The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-09-17

Candidate for Mayor
 will place before you during the next three weeks.
 we charge that you are be- ing deceived as to the financial condition of the city, that the facts are being misrepresented and hidden from you.
 we charge that the present administration, which promised to get Us out of debt, is more eXtrav- agant than the two preceding ad- ninistrations and like them is resorttng to bond issues to con- ceal its extravaganza.
 Jobs Created
 We charge that jobs are cree ated by the hundred and that peo- pie are on the payroll who are employees or pensioners not of the city government but of the City Hall machine, that many needless trucks are hired, purchases are made and contracts let at 11on- competitive prices to buy political support.
 we shall produce evidence to substantiate these charges.
 we will show that enough money passed through the hands of the present administration in the last eight years to do what it promised us eight years ago. That promise was a businesslike admin tstration. In spite of the depres- sion, our citizens were able to furnish enough in taxes and con- tributions, and in credits, to be nquidated in future years to give us a tax rate as low as those in other Connecticut cities. This was possible with prudent administra- tion. It was possible, on the funds available, to maintain public serv- ice and at the same time pay of some of the bonds issued by previous administrations.
 "The administration has not kept its old promises because 1t has not spent our money prud- ently. If it had tried to, 1t would not be under the necessity of hir- ing people in increasing numbers to vote its ticket. Why should Q city administration which claims to be doing a good job and en- titled to popular support, find 1t necessary to put 1900 to 2,00O pre- election workers on the payroll for six weeks just before election, as 1t admittedly did in 1885, only to discharge them three days after election?
 Only Issue
 Mayor Hayes says that the only issue of this campaign is his record. We say 1t will not support him. Now if Mayor Hayes is will- ing to have his record freely dis cussed, we assume that he will readily answer questions put to him about his record. If he an- swers those questions truthfully, and to your satisfaction that Is one thing. But if he refuses to answer them or resorts to subter- fuge, drags in irrelevent matters to confuse the voter or even serves a series of wise cracks to the public, then you will know that Mayor Hayes does not stand on his real record and is un- worthy of support at the polls.
 Before we enter a further dis. cussion of the questions I will ask Mayor Hayes, wish to emphasize the importance of good municipal government to every resident of Waterbury. You citizens pay the bills and you should know all about 1t. Running the city of Wa terhury Is truly big business. It is a corporation with assets of near ly 200 million dollars. That means 1t Is the biggest business in the city. The Scovill Mfg. Go. has as- sets of less than 43 million dol- lars. The Chase Cos. and the Am erican Brass O., have assets not far from the same amount so if you add all three together you get total of about 1S0 millions-70 millions less than Waterbury's as- sets. Now you have the picture of the size of the municipal busi- ness.
 Sources of Taxes
 Each year this municipal cor- porc ton receives from property taxes and other sources over 6 million dollars. That is also an immense sum of money. It Is your money and my money. If you are a property owner you feel 1t very keenly when you pay your taxes each year. If you are @ rent payer 1t is not quite so evident. But you should remember that you also pay the city hall when you pay your rent. The landlord simply passes on the tax to you i1 the form of rent. So the higher the taxes the more rent you pay. Right now there is Q shortage of homes in Waterbury and rents are soaring. You know why, do you notP It is because the tax rate is so high the home builder no longer builds in Waterbury. He is buying and building in nearby towns. That leaves the property owner and the rent payer remain- ing in the city to meet the city bills. So you see we are all tax payers, property owner and rent payers alike.
 ''Now I mentioned a few min- utes ago that the municipal inc come is over 6 million dollars a year. Keep that in mind. Mayor Hayes has been in oftice eight years. That means he has had 48 million dollars to spend during his term of ofilce. When Mayor Hayes took office the bonded indebted ness of the city was 917,840, 900. Now 1t is $18.672, BOO dollars. That does not show much saving. It shows Q growing bonded debt for Waterbury.