New Britain herald., 1917-10-20
0UIGLEY DEFENDS
 POTATO COMMITTEE
Says Council Has No Right to
 Dictate to Them
SLACKERS ARE CRITICS
Mayor Explains Policy of Adminis- tration, Says Potatoes Will Be Sold to People at Cost-Quotes Page From Statute Books.

to People at Cost-Quotes Page
 From Statute Books.
 Resenting the attacks made in the common council and feeling that the public criticism of the management or the municipal farm is uncalled for and, possibly, due to a misunder- standing. Mayor George A. Quigley today issued a lengthy statement in which he upholds the committee, claims the council has no authority over them, scores the onec who are prone to criticize by setting forth that those who complain loudest are the slackers who have done least and also explains what the administra- tion's definite policy in reference to municipal potatoes is going to be. To silence those who fear that the pota- toes are to be held for arising market and sold at profit the mayor makes the positive promise that 'the pota- toes will be sold at cost to the peo- pie and not at profit"
 The Statement
 Herewith is appended his explana- ton and comment upon the present situation.
 "The attitude of the municipal farm committee and the food and fuel committee on the potato question does not seem to be rightly under stood by the press or the common council.
 ''The farm committee and the food and fuel committee have been re- quested to fix a price for the potatoes now being harvested at the municipal farm. It is not possible, at the pres ent time, to fix a price for potatoes as we do not know what the harvest will be.
 Council Criticism Untimely.
 ''The committee feels that the com- mon council should not criticize the results of the municipal farm manage ment unil we do know how many bushels we have raised.
 MT. Tallard, the chairman of the committee, has been conservatise in his estimate of 4.000 bushels and rightly so because crop conditions have been such that it would not warrant either he or the committee being optimistic, and the committee feels that 1t would De the height of folly to quote 8 price on a prduct' the quantity of which is unknown. '"The object of raising and buying potatoes and storing them for the LlIne Dolu6 Wd6 IO AOASNs SA~O high prices of potatoes. Were the potatoes sold immediately. the supply in the hands of the city would have no bearing on the price and the com- mittee felt that the people themselves should make an effort to secure as many bushels of potatoes as they pos- sibly could at reasonable prices and not depend entirely upon the govern ment for their winter supply.
 "The potatoes will be sold at cost to the people and not at pront, the idea of the committee being to return to the city treasury whatever amount was appropriated so that the taxpay- CTS will be at no loss on account or the city raising or buying potatoes.
 Council Is Interfering.
 1T would also like to call the at- tention of the common council, the press and the general public to an act concerning food supply commit tees in cities and boroughs as enacted by the last general assembly at It's session in January, 1917. The act Is as follows:
 Authority From Assembly.
 /" Section 1. The mayor of any city or the warden of any borough or the first selectman of any town may, if he deems such action necessary, by reason of any emergency existing there in relation to the fuel or food supply or both, whereby the inhab- itants of such city or borough or town are unable to supply themselves with the same through private enterprise, appoint committee on fuel and food supply, consisting of five residents, which committee shall continue in of- fce until the mayor or warden or first selectman, as the case may be, deems that the necessity for such committee no longer exists and re- vokes such appointm ent.
 '' Section 9. Such committee, shall, during the continuance of such emer- gency take such action by purchase, | storage, sale distribution or otherwise, kof food, fuel or both, as 1t may deem ecessary to supply the same to the
 habitants of such city or borough or
 Hn, and the common council or
 rd of burgesses or board of select
 as the case may be, shall, with
 any special appropriation there
 provide such committee with such