New Britain herald., 1918-01-10

he .a surprise to me. The papers pub sshed my name, as one of the commit lee. This is wrong. By reading my letters it will be seen that I stated under what conditions I would serve ana they have not been met or any at- kention given them. 1t would be fool lsh for me to put myself in a poslt1on where my hands would be tied, ana indirectly used to cover, instead or showing LID, if found, things that were wrong. Committees, as we'll as other bodies. are ruled by the majority, they rar, insist on secret sessions, suppress zion or production of evidence, ana he only option a minority member would have would be to be a qultter, rr present a, minority report, or per- haps partial evidence, when unable to kecure what was necessary mere fore as an outsiders chances might be halter than what I think they would In this case especially when consider Ing the composition of the commlttee' namely, M J. Unkelbach, architect employed by the city (Mayor Qulgley) In winter of 1915 as architect Ill re- pairing the municipal ice house. III I916-1917 architect for the municipal slaughter house, which may be heard from later, also member of the com mittce on revision of the city building ordinances and due to get Q big slice of the $500 melon when 1t IS cut. Claude J. LerouX, plumber, member nf the council from the First ward, who we observe gets his city patron age in small doses at long intervals, hut nevertheess has satisfactorily SUD- ported the mayor in all his schemes, except for buying potatoes, and even so far as to insist on keeping them Tn cold storage after they were bought, and opposing selling them at a small reduction in price for fear ot depict Ing the city treasury, presumably, 1t meant frozen~p potatoes will fill 1t. Fms gentleman obediently followed instruc- lions, made the motion for the ap- pointment of the so-called investiga- lion Cor whitewash committee); his term expires next April. John E. Downes mason contractor, member Of the board of public works for nearly eight years past, drawing his $2o0 per, his term expires in April. Will he risk losing a. reappointment. MT. Downes' gained some notoriety a few years ago in the brown sand hearings in his tits with Councilman Paonessa. MT. DoWnes' past official record seems to show consistent standing in with the powers in control rather than inde- D6nuenCG. ALSO DoluS SeIAiCSt0u "A'AA the board of public works department which is to quite an extent connected with this barn building enterprise, is it too much to expect independent ac- lion in passing judgment on his own department's work? MT. Clifford has not heretofore been heard of in pubic capacity but no doubt the ap- pointing power satisfied himself that no risk would be run in placing him on the committee.
 "In making this sketch of the com n1ittee appointees there is no intention of casting any reflections on their characters or good intentions their standing in the community is good, but with people who are acquainted with them it is generally conceded that they know on which side their bread is buttered, or will in political sense.
 "The mayor seems to have changed his attitude in regard to publicity in nulolic business, as advocated by him turing his term as alderman in 1912 13. and in his campaigns for his pres pnt office in which he promised to insist on it. During his term as al derrnan he was the cause of several investigations, among them one in re- gard to the treatment of inmates of the Town Home and the misappro- priation or disposal of products of the farm to different people without mak- Ing the proper returns to the city treasury It will be remem bered ana 1t can be found in the files of the newspapers of that time that he was not very careful about hurting peoples feelings and we would like to call his attention to the time that he was the cause of the superlnten~ denr of the Town Home and his wife appearing before an investigating committee, having to leave a daugh- ter on her death bed to do so. The charges were never substantiated and the so-called 'culprits' are still in charge of the Home, but his honor has not been man enough to publicly cr privately, (so far as kuown) ad- sait he was nlstaken-or sorry-ox- by