New Britain herald., 1916-01-07
CITY MEETING IS A DISGRACEFUL AFFAIR
Quigley's Steam Roller Brushes
 Demands for a "Square Deal" SOUNDS OWN DEATH KNELL

Ice House Appropriation While
 Voters Howl In Protest-Wild
 Scenes in City Hall.
 Sweeping aside the legitimate re- quest of fully 150 citizens for count of the vote on the municipal ice proposition at a special city meet ing last night, Mayor George A. Quig- ley ran his steam roller pell mell through the crowd and forced his will on majority that had him beaten from the start. Never in the history of New Britain has a mayor used such autocratic power than did Mayor Quigley. Never in the his- tory of New Britain has a mayor pub- icly refused to give the people he is supposed to represent square deal" Like Joe Cannon in the days of old he absolutely refused to allow a word of protest to be registered. Men who represent hundreds of thou sands of dollars in investments and Tn property, were swept aside like chaff and left the meeting wonder ing whether they were in Russia or the United States.
 QuigIey and His Gag Rule.
 Recognizing that he was beaten fairly and honestly, Mayor Quigley resorted to gag rule tactics. No mans. word was acceptable. Fair play and not charity was asked but his honor refused to listen to the appeal of his constituents, an appeal they had right to make. His will was the law and his will was railroad ed through in spite of the protests of the majority of those present.
 Peanut Politics''-AH Hot.
 Peanut politics. was his brand of wares and he disposed of them in large quantities It matters not what the tax payers demanded; it mattered not what they asked; their rights were ignored. George A. Quigley was the city meeting, lock, stock and barrel, and no voter might open his mouth. It was the most arbitrary act of an administration that has been featured by might rather than right.
 Scenes that have never been known to occur followed the meeting. Some or -NeW bTltdll S ulOSI prominent C1L- izens were filled with wrath and righteous indignation at the insults heaped on them by the man who is supposed to be their mayor.
 Will Appeal Be Takeno
 Whether any further action will be taken by the majority present, wheth. CT any appeal can be taken to a neu- tral and fair minded court is a mat ter of conjecture today. This much is. certain: If those who were crushed by the Ouigley steam roller can nos- sibly find a means of overthrowing his arbitrary ruling they will do so.
 It is being freely predicted today that Mayor Quigley's unfairness will be the cause of his removal from the scene of politics next spring. His unfair tactics have determined many of those present who were previously of an open mind, to get his scalp in the spring primaries and no stone will be left unturned to accomplish this.
 Was Meeting Illegal?
 A technicality on which some claim the meeting was illegal has to do with it's location. It was called for the hearing room of the board of public works but the attendance was so large that it was held in the corridor of the city building. It is claimed that the meeting should have been called to order in the hearing room and then adjourned to the cor ridor but this was not done, City Clerk Thompson not reading the call until the hearing room had been va cated. About 250 were present.
 A resolution signed by Councilman Teich was read, calling for the en- dorsement q of the action of the com mon council in appropriating $4,100 for repairs to the municipal ice plant through the levying of a tax of tenth of one per cent. collect able on July 1 next. Alderman Parker moved for the adoption of the resolution. Councilman Curtis amended, moving that action be postponed indefinitely.
 Laughter for Commissioner.
 Thomas H. Kehoe, a member of the board of finance and taxation, started the debate rolling. He said he believed the ice business was a good thing but this remark was greeted with jeering laughter from the audience.
 Ut may cause the gentlemen to laugh and snicker but that is be- cause they probably haven't given the project much thought retaliat- ed Mr. Kehoe warmly. He said that no municipal departments paid an income and it would not be fair to expect that the municipal ice plant would do so. He used as an ex- ample the city building, from which
 q hut on which money must be spent i
 hn ta of