New Britain herald., 1926-07-10
FIERY FIGHT OVER
 SCHOOL INSURANCE
Commercial Co. Given 70 Per
 Cent by 5 to 3 Vote
"FAYORITISM," LONG SAYS
Minority Vigorously Dissents From Pc Recommended By Finance Committee-NGajority Sticks To- gcther, Puts Proposition Across.

Committee-Majority Sticks To-
 gcther, Puts Proposition Across.
 Over the vigorous protests of several members Of the school com- mittee, it was voted at a meeting of the board yesterday afternoon to award 10 the Commercial Co. 70 per cent Of additional insurance on school b lding and to divide SC per cent evenly among other insur- ance companies. This was Tecom- m ded by the finance committee of the board.
 At times fiery hroadcasts were shot in the direction of the boards policies by Commissioners William H. Day, William Kerin. and William Long. At one time in the debate Mir. Day got up and declared some may think 1t was all right 10 come to mec,in s and vote aye to recom- of the various commit tees and act the part of a rubber stamp, but he felt that it was his duty to question some of the rec concentrations and even though he was a new member of the board he said he v-uted 10 voice his objec- ton to this new policy which the board is planning to adopt. If you want to let the committees reports go unobjectcd to why not dispense with the board a-d leave the work to a group of commitces?" he asked.
 His statement came following spirited talk from Committeeman George Levitt. a member of the finance committee, who said: What ever slight error the finance com- mittee may make it is for the bene- fit of the city of New Britain. We are acting honestly in this matter and I believe the board should up- hold any recommendations offered it by the committee"
 Long Charges Fayoritism
 MT. Long declared: Tt isn't fair, and it looks like favoritism." He said he would not favor any move to give 70 per Cc..t 10 one company just because one of it's employees worked on the matter. Any com- pany would be willing to work on a proposition such as this if it would be repaid as well as this company is" he asserted.
 In his recommendation 10 the board, Chairman George w. Traut of the finance committee said that inasnuch as Royal c. Wilbur of the Commercial Co.,. had worked for some time in drawing up the sched- ule. it thought it right that the bulk of the business should go to the con- ,cern.
 Following his talk Committeeman Kcrin discussed one which told oi the saving of $l75@ annually. Cues tioning the accuracy of this report he said he believed the city could have done much better if if had fol- lowed the policy adopted in other matters. He suggested that the c,.,mittce ont and get bids on the school holdings and he was cer- tain that large savings would result He mentioned Bridgeport and Wa, terhury as cities which are insured under the same conditions but whose rates of insurance are much lower than that Of Now Britain. He saif it was a bad precedent to establish
 Committeeman Day asked Wha' had been done about other proposi' lions offered by insurance companies
 "T understand there were two com panies that offered similar proposi' tions." he added. Mrs. A, G. Kim bah asked their names and he gave the W. L. Hatch Go. as one an( added that he was shown carbor
 copy Of a plan taken from the fIle' of the company.
 Discussion Becomes Warm MT. Traut said he knew Of no sucl (Contlnued on Page Fourteen)