New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-08-16
Chairman Explains Can
didates For Force Were
Selected From List Fur
nished by Civil Service
Commission
Mayor Resents Council Ac-.
tion-Believed First Step
in Program to 'Supplant
Present Board With Sim
gle Commissioner

Chairman David l.. Dunn of the po-
lice board speaking for that commis-
sion this morning denied any respon-
sibility on the part of his board for the
appointment of men to the regular pa
| troll force who were over the maxi
mum age set by the charter, this pc
| ing the chief purpose for which a po-
lice departments investigating commit
tee was appointed at last nights coun-
Gil meeting.
Chairman Dunn pointed out that the
police board has made no appoint
ments since civil service was aboiish-
ed and that the only men named by
the present board were selected while
that system was in vogue. The re-
uuirements of the charter were that
the civil service commission 1nvesti-
gate and report on the physical con-
dition, mental qualifications, age,
height weight etc, of all candidates.
presenting list of eligbles to the po-
lice board, The only restriction placed
on the police board was that ap-
pointees be selected from among the
first five on the list.
The commission received from Clerk
M. 7. Kerwn of the civil service COM
mission new list before every meet
ing at which appointments were to be
made, Chairman Dunn states. In no
instance was man named who was
not among the first five on the list.
and while a general investigation was
made before any man was named, de-
tails of physical fitness or age were
not probed the police board chairman
explains. This, he asserts, was not
within the province OF the board since
the charter had specifically stated
upon whom responsibility for such de-
tails rested. restricting the police
board only to the first five names on
the list.
Dunn Replies 10 Caldwell.
At last nights council meeting
Caldwell expressed sorrow
because Thomas Dolan had not been
allowed to return to his work on the
police force after he was discharged
from the army. Chairman Dunn said
today, referring to this point "Coun-
Caldwell went off half cooked
Upon investigation I learned that Mr..
Dolan did resume his place in the
New Britain police department when
he returned from the service and
held it for practically a year. II
Caldwell will take the
trouble to get his information straight
before he speaks Re will be rendering
the public a great service"
Chairman Dunn also said that Do
lan's application for his old position
on the force, filed some time after he
resigned, was not turned down." as
Councilman Caldwell said. The fact is
that the police commission asked Cor
poration Counsel Kirkham whether
it could reinstate Dolan as a member
of the regular department and was
advised that this could not be done, as
Dolan was on the same footing with
other candidates for the force with
the exception that he had served the
required probationary period as a SUI
pernumerary.
Mayor Paonessa Aroused
Mayor A. M. Paonessa was consid-
erably incensed at the action of the
council, not because it had
seen fit to investigate the police de-
partment, but because the republican
members had seen fit to select their
1wn committee. The usual procedure
IS to allow the mayor to name all but
committees and he said this
morning that in his years of activity
n government he could not recall
single occasion to parallel that of last
evening.
He attributed the action to petty
politics and said it was but another
Instance of the methods used by the
present republican regime
The executive felt that the mayor
vas entitled to the privilege of naming
he investigating committee and said
(Contnued ou Senopd pareN