The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-28


 flee could not be interfered with longer. This, just as the reporter was about to offer another written request to look over the vouchers showing payments to merchants supplying service to the police and fire departments.
 What do the warrant sheets show? Briefly, the December sheets, still unsigned by the controller while hundreds of persons supply ing lodging and food to those cit- izens on relief ask daily for their money, show that the basis of the smear" attack by the Republican organization newspapers was taken from specific items.
 Some Not Published
 Many of the payments, those Spe- officially intended for concerns, whose owners appeared as mem berS of the first "non-partisan" committee from the Republican, American, were never published in the Republican organization news papers. Why? Officials who are aware of the approximate $250,0O0 which one concern is reported to have been paid during the last eight years, lessened more latterly, asked this question today.
 Yet there appears on the Decem- Der warrant sheets, paid as of Dec. 31 and among the payments "ques- toned" by Controller Rowland, items of payment to the company, as follows:
 Education department, $3,032 24o: under the item, municipal abattoir, these items of payment; $77.07, $112.42, $14.92, and $.59. So long as the Republican-American published items with design to show "pa- tronage", why were these and a score more overlooked, an official demanded.
 Laundry Patronage
 What of the patronage change in the matter of laundry service for the police and fire departments since Controller Rowland took of- flee, it was asked. The Democrat publishd the exclusive story con- cerning the issuing of acquisitions for laundry to Perry's, Inc, taking the business" from two women and from other local concerns. Two of- f1cers of Perry's, Inc, are Water town residents and Republicans.
 The controller, learning of this effect of his patronage, returned the laundry work to the two wo- men after reading The Democrat story.
 Cooney Has No Laundry
 It was learned today that Andrew J. Cooney, former Republican can- didate for mayor, "swamped" in 1883 by Mayor Frank Hayes, has been allotted the laundry business of the police department. While former Alderman Cooney is under stood not to have laundry in Wa terbury just now, it is reported that the work will be sub-let to firm in New Britain.
 But the controller declined to al- low The Democrat reporter view of the vouchers showing the changes in this patronage, saying that the reporter had taken enough time" of the office.
 All For Today
 That's all for today" Controller Rowland remarked, as the reporter returned the warrant sheets which do not show the payments for laun- dry to the Republican concerns.
 There is more to this story about the office of Controller Rowland in its relation to The Democrat, long excluded from the sanctum where five staff members of the Republi- can-American held privy council with MT. Rowland, through the first weeks of his tenure as a city off, cial and servant of the public.
 Door Is Opened
 Yesterday afternoon the reporter was at city hall when William B. Pape and Republican-American reporter entered the door marked private, from the corridor of the city building. Thus, with MT. Pape demanding as a citizen" to see the public records" after a reporter frc-.1 the Republican had failed, a reporter from The Democrat like wise had failed to gain such access, the door marked private" was opened at long last.
 Controller Rowland received the reporter from The Democrat who has been trying to see him since January 3, the day he swore ob- Servance of his duties as a city official. It was a pleasant few min utes for the reporter, glad to take a look at the controllers scene of action, in manner of speaking Sort of Comedy Act
 Due, however, to the presence of The Democrat reporter, the con- troller denied MT. Pape access" to the public records" which the busi- ness manager of the Republican, American had come ito copy" MT Pape was disappointed" He did not mention, however, that the public records" which he was there ito copy" are neatly printed into story form" in the Republican, American office, part of the mate- rial aborted by the action of the Board of Finance from place on the smear scene.
 Gesture Failed
 The controller, editorially speak ing, very amiable and courteous man, was not of mind to release" the public records until he had had time to study" the interpretation given by the corporation counsel. So the gesture of the Republican American failed. for the time being.
 The public will be puzzled by the items" which MT. Pape threatens editorially will appear today. Inas- much as the Republican-American printed on three successive days long howls about the missing rec ords for the years 1850 through 1885," it will be feat, observers re-