a view of im- proving the efliciency and econowmy of the management of the affairs of the town. “Resolved—That when this meeting adjourns it be until first Monday in August at this place, 8 o'clock in the evening to hear the report of the satd committee and take such action ther I?l]oh'fs : as Mediclm fi Best for Colds, throat and Jungs. Builds you up. No Al- cohol or dangerous drugs. | longer on | to them a Glenwood J. M. Curtin @ Co. New Britain the voters of the town may visable. “Resolved—That the co requested to put their reed tions in proper form and coples in advance of the the first Monday in Augul that the citizensc and taxy be ready to discuss the meeting. The resolution Wi Committeemen Resign and Beginning with Mr. 8 three members of the com clared their intentions to the committeq, considerable discussion, dur} E. E, Mourse made an elog they reconsidered to serve. Advertised The following is a list advertised at New Britain, O office, April 6, 1915 Miss Melissa Bowe Miss Sarah Kerr Miss Agnes Dyson Miss A. Door. Miss Anna M. Shea Miss Mary Nieskaz, Miss Hilda Sandstrom, Miss Carolyn Martin Miss Helen Harris. Mies Celia Ast] Miss Virginia Clark Mrs. Downs, Mrs. L. 8. Howe, Mrs. Henry Knott, Mrs. L. A. Fiske, Mrs. Edward Neville, Mrs. Simon Smith, Mrs, A. L. Rose. Mrs. A, A, Hall, Mrs. Ethel Carmalt, Mr. Harry C, Bailey. Mr, Leo Hermann Mr. Patrick Kenna. Mr. William Neubauer, Mr, J. B. Preston Mr. Alexander Sameszkod Mr. A. Smith, Mr. Lorse Nimero, Mr. Walter A. Lathrop. Mr. J. A. Harden. Mr. Burrett Darrow. Mr. G. A. De Woody Mr. M. ', Roberts Mr. Tsanos Trayakis, Ask for advertised mention date of Mt IRA E Po Notice of Hearing on Adn Account. District of Berlin, Proh New Britain, April 6, J state of Patrick Kelly A Britain, in said District, & The Administrator having administration accoung to this Court for his Estate it is ORDERED April, A. D, That the 14 1915, at 9 o'cl forenoon, at the Probate New Britain be and the signed for a hearing on thel administration aecq d Estate and this court Administrator cite all terested therein to appear a and place, by publishing in some newspaper publisl Britain and having a of said District and by posif on the public sign post in of New Britain, nearest decersed last dwelt Attest BERNARD F. of said ta GAFY