Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-14
COL. BURPEE AND
 LOBBYIST PAIGE
MAYOR TH0Ms PROBES THEM
 ABOUT THEIR vERACITY.
Story Concocted in the Interest of the Trolley Company-Kellogg and Thoms are Working for City's
 Interest.

street trolley question have got out .of patience with Mayor Thoms and after spending several weeks coaxing him, they have abandoned that plan and commenced the kicking process. The mayors tactics was criticized in an article published in the Republi- can of this morning, to which his honor makes reply as follows:
 T am surprised that the trolley people should have the effrontery to put out any such statement. I an sure don't care what Senator Paige says about me. because everybody knows that what he says, or what the paper makes him say, isn't true. The files of the newspapers and the recol- lection of everybody present at the hearing in Hartford will furnish suf- ficient evidence that the city en- phatically said that it would not ac- cept the seven-foot cut at Robbins street, and immediately upon the an- nouncement of the decision of the railroad commissioners it proceeded to take it's appeal. Of course, by ap- pealing we cause delay in the build ing of the road. It is responsibi!i- ty which I cheerfully accept, how ever, since it is case of either give up everything to Senator Paige's clients, or fight. It may be possible that certain people have assured tho senator that the city would not take an appeal. Neither MT Kellogg or myself have done so, however, and no one else had any authority to say so. I am not to blame if the sen- ator's local lobbying didn't succeed.
 ''It is true, however, that Colonel Burpee has requested me to trans fer the appeal from June to May. and the city attorney and myself, after consultation, declined the proposi- ton, for reasons which any lawyer will appreciate. Naturally we prefer to try our cases in our own way and not to suit the local counsel of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Go. As the colonel is the only one have talked with on the subject, it is apparent that he, either by direction or indirection, furnished the material for the article which appeared in the paper of which he is stockholder and director.
 ''The colonel has been quoted many times in the last year as ex- pressing unwillingness to try hts cases in the newspapers. Nothing will be gained for his clients by at tempting to try this one.
 However, none of these things disturb me I don't belong to Sen ator Paige's and Colonel Burpee's party and don't have to bow down to the king of the trolley lobby for political preferment.
 ''The statement. however, is gross ly unjust to the city attorney. l am no admirer of the scheme that gives me the chairman of the republican town committee as my legal adviser, but the intimation that he went away to Atlantic City to dodge the filing. of the appeal, or that he is pulling back in the traces in any way, is un- fair and untrue. In all these trolley matters not the slightest disagree ment has arisen between us and so far in this matter I have found him loyal in every way to the interests of the city. The appeal to the June term was drawn by him and was served exactly as 1t was drawn. It was at his suggestion that it was made returnable in June. and the suggestion was a good one. As said before, this is in common justice to the city attorney. because I realize that his position is delicate one. his political future depending somewhat on the say so of the gentleman from Bridgeport. Personally. the animad- versions of Senator Paige and Col onel Burpee trouble me not at all. and the accusations of bad faith on the part of the city. in view of our recent trolley history are, to say the least, a fine exhibition of humor. The trolley people should secure a new press agent. for few men are able to properly take care of the legal and publicity bureaus of a great cor poration and do justice to both.