New Britain herald., 1916-03-28
NATIONALITY BATTLE
 FAST DEVELOPING
Quigley and Curtis Harangue
 Factory Crowds ANCIENT ISSUE RECALLED
Hugh Reynolds Says Curtis Favored Selling Old City Building for S4,OOO Less Than Offered-CurtiS Attacks Quiglcy From All Angles.

Mayor G. A. Quigley and Council man o. F. Curtis, rival aspirants for l the mayoralty nomination in the re- i publican primaries next week, today 1 began the real battle for popular l supremacy in two noon-time ad- i dresses to factory workers. Mayor i Quigley addressed a crowd at the 1 Stanley, Rule & Level Co.,, and Coun- 1 Cilman Curtis talked to a gathering 1 of Landers, Frary & Clark em- ] ployeS in Center street, refuting some i of the statements made by the mayor at noon yesterday and last evening at Lithuanian hall and in Bentzs hall , in Clark street.
 Councilman Curtis talk was en- livened by a controversy injected by 1 Hugh Reynolds, the Comm ercial ! street feed man, who hardened back 10 ancient days and claimed MT. i Curtis was in favor of selling the old l city building on Commercial street for $4,OOO less than Andrews, Swift X, Co. had offered.
 Curtis Hits at Quigley. Councilman 0. F. Curtis com i menced the first of his noon-hour 1 talks at the factories, following close 1 ly in the trail of his opponent, when | he spoke today before a gathering of l about 150 workmen at the Center 1 street gate of the Landers, Frary & 1 Clark company. The meeting was 1 progressing smoothly when it was terminated by Hugh Reynolds, who i questioned the speaker regarding his | action in the common council years ago, when the matter of the sale of 1 the old city building was before the | city fathers for disposal.
 MT. Reynolds, addressing the l speaker, said he would like to in l uuire in regard to his action on the matter of the sale of the property to i the Andrews, Swift company for ! $12,OoO after that concern had 1 offered the city s16,0O0 for the site, | thereby presenting the Beef Trust i with $4.0OO After this statement i Reynolds left the crowd while Mir. i Curtis tried in vain to explain the matter to him, denying the accusa- ton.
 In the opening remarks to the as- semb blaze, Councilman Curtis said it was a new thing for him to conduct i his campaigns along speechmaking i lines. He said his opponent had told his listeners yesterday that he was a i friend of the Workingman. The speaker said that all his life he had to toll for a living, often in. his younger days working twelve to fifteen hours a day for 75 cents. have not got very high up yet, but hope to, he said.
 Answers Letter
 A letter handed to MT. Curtis con- taining a number of questions was the source of the speech. The first question asked was: Have you voted for all salary raises?''
 In answer MT. Curtis said that he had voted for some of tho increases, but had not had an oppo1 tunity of acting some of them. In the oom- mon council there are mem bers who do just as the mayor instrucus, and many a time I have not lad an op- portunity of getting things through that 1 desired. You will find in the city charter that the mayor has the power to veto salary raises. He never did this and the people with him III the council are to blame TOT this, not me.
 The second question was, Do you know of any reslgnations in regard to salary increases The speaker said that he did not.
 
 lieved in guarding the money of the city as if it was his own, anG if elected would strive to carry out this aim.
 The Tax Question.
 Tn regard to the tax question the speaker was particularly strong ;n his denun citation of the presclt adp1inis- tration. When the present incuIn- bent of the office was sturping for election he promised reduction in taxes and as a result instead of this being done there was an increase of mills with the indication that if he is again elected there will be more increase in the next two years. When my opponent was elected he had plen- ty of money in the treasury, and as a result he went ahead and spent 1t rapidly until at the present time part of. last years tax remains unpaid. He has told you that he was not re- sponsble for the increase, but ne told you he would keep them down, the speaker said
 He has told you that tho; school tax has been increasing, but under the Halloran administration it was in- creasing too but was pai>A
 Councilman Curtis said the impres- sion prevails that only proper ,y own CTS are effected by the increase Ill the tax, but every man and woman in the, city will be effected srDm 75 10 80 cents per mill on rent, clothes and other necessities in life.
 The speaker attacked ,ne claims of l Mayor Quiglcy that many Of the miS- | takes of street " orll were the work l of deposed city enginecr, but as some of the work had not been start
 
 (Continued on Eleventh PaGe.)