The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-12
City's Legal Dept.
Had Busy Year; Corp.
Counsel Asks Care
Cooperation Of Police Urged in Keeping Walks Free
From Distractions, Ice; Many Legal Claims
Adjusted, Many Remain to Be Taken Care OF

tHey CVIis Wy every HUW ana CIleu
and always cost the city money.
Policemen should bear In mind
that all these things should be
reported and they should con-
tiflue to report them until some
action Is taken to remedy the de-
feet.
Another cause OF action that Is
much used Is that based on de-
fective boxes or box covers In the
sidewalk. Although our charter
was amended q few years ago,
so that whoever Is responsible for
maintaining any obstruction In the
street, will be liable for any injury
that ensues because OF 1t, yet de-
fective boxes and trap doors, that
are In need Of repair, should be
reported Immediately by the po-
licemen who see them.
Claims and Suits
Although we have tried and adj
jusCed many suits against the city
curing the year, Lliere remain
many matters Wnicn Will Involve
CONSIDERABLE litigation the coming
IL months. We, IN conjunction
with the law committee OF the
Board Of Aldermen disaliowed
numerous claims In the past few
months. How much AtigaCion Will
result depends upon how many OF
the aggiIeved parts will Jake
their cams 10 the courts. AS
a rule, we have plenty OF suits
after the various petitioners are
gwen leave 10 withdraw.
Notwithstanding the many
claims against the city the past
year, we feel that the city was
not hurt too much In the adjust
ments ana settlements made. We
hope that the city will be as for
tunate, II not more so, during
1910.
Workmen's Compensation
Although compensation for city
employees has not cost the city
much money the past year, there
Is no way OF estimating the COM
pensation costs from year TO year.
We endeavor 10 give plenty OF at
tention 10 compensation cases. We
feel that while injured employees
should be given the best OF medi-
cal care, and their cases Justly
considered by our Office, yet we
know that thorough Investigations
have aided US In keeping the COM
pensation figure low. We try to
impress upori the department
heads the necessity OF notifying
our Office Immediately when q city
employee Is injured. We have only
O few cases on compensat ton ut
present and o few that may cause
some litigation In the future.
The city carried It's own conf
pensation on the park department
the past year. Formerly the park
department employees were COW
cred by compensation insurance.
The city carries Its own compen-
sation, now, with the exception
Of some employees Of the engineer
Ing department.
Legislative Matters
Legislative matters took UP con-
siderable time OF the Office dur
Ing the first half OF the year. Al
most every day q representative
OF the ONCE had to be In HART
ford to follow the proceedings and
to be familiar with any and all
bills that would affect the city.
Some OF the measures proposed
required O lot OF study. More
over some OF the bills that were
enacted will undoubtedly cause
plenty OF litigation In the future.
There have been many discus
sions already as TO the real mean
Ing OF the pension bill, and
eventually II may have 10 be clari-
fled by the courts.
AS you know, waterbury after
January /, 1910, will operate under
a new charter. Experience has
taught US that new acts and new
charters require considerable study
before and after they are put into
operation, no matter how much
thought has been given them be-
fore enactment. Consequently, II
would seem 10 me that the cor
poration counsel will be asked
plenty OF questions the coming
year about the new charter.
Opinions
IT Is really surprising the
amount OF time that the office
has devoted the past year prepar-
ing opinions for the mayor, the
various board and the department
heads. Requests for opinions have
been very numerous Of late years.
OF course we are very willing X
prepare them, but they require lot
OF time and careful study. Be-
cause Of Your Honors expert
ence In city affairs, you are In
q position to know this. But there
are many officials, who believe
that an opinion can be written or
an ordinance drawn up almost i'm
mediately. But such is not the
case. We simply refer to the
matter, so that they will not think
we are dilatory because their
requests are not met as quickly
as they think they should be.
Collections
During the past year, we were
called upon at various times to
aid different departments In coll
lection money that was owed. In
most cases we were successful IN
getting the matters adjusted. The
Welfare departemnt In its inves-
legations oft times find that per-
sons getting relief have money In
the bank, and they call. upon us
to get back the money That the
city Is entitled to. Collections Of
bills and assessments on our books
and rents from property which
the city has acquired, have been
fairly good the past year.
During the year a member Of
the office staff was receiver for
Industrial Properties, Inc, q con-
Germ which owed the city sub
stantial amount Of taxes. He was
appointed by the corporation
counsel's recommendation with
the understanding that he would
receive no extra compensation for
the work. When he rendered his