New Britain herald., 1916-02-29
CURTIS IN FIELD
 AGAINST QUIGLEY
 FOR NOMINATION Councilman Announced Candidacy Today and Expects to Defeat
 New Britain's Boy Mayor" HAS INFLUENTIAL BACKING AND TAX PAYERS SUPPORT

Thinking People to Put City Gov
 crnment Back on Substantial Basis
 Considered Best Informed Man
 On Municipal Affair in City-Has
 Excellent Record.
 Councilman o. F. Curtis announced today that he was to become a candi- date for the republican nomination for mayor of New Britain in the spring primaries. He stated that he was unable, at the present time, to give an indication of what policy he would adopt if elected or as to what platform he would advance to advo- cate his election
 MT. Curtis has long been interested ir politics in this city and is perhaps the best informed cog in the wheel of city government He has made per sistent study of the local government proposition in all it's phases for
 many years. It is doubtful if local republicanism could find a more promising candidate for the office from a standpoint of efficiency than the councilman from the third.
 MT. Curtis has been several times defeated for the office of mayor but it. is doubtful if he ever entered the race with backing as good as he will receive during the present campaign. His service in the present council has proven to all that he is willing tO
 make a stand for what he considers ic ph t0 ha nSt In a body of men which has, in the majority of cases, proved hopelesslyl under the thumb of the Dictator ho has many times thrown his hat in Y the ring in a stand for the right de- spite the fact that he realized fully that the odds against him were over Whelming and defeat was 1neVltab ble. lie has given his time to the cham piOnship of New Britain citizens and done his utmost to secure what he considers just, though his efforts in
 most cases were unuavailing. It is certain that his recent record will in sure that he enters the race with the lacking influential republicans that has heretofore been lacking to his political fights.
 Republicans Are Split.
 Never in the history of New Britain however, has the republican party been so poorly prepared to wage a campaign as this spring. Harmony has flown out the window and the leaders hardly speak to each other when they meet on the street.
 The big split is between the Quig- ley and the anti-Quigley factions The | former has been sailing serenely along in the belief that the opposi- tion would not dare to show it's hand | but the situation is changing daily and there is an undercurrent of 1 anti-Quigley feeling stirring the | ranks of the voters. The bombastic ! and transparent administration of ! city affairs by Mayor Quigley has in cited the anim osity of hundreds of | cltlzens and they are ready to vote for almost anyone, in preference to Qulgley that is, anyone who can put the city back ton it's feet again and conduct government business from a standpoint. New Britain has never had a mayor who allowed his personal feelings to run away with him so much as George A. Cuigley. Almost all his works have been actuat ted by a personal feeling. sometimes amounting almost to boy iShness. His autocratic manner of ruling in the council, shutting off the speech of duly elected representatives of the people, has aroused no little during his two years in of fee. From the unassuming candidate Jt 1914 he has become capital I so hat many of his friends who spent their time electing him two years lgo are hardly recognized on the : streets now. Neither are they al owed to give any advice although ] y sought in the spring of 1914
 Big Tax Rate Coming.
 What really hits the taxpayer hard, however, is the fact that the tax rate T for the coming year vii be at least eighteen mills unless important and s much needed improvements are al owed to go by the board for political purposes. It is believed by some chat eighteen mills will not be sufficient snd that nineteen mills will be the ( figure. z
 Mayor Quigley is preparing for the f election with a vim. He is joining q raternal societies right and left , which is old stuff but sometimes eff f ective. Likewise he is cOndescend- ng to smile at many who were mere y numbered with the hoi polloi since lis Honor was presented with an ex- Ia office in which to conduct his real V state and insurance business by the \ 'oters two years ago this spring The s lap on the back and the warm hand g md the ail-fellow-wellmet spirit is il