This Day in Norwood History-Talk Of The Town-September 22, 1888

These news items were the talk of the town on September 22, 1888

Editor Advertiser and Review:
In your last issue an article signed “Kc” has attracted my attention, and I wish to ask one question: Kc. complains because citizens of the town were not employed to put in the Balch school extension of the Water Works. Now if I understand the matter, nearly all the citizens of Norwood are at work, where they are now earning $2.00 per day. Will it pay them to leave and work on these Works for the same pay $3.00, and at the same time be taxed their proportionate part towards paying for the work at this rate, when they can simply stay where they are and only be taxed for what it costs to lay the pipe at $1.35 per day? Or in other words, if it takes 20 citizens 10 days at $2.00 to lay this pipe, the cost will be to the taxpayers of Norwood $400, If 20 Italians do it at $1.35 per day the cost will be $270. No one doubts that the Italians will do it as quickly as the citizens, and it can be readily seen that the town has saved $130 by having the Italians do the work. If this is not correct figuring, I would like to have Kc. set me right. Poll-Tax.

The Committee appointed at a recent town meeting to confer with the N. Y. & N. E. R. R. in regard to the Chapel Street crossing, have asked that a flagman be put there for the present, this the RailRoad refused to do on the ground that it has already made a fair proposition, which the town has refused to accept.

We are glad to note that the town has made up its mind not to sit down and let this hard-hearted corporation have its own way in everything.
An appeal has been made to the Railroad Commissioners, and a hearing took place yesterday (Friday) in Boston, the result of which will be published later. The crossing is a dangerous one, and should be protected. It is time the town refused to be bulldozed by a Company that wants all, and is ready to give nothing.

It is true that the Road made a fair proposition when it offered to build the new street to the satisfaction of the Selectmen, and we see no reason win it should not have been accepted ; but until some arrangement can be made the crossing should be protected, and we hope the road will be made to place a man on this crossing, and also a night man at Winslow’s crossing.

(Originally published in the Norwood Advertiser and Review)