The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-05-04
Corporation Counsel, Mayor
 Employed Me, Says w. E. Thoms

MT. Cairns concerning the Shepaug System.
 e. What is the Shepaug System?
 A. The Shepaug System itself is tunnel, seven or eight miles long with reservoirs. The water conduct ed from its source out through the town of Washington.
 @. In your services as additional counsel for the city of Waterbury did you have any consultations with the ctiy engnieer?
 A. Frequently.
 Q. I suppose from your long service as corporation counsel you are familiar with the corporation counsel office, are you? A. Yes.
 @. There is great deal of liti- gation in Waterbury? A. There is. I think we have more litigation than all cities. w have more activities than New Ha. ven apd Bridgeport. New Haver and Bridgeport don't own their owr water system. That is the reason why they require less litigation thar we do.
 @. The point is, whether or moi the ordinary duties of the corpora tion counsel of Waterbury, such as city litigation, pretty fully occupies his time and attention?
 A. Yes. He can't do it all.
 Help Needed
 @. In other words, would you say that on account of the duties inn posed on him in thu regular course of his duties, it becomes necessary to retain additional counsel for ex- traordinary work?
 A. It has had since I have been acquainted with it.
 @. Does your memory serve you to say that the 5000 you got in 193i was for some services rendered ir 1881 in connection with the city engineers office?
 A. It was, in more than one con- nection.
 o. My question is directed as tc whether or not from the compensa- tion you got in 1882, was there serv- ice partially rendered in 1881?
 A. Well, the work concerning the charter.
 o. Now, you told MT. Alcorn, did you not, that in 1892 you received approximately $3,800 from the city and believe that you said that you had something to do with the sewer age disposal.
 A. Sewerage disposal and the states water control.
 @. Will you please tell the jury what services you rendered to your compensation of $6,0o0 in 1887?
 Merit System
 A. Well, of course, the index in- volved the study of the legislature since 1881. Then when that was done, picking out every subject that should be indexed-the whole mat ter being carefully checked up. That bill was also an item of the Merit System.
 o. Will you explain as briefly as you can what the merit system was and what services you rendered in connection with that system?
 A. That was in connection with the civil service, and my services were retained. When I was corpora tion counsel the same thing arose in Hartford in the same form, and the proponents of the measure at that time were obliged to put their signatures on it and it turned out that the signatures were not many, and that question arose, and the full subject had to be studied and con- ferences had to be had and discus sions. They had election contests here and I think you know the dif- ficulty that arose, and I was called upon.
 @. Did you appear in court in that contest.
 A. For four weeks.
 Q. DO I understand that services rendered in the election case was included in this $6,000 cornpensa- tion for that service?
 A. That was included.
 @. And would it be fair to say that the irdexing of the charter, the compensation for which was includ- ed in this $6,000 in 1897, was a very inconsequential item in con- nection with your payment?
 A. One doesn't index charter in an inconsequential way. One must apply skill and knowledge.
 o. So finally, the $6,000 that you were paid in 1887 included services for indexing the charter, service in connection with the election case, with the Merit System, and with the sewerage disposal system. Is that right?
 A. And the state water commis- sion.
 No Split
 O. Let me ask you something. All the moneys that you were paid there was some money that you were paid as compensation for the services rendered to the City of Waterbury did you retain every cent of that money to yourself?
 A. I did.
 @. Did you divide your fee with anybody?
 A. No.
 o. During the time while you were rendering these services did you con- suit with MT. O'Connor, the corpora tion counsel?
 A. Yes, frequently.
 c. And was the mayor present during some of those consultations
 A. Yes.
 e. Now, when you were mayor oi the city of Waterbury or corporation counsel for the city, there was nc formal way that they required ad- ditional counsel in which to retain additional counsel, was there?
 A. don't recall more than one instance in which l even wrote 6 letter.
 c. In other words, the mayor and the corporation counsel deter. mined that they wanted additional counsel and that was all there wal to it.
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