New Britain herald., 1926-07-09
WELD WILL NOT BOSS
 BUILDING COMMISSION
Repeats Assertion He Will Not Insist on
 Curtis

statement, published exclusively in the Herald Wednesday, that 1t is not his intention to insist upon the appointment of Orson F. Curtis as deputy building inspector, and in so doing he took occasion to brand as incorrect another publication's later story in which an attempt was made to place the mayor on record as claiming to have been misquoted.
 The mayor has since stated he was correctly quoted relative to his intention and that it is still his plan to urge the appointment Of Curtis but that he will not insist. Reminded of his supplementary statement of Wednesday in which he declared insistence would not be fair to the commission" the mayor gave no indication of a changed view.
 The story to which the mayor took exception appeared in local pub lication last night, reading, in part: Mayor Gardner c. Weld in his of flee in the municipal building this morning, indicated that he had been misQuoted in another publication relative to statements about insisting on the appointment of ex-Mayor Or son r. Curtis to the proposed new position as inspector Of plans in thf | building department, but despite this, the mayor indicated that he believed there would be little contro- versy over the appointment of Curtis, and the retirement of Edward J. Hennessy from the department" After hearing the story read, the mayor did not stop at indicating" " but stated without equiyocation that i he was correctly quoted in the ori- ginal story-that he had said he would not insist upon the appoint ment of Curtis and that he will not begin to insist. Asked if he had in- tended to go even to the extent of Indicating" he was misquoted, the mayor said not even that was in i his mind.
 Mayor Weld said he not only did mot indicate" he was misquoted but had repeated the original state ment to the other publications representative and explained he had added to it the words, "I don't think it will he necessary to insist. U | With the entire building commits sion on record as refusing 10 ap- prove the appointment of Curtis and with Mayor Weld definitely on record as not insistent, the selection of Ed ward J. Hennessy as deputy appears certain. The commissioners would i have named Curtis had Weld insist ed, but under no other conditions, and if they had been called upon to accept the dictated appointment they would have insisted upon public declaration from the office of the board that Curtis was appointed | against their best judgment.
 The embarrassing situation such as declaration would have created for the mayor, the board and the build ing department, together with the virtual certainty of an open breach and resignations in protest tempered the enthusiastic desire Of the ad- ministration to place Curtis on the city payroll, 1t is claimed in munich pal circles.
 The administration was today un- . | ta ho 1nnl-it1o 4n tho o- mon council to effect the changes in
 the building department which the
 building commission has declined to do. and by reducing the salary of
 deputy inspector cause Edward J.
 Hennessy to lose his interest in the
 job.
 Mayor Weld has consistently
 urged that Hennessy be dropped and Orson r. Curtis named as deputy on
 a part time basis, with a salary Of I$1,2O0. The commissioners by
 unanimous vote decided to hold out
 for Hennessy as deputy and several
 meetings have failed to change their
 stand.
 It is said to be the admlnistra. tion's feeling that Hennessy will nc
 longer be candidate if his income
 is cut to less than half the present
 pay and this will assure the selec.
 tion of some one other than Hennes.
 sy.
 Members of the commission ad'
 mitted today that even though Hen
 messy is smoked out" through thi.
 legislative maneuver Curtis may no
 receive the appointment, and at any
 rate 1t will not be by unanimou. vote.