New Britain herald., 1916-03-21
CURTIS REPLIES TO
 QU|GLEY'S QUERIES
Pen and Ink Duel Between Rival
 t. 0.P. Candidates Now On ALL ABOUT THAT DEBATE
Third Ward Councilman Docs Not In- tend to Permit His Honor to Hide Behind Any TcchnicaIitics and -An- sWcrS Questions Fully.

Swers Questions Fully.
 Councilman O. F. Curtis, candidate l for the republican nomination for | mayor, delivered a broadsiCc at Mayor George A. Quigley, candidate for re-
 nomination, when he replied to the
 mayors "acceptance' of the challenge
 for public debate on municipal mat | ters. The broadsidC contains infOrma- l tion which must clear up to the satis- 1 faction of the mayor all the matters | on which he professes to be cloudy. 1t 1 gives a number of subjects on which a ! debate could be held and urges the l mayor to make haste as time is short. The letter fellows:
 New Britain, Conn.,, March 21, 1916. MT. Geo. A. Quigley, Mayor,
 City of New Britain.
 Dear Sir:
 have read your reply to my special delivery letter to you on the 18th inst, I in the afternoon papers of the goth, but did not receive your esteemed epis- tie until 9:45 D. m., yesterday. The Sunday Courant reports you as being very glad to enter into a discus sion with me, quoting you as saying you certainly would do so. In your let ter you say you cannot see any bene- fit or reason for such a debate, but you are willing to have one Ii l desire it, which is very kind of you. How about your desire on March 1th, when I was absent? The reason l have for desiring a joint discussion (and l sup pose you had one on March 7th) is that you have claimed and are still making claims as to what you have done as a city official, what you have done for the public good and for the people. Now l claim that a large pro- portion of what you claim is incorrect, that it has no substantial basis in fact and I believe I can prove it to the sat isfaCtion of the thinking and unbiased public. These facts can be spread broadcast in various ways. but l con- sidered it the most just and fair way to bring these matters before you, as man to man, face to face. You will have the same opportunity to defend your policies, actions and claims of accomplishments, as l will in attack ing them.
 The wording of my challenge as you term it; was not a challenge or ln- tended to be one, but was answer to your expressed wish, stated at the Fifth Ward Smoker for a debate there you of course knowing that l could not then answer. You say you want to know what subjects are to be brought up for debate. Did you so wish at the Fifth Ward Smoker, when 1 had not even been informed by you or anyone else that I was expected to debate any thing? I had been invited as a guest to a supposed party love feast, by the Fifth Ward Club, only receiving the invitation the day before. Now you want to know what subjects you will be called on to debate, and want five days time to prepare yourself. Next I suppose you will want to have me an- notlnce my line of argument.
 You stated through the columns of the Courant that you would stand by your administration, and l should ex- pect you would, and also by your al- derman'S career
 In your campaign for the nomlna- tion and election for mayor, you ad- vanced reasons why these were due you You put out q platform, you promulgated broadcast, claims of what you had done and promised what you would do. Anything bearing on these subjects previous to, and during your administration as it has been conduct ed, I claim, are legitimate subjects for praise or criticism. As you have gone through and been a party to them you ought to have them in mind sufficient 1y clear to explain or defend them, especially as you now claim you have made good Good on what? Why on what you promised you would do, in your various speeches, circulars, cards, messages, VetOeS, etc. On my part I shall have more preparation to make than you. l will mention some of the subjects l think proper to debate on. namely your actions and reports on the various committees of which you were appointed chairman when serving as alderman. For instance. the Town Home Investigation, the water rate question, electric light contract and prices, municipal lighting, city hall management, municipal ice project, new parks salary increases. and your various other investigations.
 Just a Few Subjects.
 When you were running for the mayorality nomination, there were brought up by you as issues. economy in city business, business management Of city affairs, practical men on city boards and commissions, self support ing city building, a low tax rate, a new method of street construction repair and management and efficiency in city management. Who were the incom- petent officials? Also about the square deal for the Swedes. fire escapes for schools, etc. As mayor, we should bring in automobile management. open sessions for city business by the conn mittces, boards and commissions, mu- nicipal ice management. sewer dis posal problems and junkctins trips
 (COntinucd On Tenth pa"c)