The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-10-02
BIC 8 CONTROL
COP. AFFAIRS
Manufacturers Seeking to
Perpetuate Domination
Charges Udelowitz

To The Editor Of the Democrat:
In my first reply to Mr.. Taft, I
concluded the letter with the follow
ing paragraph:
IF Mr.. Taft were better informed
about Waterbury conditions, he
would find that behind this city
manager proposition there is well
defined plan to perpetuate the present
control Of the city and that behind
the pollyannas who are fronting for
the Good Government Association
will be found the manipulators of
the double machine that have held
sway the past eighteen years. Mr..
Goss is merely preparing to take
the citizenry for another buggy
ride"
The plan to perpetuate the present
control referred TO In the above
paragraph, refers Of course to the
manufacturers of the city in a gen.
eral way and the big three Scovill
Mfg. Co., Chase Companies and the
American Brass co. in particular.
The big three have held control
OF the local Republican organization
through having puppet Republican
Town committees until the Republi-
can rank and file rebelled In 1884
and turned the puppets out. During
the is years that the big three held
control Of the Republican organiza-
ton, every possible method of dis
rupting the Republican party was
used and the Democratic machine,
feeling safe under the protection of
the big three, corrupted the cleo
torate and looted the city.
Since 1884, when the Republican
organization started to function as
such an organization should, and
the Democratic machine started on
its way out, the big three also
found that their control was slipping.
Both the big three and the demo-
cratic machine were given a body
blow by the election of the late
Sherwood L. Rowland In 1887. After
that cataclysm, the big three start
ed to look around for new setup
whereby they could still hold control
OF the city government. This search
resulted In the pulling out Of cold
storage where II had been put in
1881, Of the council-manager pro-
position and they adorned 1t with
a new gimrack. proportional repre-
sentation. II they manage to put
1t across, the result will be a COM
plete disruption of the Republican
party locally and a breathing spell
for the Democratic machine, en-
abling 1t to recover and rearrange
the old setup with the big three
I called attention to this eventual
ity In one of my earlier letters and
the G. G. @. A. with considerable
vehemence stated that It was not
so. And to back up their declaration,
they published list Of the hackers
of the organization. Well, let us look
that list over. There is pretty fair
sprinkling Of big three officials on
1t and the Waterbury Savings Bank |
has substantial representation on
1t. Who are the trutsees and direc-
tors of the Waterbury Savings
Bank? Aren't they the high officials |
of the big three?' |
There Is no intention here to make !
The inference that these officials
are opposed to good government. |
According to every logical conclusion
they should be in favor of such
development. But supposed some
important matter Of policy concern
ing our city government came up for
a decision. Would they oppose their
superiors in the big three?' And
would the officials Of the Waterbury
Bank oppose their directors
and trustees, who incidentally are
the same high officials of the big
three?' They have not done 1t the
past eighteen years, SO why should
we believe that they will do so In
the future?
] will now close by repeating what
have said before, that the best in
ierests OF the taxpayers OF the city
require that the new charter be
defeated next Tuesday.
EDWARD UDmowrTz. t