New Britain herald., 1920-06-19
Deposed Chairman of Health Dept. Insists His Manage ment of Affairs Was Not Faulty.


 of the board of health, today made decisive reply to the charges made by the mayor in ordering his re- moval. and in the course of his re- marks referred to the mayor as roaring mad" when he entered the meeting Thursday evening. He also claims that at another time the mayor threatened to clean out the whole damn department" His state ment follows:
 Much Surprised.
 "I was very much surprised to read m tho press Mayor Curtis statement regarding my actions and conduct as chairman of tho board of health, and I wish at this time 10 have the op- portIInity of correcting some of the statements that he has made, which are absolutely incorrect and without any foundation whatever. When Mayor Curtis asked mo to 20 on the board of public health. gave the matter very serious thought before deciding. I had quite a talk with the mayor concerning certain things that he told me about the department and some Of the things that he wanted changed. [ did not promise him that these changes would he made until everything had been thoroughly in- vestigated and the weak spots located.
 The day following my election as chairman. we had a conference in his office. and he made certain state ments 10 me about certain members of the department. and requested that they he removed. This he thought was necessary for the hest interest of the department. In jus tice to these people I thought it was only fair them to give this ter serious thought and act accord lngly after due and thorough inves- tigation. X day or two following the last interview the mayor called me to his office shortly after one o'clock. He was very much excited and Chair man King of the police department was present at that time. He told me that he had been trying to get me earlier in the day. He told me that a carnival had opened up on the vihberts' lot on Stanley street. and that there were quite a number Of eases of scarlet fever in that vii cinity. that the quarantine was being broken and children were allowed to run around the carnival at free will and there was danger of spreading the disease.
 Mayor Issues Orders
 FIG told to go up there and Ncstieate conditions and if necessary to clean out the carnival and drive them out of town. He said I would have the backing of the entire police depa artment. If it was necessary to do so. Commissioner Cowiishaw. Dr. Curtis and the chairman went to the carnival grounds and failed to find anything there that would warrant any action whatever on the part of the health department.
 We then investigated the scarlet fever cases We found one case at the junction of Hartford avenue and Stanley street. That was the near est case to the carnival. We found no violation of the quarantine being broken. the quarantine on this par ticular case having been raised that afternoon. The next case of scarlet fever that we investigated was on Smallcy street. just below stanley street. We found. also. that there had been on violation there of the uua ra ntine. The next case was on Stanley street near Whiting with tho same rcsults.--no violation of inc quarantine.
 Charges IneRicicncy.
 Before setting out on the investi- gation tho mayor informed the chair man. that the superintendent was not on to his joh. was neGlecting these cases. ss he was spending too much time with bunch of old women r'ho were meeting in tho depa rtment rooms
 Upon investigation we found that these charges were without any foundation whatever. Commissioner Cowlishaw and the chairman report cd to the mayor imm ed ia tely the con- ditions es We found them. and he half way apologized for sending us on such s wild goose chase, and that he did not have the name Of the party who made the complaint. but that Inc would see that such condition did not occur again. We suggested that hereafter all complaints should he made in writing. and the name of tine complainant signed to ir.
 Pecyed at '.OId Women Another one of tho mayors Eriev- ances to the chairman was in refer in the department rooms. He said women cleaned out of there.-thst he was not going to have them around monopolizinS the rooms or the superintendcnt's time. l did not take him seriously, as l learned that these meetings were held every Tues day evening after the office was closed. and so informed the mayor. and. also the nature of the work that these ladies were engaged in. He said | that it didn't make any difference to him who they were or what they were doing, they couldn't meet in the department rooms. After fur