The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-18
Praises Work of City De- partments in Annual
 Message to Aldermen

lishments of the police, health fire and other city boards, tribute to city officers who have died and who have taken other positions, these and many more city matters were included in the annual meS- sage of Mayor Frank Hayes, read last night at the meeting of the board of aldermen by City Clerk John P. Fitzmaurice.
 The mayor pointed to the &C., complishment of the police, which saw conviction of 71 persons out of " cases of hit-and-run drivers, breaking up of gangs, reduction of motor vehicle accidents by Il per cent by the accident preven- tion bureau, decrease of g per cent in automobile insurance rates in Waterbury because of this pro- gram.
 He pointed to the fire record which saw only $48,0o0 of total damage placed at $283,000 not covered by insurance; to the health department reports, which saw Waterbury taking honors; to the street programs, which in cluded such projects as that of Exchange Place, Willow street, Homer street and others.
 The mayor remarked that his committee for the establishment of merit system for Waterbury, further reorganization of city de- partments, the appointment of a personnel director, would be matters soon to be undertaken. The merit system committee will meet shortly and the mayor stressed the need for a radical change in the method of procur- ing and retaining city positions"
 The complete text of the mse- sage follows:
 To the Honorable Board of Alder men of the City of Waterbury,
 Complying with Section 58C of the charter, 1t again becomes my duty to present to your honorable board a general statement of the condition of the city, and to offer herewith certain recommenda- tions.
 Such statement must necessarily be a brief one, because the an- nual reports of the various city departmentS, which now hand to you, will furnish all the de- tails of the city's activities during the past year. I hope you will avail yourselves of the opportunity to study them in detail. l shall, however, take this occasion to touch upon a few of the more important events of the year.
 Financial
 Our record of tax collections has surpassed that of recent years, and the average of collections will compare more than favorably with any of the larger cities of the state. In the making up of the budget for the year 1888, we have been able to reduce the tax rate by another half mill, representing total decrease of approximately Il mills since 1930.
 In view of the charges recently made relative to the conduct of the office of the controller, who has recently retired from office, should state to you that, in con- formity with Section 60l of the charter, I have, with the consent of tie Board of Finance, appoint ed certified public accountants to audit all matters concerning the fiscal affairs of the city. The audit has already been made for approximately Il months and will be completed as soon as the &C., countants are able to check the final month. As soon as their report has been completed, it will be presented to your honorable board and to the board of finance for such further action as you or they may deem necessary.
 Public Health:
 For the third time, our city has received an award from the United States Chamber of Com merce in recognition of its rating as second in its class for efficiency in health activities. This award covers the year 1886. Such a rec ord must indicate not only prompt and Skillful treatment of disease, but also active educational work in disease prevention. In this work, our health department has enjoyed the willing cooperation of our hospitals and other similar agencies.
 The new abattoir, completed and opened in July, is regarded as one of the best designed and equipped in New England. Since its opening, marked increase in revenue has been shown, which leads us to expect for the future even larger returns on this invest ment.
 Public Welfare:
 The demands of the Welfare Department, while considerably lessened since the height of the depression, still constitutes a serious financial problem. With the advent of the present reces- sion in business, these demands have, temporarily at least, shown a marked decrease.
 The work of this department is of an extremely complicated and confidential nature. The old system by which public relief was based principally upon sympathy has gradually been supplanted by scientific and painstaking investi- gations to determine the kind and amount of relief to be given. In this transition, which has been nationwide, our city has kept abreast of new conditions and methods.
 This department has suffered a grave loss in the resignation of Mrs. Margaret Verdon whose work in this field has been outstanding. It is pleasing to note that the governor has recognized her value in this work by drafting her to 8 responsible position in the state. I am confident that when her successor is appointed, the choice will fall upon one able to carry On the work with the same de-