New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-01
CURTIS CHALLENGES
MAYOR TO SHOWDOWN
Offers to Place Evidence Be-
fore Committee of
Bankers.

Alderman O. F. Curtis continued
his attack on the municipal potato
venture today by issuing statement
in reply to what he considered criti-
cism in yesterdays Herald. He goes
a step further and offers to place his
evidence before a committee COM
posed Of A. J. Sloper, w. E. Atwood
and j. c. Loomis, three bankers, and
challenges Mayor Quigley to accept
the proposition. Mr.. Curtis letter
follows:
New Britain, Conn,
December /, 1917.
Editor Of The New Britain Herald:
will you please, as a matter OF
fairness for which you are noted, at
low the following statement to appear
in your paper today, on the same
page as partial reply to an article
appearing in yesterdays issue headed
Accounts in good shape, Energy OF
Farm Committees critics wasted,
,Comptroller's statement indicates"
That the Comptroller kept the books
of the Farm Committee and they were
all right, etc. Comptroller Curtis In
this mornings Courant corrects this
assertion. He says so far as his, that
is the City Comptroller's books go,
they are all right, that they only
record the transactions going through
his office. He says he did not keep
the Committees books and admits
that they might be mixed up and ne
did not know of it. Further, the in
accuracies l brought up at the Coun-
Gil meeting Wednesday evening as
their typewriter report to the Com
mon Council, and in the printed copies
of the Common Council minutes show
(these copies being before the Mayor
Council and Committee members pres
ent, and my statement being roll
lowed by them with the report before
them) the Mayor and other members
did not make any correction or Ques-
ton my statements, 1t seems as
though there must be some truth IN
them Ex-senator Landers stated on
the floor of the Council Chamber that
he had heard enough and did not
doubt, as | stated, that [ had further
information as to the reports incor-
roctncss;. judge Gaffncy was present
and did not question my statements
The Mayor, up to today, has not point
ed out any one specific misstatement.
Generalities, broad denials and
charges of trivialities, technicalities
want of broa dnin edness and patriot
ism and playing politics seems to be
his stock Of defense or trade when
any opposition to his methods and
plans is made. I wish to state that
the Mayor, Mr. Tallard (and by the
way. Mr.. Tallard seems to have
dropped out of the Committees de.
liberations at presently and Mr.. Ross
berg have been the managers and
moving spirit of the potato venture.
Other members have loyalty support
ed them, believing that it was their
duty to stand by the actions OF
the Committee and see the project
through. Mr.. Landers, Judge Gaff-
ney, Mr.. Afford and Mr. Parsons
have not been the active members
Of the committee and were only par
TALLY aware Of what was done and
going on at times. AS to my state
ments to the Common Council I stand
by them as correct and as to the re-
ported cost of all their potatoes was
wrong by $476.64 as shown by their
report, that a bill Of $117.60 shown
paid had not gone through the off,
ciol channels and that it should not
appear as a credit and debit both,
also that a cultivator was shown
among their assets and nothing shown
in their report as to how it was Sc
cured or paid for. I am willing to
put the evidence before Committee
of Hon. A. J: Sloper, Hon. William
E. Atwood and J. c. Loonis for
them to pass upon the correctness OF
my statement. If His Honor, the |
Mayor, thinks he can disprove my |
statements let him accept my propo- |
sition. AS to other facts have made |
public, I am ready to back them up
with what consider conclusive |
proof and also make public If neceS-
sary other transactions in other oity
mt as creditable as they
ought to be.
"Respectfully.
20. r. CURTIS"