New Britain herald., 1925-01-20
Mayor Paonessa And Members of Council Have Secret Confer ence And Decide To Push Inquiry.
Disruption of Commission Paves Way for Running Down Stories of Alleged Irregularities in Govern ment.

The sensation which attend ed developments in the build ing department during the past week and which resulted in the resignations of three members of the board, was completely ecllpsed this afternoon when it became known that the may or's office, the common council, and the office of the prosecut. ing attorney had received ru- mors of graft in that branch of the city government pre- sided over by the building com mission, and they have insti- tuted a formal investigation.
 Mayor A. M. Paonessa made plain his displeasure with con ditions that have given rise to rurnors of improper dealings at a conference held in his of. flee last night and he demand ed of Prosecutor Joseph c. Woods, who was present that something be done at once. The prosecutor assured the mayor of his willingness to co- operate and suggested a fornsai investigation by the police ss- partment.
 Three Tell or Alleged Deals Alderman c. J. Dehm of the frs ward who has taken an active part in the informal probe of conditions In the building department and waS active in the preliminary investiga- lion made at special session Of the common council last Monday, aired his views on the subject at las; nights conference. Councilman Ar thur N.4 Rutherford of the second ward whose attack on the building commission at the December meet ing of the common council caused the building commission crash. was present at the meeting as was also Bernard Moffitt, leader of remon- strants against a new store on Farm lington avenue, and three witnesses to alleged irregularities on the part l of certain city servants.
 Mayor Paonessa refused to dis cuss the conference today as did also Prosecutor Woods. Councilman Rutherford was in Hartford through 1 out the day and could not he reached.
 l Soft Pedal on Investigation
 It was intended that the investi- gation be kept state secret, but so widespread and persistent have the reports of malfeasance become that the officials were powerless to pre- vent it's leaking out.
 Persons who have had occasion to do business with the branch Of thE city government now under surveila lance have made widespread accusa- |. tions to various city officials, notably members Of the common council. IL , almost every instance the remon- strant had in mind the censure of the person he involved rather than discharge or prosecution, but it is 1 the intention of the investigating } officials to enter their statements in
 the record of the case either by their voluntary appearance or by issuance , of subpoena, 1t was said today. Solicited Contributions ? Several months ago a member of
 the common council received a com , plain from residents of the north.
 western section of the city that a |, building contractor had demanded and secured from them, contribu- s tions of s1O each to buy up the : building commission" and that ht had subsequently, appeared before
 the commissioners to present theii
 opposition to a permit, and the per. , init was rejected. The eomplainants all of whom were foreigners, wanted
 to know what steps they might talk
 to get back their money.
 r At that time the prosecutor Wal
 advised of the complaint by tele
 phone, but no further information = was furnished him and as a resNl \ nothing was done.
 l Far1nington Avenue Case | The Pennington avenue store per
 init which has been under discus
 sion for the past week was talke'
 over ct length. This permit was is I sued several weeks ago and tn | cellar has been dug. A remon
 strance signed by 42 property own
 CTS in the immediate neighborhool 1 was filed with the building commis
 sion nearly a month before the per 1 init was granted. and there was nj | hearing prior to issuance of the per
 init. It has come to the attention c 1 city officials that the person build l ing the store are said to have state Ithat 1t cost them $500 aside fror 1 architectural and building fees ( i get the permit and start work. .Tlll
 and numerous other complaints VI