The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-05
A Hard Winter Indeed

For a great many years Robert A. Cairns has been the city engineer of Wa terbury and in that position has demon strated his ability, his foresight and his honesty. Administrations have come and gone, but MT Cairns has remained un- disturbed iii his office because of his character as a man and his qualifications as an engineer. The Democrat has Ill the past disagreed with him on the ad- visibility or appositeness of certain pro- jects but it has never insinuated that he was anything but conscientious, able public servant To have done so would have been to impeach it's good sense. But the Republican and American have recently taken upon themselves the job of trying to undermine, by indirection, the confidence which Waterbury has in him. In their anxiety to seize upon any weapon with which to attack the incumbent regime at City Hall, the city engineers integrity was impugned But only in-- indirectly.
 When the construction of the Thomas ton avenue sewer was under consld- eration MT Cairns, in keeping with his lifelong habit of speaking his confirmed convictions, informed the city admin tration that the best interests of the tax payers would be safeguarded by letting the contract without calling for competi- tive bids. The firm he recommended had done work under his supervision and inspection of similar, important nature and, in his opinion, it was best qualified to do the job in Thomaston avenue. This recommendation he made, explicitly, to Mayor Hayes who like good business man followed the advice. MT Cairns letter to the mayor was, in keeping with the provisions of the city charter, ap- proved by the mayor and again in keep ing with the charter, filed as public document with the city clerk. For right minded citizens that was sufficient but It did not suit the campaign which the Re- publican and American have been con- ducting to bring Waterbury and its elect ed officials into discredit.
 The allotment of the contract was branded as piece of political plundering and the insinuation was made that the tax payers were being cheated To be sure the city engineer was not assalled. There are limits even to the stupidity of the Republican and American. But Mayor Hayes and the board of public works were put in the pillory of public opinion be- cause they took the advice which MT Cairns gave them. Careful not to assault the integrity of the man who gave the counsel the two papers, at loss for mud to throw, delivered broadside at the men who followed it.
 But, never let it be said that the Rre- publican and American refuses to right ! oL have. by indirection, been guilty of an ln- justice to MT Cairns, as the City Engl- neer, so like the estimable CD news papers they are they proceed to make amends On Friday night last, the Amerl- can. having done it's worst by indlrectlon to convince it's readers that MT Calrns, City Engineer, was a party to political grab of some unspecified kind, places the poison ivy of it's approval upon the brow of MT Cairns, Weather Reporter. The City Engineer has gone on record as stat- ing that the current winter is the "sever- est he is able to remember
 Civil engineering being based upon mathematics is an exact science. Weather reporting, either priori or posterlorl' is as independable as-well, let us say anything which is printed in The Repub-- lican and American about the conduct ot the citys business. When The Republican and American agree with anything which anyone connected with the present ad- ministration says is true it is time for the city's administrators to get suspl- cious.
 This may or may not be the severest winter which MT Cairns is able to recall but it certainly has been the toughest on the City of Waterbury. The Republican and American have not missed day Tn appearing.