Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-04
BAKER KELLY IS ANGRY
 TALKS ABOUT SAFETY BOARD.
Says People Will Not Stand for Star Chamber Sessions or Discharge of Good nen--Knows the Police Oicers Long Time and Thinks They are Competent to- Still Give Good Service.

eThat the board of public safety should make such a radical move as to retire five police officers and dis~ charge one was most astonishing to me and when heard it I couldn't be- lieye it possible" Such was the cons ment made by Thomas Kelly, tue welt known baker, one of the most prolni- nent dyed i'll the wool republicans in the city, to Democrat reporter to- day. He furthermore said: If those men are not capable of performing po~ lice duty to-day their physical condi- t1on must have changed considerable within few days. If these men had not the qualities necessary for th3 proper performance of police duty do you mean to say that they would have been kept in service under the admins lstratlon of Mayor Webster, one of tha Dra1mest mayors this city ever had, and Mayor Barlow, who gave Waters Dury the most practical business ad- m1nistration it ever had. I have known these men, Sullivan, Byrnes. Smith and the others for twenty years or more. have seen them render most efficient service to the city. [ have seen them on duty night and day for many years. I have seen them guarding my property at night tima and Inever received or heard any com pkainti against them. Their discharge after rendering such faithful service consider an injustice. If I had n man in my employ for so many years and discharged him, would consid- CT myself doing an act of rank injus~ tice. What business man would dis- charge a half dozen of his old and faithful employees. No one. Because they think that years of experienced have made them invaluable to them.
 If they have anything against these men let them tell us. If the men have been neglecting their duty. It they have not been able to perform their work let them tell us and let them, mean the members of the safe- " board tell us, and give us proof. The people have no use for those star chamber sessions. The campaign cry Of the republicans was that the tax payers were stock holders in the cor< poration of the city. We'll the atock- holders want to know what their di- rectors, the safety board, are doing They do not like the idea of the direc. tors meeting behind closed doors. to transact their business and then a1l- nouncing what they have done withs out giving any reason for doing so.
 The actOn of the board in Gismiss- ing and retiring six or eight policemen will not be only injurious to our party but also to the taxpayers. The res publican party cannot afford to alien- ate any of the Independent voters It needs every vote possible to get into once III this city once in while. if Dy this cutting and slashing, our par " IS going to do the city any good. it is all right. But don't think any good will result from 1t. By such actions have they saved us any money? No. Are we going to have better police ser4f vice? No, for the old men were tried and true. The young men will have to be tested. The old men have had years of experience. They know every crock in the city. They know ths shadowy places. where the law Is anu to De violated. It will be years before the new men are broken in.
 individually the members of thal board of public safety are all right but collectively they will live to regret tnelr acts, The members should re- a little about the abilities of the po-s Mcemen. The cry that there is nd rso1- tues in their acts is most foolish Tr IS lame excuse. They should make no such play. 3 :, Tn conclusion I would say that in the board is voting to retire the men, let them give the public the reasons for such discharge and then the peol pie will have more confidence in them. Instead of retiring these men Iighn work could have been given them. One could be placed on duty in Exs change place, another at the depotss q third could be made a mounted poN liceman on the outskirts. and So onl It Is time for me to stop, and also for the safety board to stop"
 MT Kelly denounced in partfculaYs the action of the board in dismissina Officer Michael T. Sullivan. He said that Charles Dean. who had very poor eyesight, was one of the best policeJ men the city every had.