The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-10-10
ALDERMAN WALKER
ATTACKS ROWLAND
CONTINUED from Page y

"OAAbAAAdgh AhVsAA S0S -
q number Of cases where ne CUES
toned the right Of the committee 70
make attachments.
Chairman Walker said today that
scrutiny Of the facts behind every
one of these cases would show that
the abatement committee 10 acting
constructively and for the best IN"
terests Of the city and the taxpayers.
Statement Of walker
He takes issue with Controllers
Rowland's like treatment Of city
matters In the statement which he
issued today, as follows:
Alderman Walkers Letter
Last Saturdays edition OF the
Waterbury American carried an
article containing o copy Of o let
ter personally addressed TO me from
the controllers office. II was Q
lengthy article and cTitized the land
committee Of the board Of aldermen
for It's handling Of tax attachments.
"This committee arrived ut It's re.
commendations after holding hear
ings and personally investigating
these cases and, up 70 the present
time, the committee sees no reason
why these recommendations should
be changed.
1.-THE committee feels that the
controllers office was discourteous
In not comforting with the commit.
tee before releasing for publication
untrue statements rejecting on the
work Of this committee.
"It Is unfortunate that the con-
trolieris office did not see fit 70 have
a representative at these hearings
but based the present critisln entire
ly on information obtained from the
petitions, which naturally fell short
Of telling the full story. 1t Is equally
unfortunate that the controllers Of.
flee waited until this late date TO
publish criticism which is not con-
structive In any sense Of the wore.
an the first case listed, the claim
Is made that we abated taxes OF o
corporation. The Waterbury Con.
crete Construction company Is not
q corporation but 10 owned BY an
individual.
Had Messrs. Purcell (Jarnes p.
Purcell, i1oldover accountant IN the
office Of Controller Sherwood J.
Rowland) and Bane, (The Republic
can Alderman Thomas r. Bane, act
ing as assistant purchasing agent in
the controllers office) taken the
trouble to check these cases they
would have found they were wrong
In this instance. Other cases list
ed likewise would show similar err
rors. But why force these unfor-
tunate people to suffer further
humiliation?"
am only one way can the present
method Of recommending abate-
lnents be improved upon and that
Is by employing Q paid investigator.
However, the salary item might be
greater than any savings that could
be made.
"This committee feels that Il has
done its Job well and offers no ex-
cuses. The committee VIII continue
to handle future cases within its
Judgment Is TO Just which cases are
worthy. we are asking no advice
from the controllers office. This IS
our Job not his. Controller Rowl-
and's0
1--WE will follow the spirit. not the
letter, Of the law and II we want le-
gai advice we VIII get IL from the
corporation counsel, who Is the
proper authority under the charter.
II viii never recommend the TAX
ing away Of q home from . blind
man and his crippled wife as Messrs
Purcell and Bane Of the controllers
office have suggested.
zone thing the controller must
remember Is that there b Q human
side 20 every one Of these cases."
(signedl BURTON II. WALKER
Chairman q the Abatement Com.
Beard az Alderman.