Norwich bulletin., 1909-12-11

The searchlight of public opinion is focused upon the members of the New London court of common coun- l cil who gave harly scant courtesy to the important measure presented by Alderman O'Leary, which defined the l duties of the sealer and measurer. I This is surely a matter in which ev- | cry buyer in the city has personal 1 interest, and just why the matter was | tabled and so vociferously assailed Is away beyond the understanding of l the initiated. It would seem that in- aSmuch as the general statutes pro- vide for the appointment of a sealer of weights and measures, and 1t be- ! ing classed as one of the minor offices | in New London, that the least the council should do is to prescribe the duties and fix the fees of the officer. It was stated that there was law suf- flcient regarding weights and meas ures and if enforced would be ample. | That may be so, for it was so stated in common council meeting. but there are some, like the Missourian, and would like to be shown the law to which such reference was made. So far as known there is no ordinance l describing the duties of the office and
 Alderman O'Leary made effort to sup ply that important omission. Per haps the alderman's ordinance was not just what is wanted, but in that case the proper course would have | been to make such changes as were l considered necessary, and not attack the measure on general or political principles and then thrust it on the
 table. perhaps with no intention of resurrection.
 The people of New London, which | the members of the honorable court of common council represent in mat ters municipal, have the right to
 know that when they purchase any | thing that is weighable or measurable that they are getting the full quanti-
 ty they supposed they had purchased. and the only way that this can be done is to have all weights and meas ures that are in use officially sealed, | just as is done in nearly every other city and town in the state. The con-
 ditions in the past have not been
 satisfactory, as the sealer of weights
 and measures could not very well per- form duties that were not defined, and | about all he did in that line was to
 respond to calls occasionally to test | scales, more for the benefit of the seller rather than the retail buyer. Every scale, in honest justice to | buyer and seller, as well as every | measure, should be officially inspect
 ed at least once a year, and for that work the sealer should receive an an nual fee, not large, but enough to pay him fairly for his time. If the owner of the scales or measures object to
 the payment of this small fee. and the city fathers have not the courage to penaliZe failure to pay, the officer 1 should be paid direct from the city
 funds. This is done in places that
 are larger and of more industrial and l commercial importance than New Lon
 don, and is only doing justice to the people. No matter where the fees
 come from, the dear public is entitled
 to protection in this very important
 matter. It would seem to those on | the outer edge that local merchants | and business men would take pride in knowing that their weights and meas
 ures were fully up to the legal stand
 ard and that their customers were getting just the quantity to which | they were entitled.
 | To carry out this idea it is not at al necessary, as has been intimated, tC
 create a new and high-salaried officer | for the office is already created and | the matter of fees should be easily ad- | justed and the duties clearly defined
 If the ordinance as presented by Ald- erman OLeary is too strong for New
 London, although 1t was framed from
 the ordinances of other cities in tho |
 meet the local requirements. The
 alderman is not welded to that partic- | ular ordinance, he only asks that
 proper protection be given the people
 of New London, and would not be of | tended if a substitute covering tho
 essential points was substituted.
 This Is Alderman O'Leary's frs term in the court of common counci and it may be that some of the alder.
 men longer in service consider 1t pre-.
 sumptuous on the part of the alder.
 man to father an ordinance of a ma.
 ture that would naturally meet witf
 public approval, barring perhaps the
 infnitesimal few who probably mak'
 a practice in dealing with customer:
 on the short weight and measure plar
 and thereby become unfair competi. tors with their fellow tradesmen
 Alderman OLeary has not been 1T
 politics long enough to work thiI
 measure as a political play, so ther'
 should be no feeling of jealously or
 the part of the professional politicians
 He realizes the necessity of some sucl
 ordinance, and those who knew
 him best understand that his motives
 are strictly honest and in the interes
 of the public good.
 The expected has happened and tn,
 present court of common council hal
 closed all contention that existed il the Armstrong administration witt the Thames Ferry company, and nov the ferry company Is assured that i can conduct the business under tn, long lease without interference iron the present administration. Mayo Armstrong before retiring stated pub licly that his actions against the ferr, company W re not of a personal naturl as had been freely alleged, but iron an honest belief that he was actinl for the best interests of the public, ant especially the patrons of the ferry.
 However. when the freeing process was in operation everything that wal possible was done to show that the ex mayor acted rather for himself thai for the city, and great stress was lait upon the fact that the mayor engaged councel other than the corporation council to handle the cases instituted against the ferry company in the nam, of the city. This was within the au thority of the mayor, sanctioned b, the court of common council, appear ed to be justified under the circum stances and would have been aceptabl in almost any case other than agains the Thames Ferry company. Of cours there are two sides to this ferry ques tion, and the public is familiar witt
 both sides, and if the public as whole were to pass upon the matte as a jury there would probably be disagreement.
 Now that officials of the Unitet States supreme court have returned -E Al.