The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-03-04


 horse of the northwest wing of City Hall, came before the board of finance with further complaints yes terday. One was that the city was allowing too much to numerous en- ployes for running their private automobiles. Another complaint was a matter of end of the year bills, received this year, which had not, he said, been authorized by the controller as he claimed the statute provided.
 For the first complaint, it was brought out by Mayor Frank Hayes that the table of comparisons of rates for running cars in Water bury and in other cities which Con- troller Rowland produced in some detail, did not give true picture of the situation.
 No City Owned Cars
 You could scarcely compare Wa terbury with Bristol" remarked the mayor, and New Haven has a much smaller area, so far as use of cars in city work is concerned"
 The mayor, supported by Com missioner w. Judge, Republican, and other members of the board, eX- pressed themselves as against city owned cars.
 We have had very bad exper- fence with city-owned cars" the mayor said.
 I'm against such proposition, too, Commissioner Judge remark ed.
 It was agreed in a general discus sion that tendency of employees would be to run their cars eXten- siyely" If the cars were run on a basis of so much per mile, as was the case in Bristol. And should the city buy the cars, the same condi- tion would obtain, it was agreed.
 Commissioner Charles B. Jackson inquired of Executive Secretary Thomas P. Kelly whether the pay mentS for running the cars were not included in the current years bud- get and was told that they are.
 Comparisons
 The controllers table of compari- sons was taken from a list of cities which gave Waterbury the position of paying more. Figures from Hart ford and Bridgeport were not in- c!uded. In some instances, his tables showed that New Haven and Bris- tol had city-owned cars for the equivalent work.
 I'm just bringing the matter to the attention of the board" the controller repeated his familiar phrase, often heard during the past two months when he has offered various "tabulated comments" for public consumption.
 The matter was tabled. to take precedence today over other board matters affecting employment of more than 1000 WPA workers, re- str3cted by the controller through his refusal to cooperate with build- ing department officials, and ap- pesred on page one of the Republi- can organization newspaper this morning. William B. Pape, business manager of the Republican-Amer- ican and Alderman Thomas Bane, Republican organization mouthpiece, attended the meeting.
 School Purchases
 In the matter of the bills Control Ter Rowland claimed were paid with out his authorization, Mayor Hayes pointed to the major item fuel or dered by the board of education, and informed the controller that it was quite possible the fuel, in queS- tion. had been ordered at the end of the year when two holidays, Sat llrday, January 1, and Sunday, in tervened between the close of the old year and the taking of office of MT. Rowland, Monday, January 3.
 Tt is quite possible that the board of education felt that the buildings might freeze up during that per iod,' the mayor remarked. Besides, there has always been controversy between the board of education and the controller over the possibility that the general statutes do not pro- vide that the board may order sup plies as it sees fit"
 Controller Rowland had question ed such items as $2.5l to the Im- perial Laundry, Inc, for police de- partment laundry; $272 to the Wa tertoWn Avenue Filling Station, for gasoline and oil for Brooksidc Home; $3552 for bread from the General Baking Company, for Brookside Home; $1336 for Fire De- partment laundry from the Imperial Laundry, Inc, and $1302 from Shal- let-LuX, Inc, for the same depart ment; an automobile repairs, oil and grease bill from the Street De- partment to the Police Department.
 Other Statements
 The other bills were for fuel and milk with the item, coal, $l,658.57, John Byron Coal Company, for the board of education'S account, the rest for the Welfare Department; Brookside Dairies, Inc, Milk, S392.52; R. F. Worden & Sons, Inc, milk, S6690l; fuel supplies, Oil, Mc- Elligott Fuel Corporation, two bills. $437.75 and $357; VanaSSe Ice and Coal Company, two bills, oil, $458 9 and $477.71.
 Controller Rowland as one of his first acts in office, took the laundry ot the Fire Department away from the concerns listed above and gave 1t to Perry's, Inc, a concern whose two major officers are Watertown Republicans. The laundry work of the Police Department was switched