The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-09-26

Renewing his attack on the city
manager plan, Senator George T.
Culhane today heaped criticism on
President Harold White of the Citi-
zens Good Government Association,
claiming that his interest in the
acceptance of the city manager form
of government is based on personal
ambitions.
81 hear that you became inter-
ested in the city manager scheme
only because you wanted reduction
of the assessment of the Blake and
johnson factory" said Senator Gull
hane, in an open question to Mr..
White. "Of course, being treasurer
of that company, you would have
been the one to seek such reduc-
ton.
Senator Culhane said, 1--WE all
know about the conditions which
existed in Kansas City and we
also know of the infamous expose
which was uncovered there. Was
the city manager in Kansas City
charged with being crooked?
Was his boss crooked? The people
of that city were forced to live
under conditions which would
never have been tolerated under
a party form of government. Is it
any wonder that newspapers called
that expose of the city manager
form of government in Kansas
City the shame of America"
I have no way of knowing
whether the professional propa-
gandists who are trying to sell
the city manager charter to the
people of Waterbury are the same
persons who sold it to the un-
suspecting public Of Kansas City.
Certainly the same procedure must
have been used. The same sales
talks may have been adopted. The
same charter may have been put
into effect. Thus, it is not i'm
possible to assume that those pro-
feSsionals who are now invading
the homes Of Waterbury once in
vaded the homes of Kansas City.
1t is only fair to assume that
after selling their idea to Tom
Pendergast and his henchmen
those same professional statesmen
then went into the homes of Kan
sas City and sold the people of
that city the idea of voting for a
city manager charter. They did.
And how ashamed those statesmen
must have been when the expose
occurred. Or perhaps they have
no conscience. They cared not
fer the feelings of the taxpayer
or the rentpayer, they were getting
their salaries to sell the city man
ager charter and they did"
Consider for a moment that
the leaders of this movement to
have the people of Waterbury vote
for a city manager for this city
always tell their workers to "never
mention the Kansas City affair"
"vice, graft and corruption were
part and parcel of the city man
ager form of government in Kan
sas City. That was the condition
in Kansas City, and that is the
condition that could exist here in
Waterbury under a similar situa-
ton"
"And now, Mr.. White, here is
a question directed only to you.
I hear that you became interested
in the city manager scheme only
because you wanted reduction Of
the assessment on the Blake &
johnson factory. OF course, being
treasurer of that company, you
would have been the one to seek
such reduction. Now I ask you,
Mr.. White if that Is what is called
'flinching' or is that what the
Good Government association
calls their idea of civic pride?"
Senator Culhane then went on
to charge that certain sections of
the City Manager Charter are I'M
constitutional and quoted several
which he said conflict with the
State Constitution.
Said Senator Culhane, "Arti-
Gle 6, section 5 of the Constitution
of the State of Connecticut,
adopted September IS, 1918, pro-
vides that the selectmen and town
clerk of the several towns shall
decide on the qualifications of the
electors, at such times, and in
such manner as may be prescribed
by law. Does that part of the
state Constitution say anything