The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-08-25
CITY CONTRACT
 LABOR SYSTEM
Took Long Fight to COn- vince Many That It Was
 Poor Policy
FUNDS NEEDED AT HOME

It was conflict in which there were many casualties that put the city in a position to employ it's own labor on public work instead of having most of 1t go to out of town contractors. It is but a few years ago when constructing side- walks, extending sewers and water mains, onpening new streets, and paving was done by contract, 1t not being unusual to see an army of Waterbury citizens standing around watching men from other places hustling at jobs which they felt belonged by right to them. One would say that such a condition never existed, but you do not have to go far to find the proof.
 Contract labor had backing that it was difficult to combat. The argument was constantly used that it was a money saving proposition for the people, and this was put forward so forcibly that it required much courage and lot of investi- gation to prove that taking every have work done by laborers who their earnings in the community where they had received it. This plan got big boost during the ad- ministration of Mayor w. D.. Thoms when officials took the bit in their teeth and decided to Ignore criticism and do all it's own york by local labor. The proposi- ton was criticised by some and given hearty approval by others. It was a dull period and hundreds were out of employment. The big manufacturers and all the mer- chants approved 1t. In an inter- view published in the Waterbury Democrat, the late James s. Elton said that it would be serious mistake to let dollar go out of the city that could be kept at home.
 This silenced some of the critics, and by degrees 1t became unpopu- lar to bring in workmen from out of town to do jobs that could be handled successfully by those who had permanent residences here. For a time contractors tried to get around this plan by making 1t a part of their proposals to employ only local labor. but that did not work.
 After a few years the city was equipped to set curbs, construct sidewalks, either of tar or other material and repair them, extend water mains. open new streets, build sewers and handle other general improvements to better ad- vantage than any of the contrac- tors. Even with this evidence available there were those who al- ways opposed the employment of local labor on city work and if they had their own way to-day they would scrap all the apparatus the city has and return to the con- tract system.
 Such large projects as building reservoirs. which are out of the or dinary. have to be done by con- tract, although some are of the opinion that a share of it could be there is in 1t kept at home, where owners of property, merchants and others would get a. share of 1t.
 Why ali this talk about a system of doing business that has been tried and found for the benefit of all the people? Isn't the plan of doing work adopted in Waterbury the same as that in use in other industrial commuhities--the. same as Roosevelt now recommends for the whole nation? The lot of the ordinary toiler is not any too pleasant and this business of going here and there watching men in sand banks. sewers. ditches and other places to see how often they straighten their backs is a mis- taken notion of reform and can- not accomplish anything for the good of society.
 Public officials are amenabIe to the law as well IS private individ- uals and when they leave them- selves liable they should be taken into court. This business of making charges, which may or may not be true. and doing nothing more, helps rather than flinders those who might be inclined to do wrong and discourages sensitive citizens from accepting public office. be- cause they do not know what day someone who hasn't good opin- ion of anybdoy will give them a '.roast" in the press.