At a hearing yesterday, the Board of Selectmen officially dismissed meter tampering charges brought earlier in the week against Norwood Taxi, Inc. by Town Sealer of Weights and Measures Frederick F. Brown. Rather than imposing penalties, the board voted simply to order Brown to re-inspect all eight taximeters in the company’s fleet.
The controversy began last Tuesday when Brown alleged that company owners Leon and Thomas Narbut were operating cabs equipped with meters improperly adjusted to register an extra 20 cents per mile. Brown based his charges on a Monday inspection where he claimed to have found a broken seal and incorrect calibration on one of the meters. Furthermore, Brown stated he did not inspect the remaining cabs because the owners told him the meters “were all alike,” which he interpreted as an admission of systemic misadjustment.
Defense and Personality Clashes
Appearing before the board, Thomas Narbut acknowledged that the inspected meter was indeed broken, but firmly denied any intentional tampering. His father, Leon Narbut, dismissed the broken seal as a mere coincidence and explained that when he told the inspector the meters were “all alike,” he meant they were all of the same manufacturer, not that they shared identical calibration flaws.
The hearing also brought underlying tensions to the surface. The elder Narbut accused Inspector Brown of using offensive language during the initial inspection, while Thomas Narbut claimed Brown had overlooked other critical variables prone to error, such as tire size. Brown defended his position by stating he was merely seeking the cooperation and respect due to a law enforcement officer, though he conceded that “there could have been a misunderstanding.”
Selectmen pointed to a breakdown in professional relations. Selectman Joseph W. Wall rebuked Brown for his reported language, while Board Chairman Charles L. Rich remarked, “It’s obvious that we’ve got a little bit of a personality clash here.” Although Police Chief James Curran and Town Counsel Justin C. Barton were present at the proceedings, neither took an active part in the deliberations before the board voted to settle the matter with a full fleet re-inspection.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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