The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-04
ScuHy Smedley h
 Radio Broddcasts
Socialist Candidate for Controller Favors M crit System, Publicity on
 Finances.

Attorney Frederic 0. Smedley, So- cialist candidate for controller, de- clared in radio address last night that the problem of Waterbury's city debt must be faced, that pay ment cannot be delayed indefinitely. He charged that approximately 10 mills of the 35-mill tax rate goes to pay interest on the municipal debt. He declared that Bridgeport, under Socialist administration, has achieved splendid financial record.
 In Bridgeport, MT. Smedley said, all city records are open to the pub lie. The taxpayer there, he said, can find out just how much each city employe receives in wages and just how well he is doing his work. City officials are appointed for their business and executive ability, he said, not for their appeal as vote- getters.
 Merit System
 A merit system will be placed in operation by the Socialists, MT. Smedley said, freeing all city de- partments from political influence.
 MT. Smedley's address follows, in part:
 With regard to restoration of sal- ary cuts, we of course are the party of the working people and believe that the workers with hand and brain are worthy of their hire. Here again however, we are again de- pendent on what the lame duck ad- ministration does in making up its budget. So all we can promise is [ that within the limits of the bud- {, get we will have to work with, your employees will receive as fair com- penSation as we can give them for the work they do.
 Finally, I wish to say that what we do will be done in the open. As far as our conduct of your business can be done in a gold fish bowl, we will SO do 1t. We intend to have the auditor and budget director give the local newspapers daily state- ments of the balance of the various funds set up under the. new amend ment to the city, an d If the radio stations will cooperate, your city officials will give fre- quent talks on various aspects of the city administration. We intend to publish reports to the citizens similar to the Manual and Munic- ipal Register that are published by the city clerk and controller, re- spectively, in Bridgeport, giving full information concerning all phases of your city government. We ask and we believe we can get the coopera- ton of all public spirited citizens of the city who can help us make our administration success, by giving us timely counsel and advice Our board of finance can be truly non- partisan board of finance. We will not take advantage of the oppor- tunity afforded us to make 1t par tisan by the recent charter amend ment which abolished the provision requiring that 1t be bipartisan. The new amendent allows the next mayor of Waterbury to appoint any five citizens of Waterbury he pleases to the board of finance, can you trust either of the old parties not to take advantage of such a po- sition by fastening partisan ma chine political control on your city's finances?
 Publicity Assured
 Tn line with our policy of pub licity on finances, we hereby adopt the same policy with regard to our party's finances, and I wish to state that as of last Wednesday, we had collected the sum of $279 for our campaign fund and had spent $206. Since then we have spent $48 for two radio broadcaSts that I know of. We therefore need contributions from any public spirited citizen who wants us to continue to let the peo- pie know about our fight for a bet ter Waterbury. Contributions will be gladly received at our campaign headquarters, 159 East Main street just east of the State theater. If you can't get down then call our headquarters, 4-0063, and someone will come up and get your money and give you 8 receipt. We need the cooperation of all public spirited citizens of the city because we are not a machine and have not a lot of machine heelers and henchmen to rely upon to do our work. We are 8 party with a heart and 8 con- science. We are also party with g mind, constantly thinking of ways and means to benefit all the peo- pie. You have an opportunity to sci that mind to work for you by pull ing the third lever on November 14th. Don't miss that opportunity