New Britain herald., 1928-11-20
Finance Board Chairman,
Mayor Paonessa and
Comptroller Lock Horns
Over Assessments Not
Collected.

lntsrrupting = heated dispute be-
tween Mayer Paonsssa and Comp
treiler Hanferd l.. Curtis ut = meet
int Of the board Of finance and taxa
ton last night, Chairman Edward
i. Hall, publicly charged the comp
trailer with laxity In the matter of
sewer assessments and expressed
woAderment that Curtis could sleep
nights when he knew conditions to
b such a. they are.
Senator Halls attack on the COMP
trsllsr followed the disclosure that
At least 100000 in sewer assess
ments due the city have remained on
the books OF tho department of
public works, some of the accounts
for several years. and that efforts
have not been directed toward their
collection.
The meeting was called to devise
means for proceeding with sewer
construction work. Assured by Cor
poration Counsel John H. Kirkham
that 1t 10 permissible to borrow
money in anticipation OF collections,
the board passed vote to raise
$4,000 in this fashion.
Hall Cannot Get Bill For Curb
Discussion of the condition of &C.
counts opened when Senator Hall
called attention to the mayors de-
sire to have = proper check kept
in the future.
1T 10 quite apparent that a check
10 needed" Senator Hall said. II
have been trying for several years
to get bill for q curb placed In
front OF my home and have been un-
able to get one to this day.
rs there machinery for doing 50
now" Philip B. Stanley inquired.
and he was informed the comptrol-
Ter IL supposed 10 be also the auditor.
Mayor Paonessa at this juncture
reported having found books of the
board Of public works unsatisfactory
in 1924. and in his message to the
common council in the following
year, excerpts CT which he quoted,
he recommended that an auditor be
engaged. He informed the board
that he talked with the department
clerk last spring and made it plain
that he desired action on undue
assessments. At that time the clerk
intimated the accounts were in pro-
per shape, the mayor recalled. In
his annual message which followed
hts conference with the clerk he
again recommended that an auditor
be engaged.
Paonessa and Curtis In Tilt
''What want to know" the mayor
began. us whether l have authority
to demand all audit. or if ! must
leave it to the comptroller. / told
HIM four or five months ago of the
need. II he has failed-and It's a
part Of his duty. believe l have a
moral right II not a legal right to
order an audit. Yet Mr.. Curtis says
have not"
Comptroller Curtis interrupted to
deny he had made such statement.
well. it was in the newspapers. v
the mayor retorted turning and
glaring at Mr.. Curtis.
Don't believe all you see in the
newspapers" Curtis shot back, la
ter qualifying his defense by saying
that he did not recall whether he
made such 4 statement.
Anyway" Mr.. Curtis answered.
lit isn't UP to me to do the clerical
work Of the board Of public works.
I knew those assessments weren't
being made. and where l fell down
IL in not putting my report on 1t
in writing. can't make them do
It,"
Chairman Hall blasted the ques-
ton Of whether the mayor has 4
right to order an audit by declar-
ing 1t to be his opinion that such
. right exists. whereupon Mr.. Cur
Us rose from his chair, stepped into
an anteroom and returned with 4
book Of ordinances from which he