Norwich bulletin., 1910-04-02
Mayor Mahan Father of the Suggestion May
be Promoter
NEW LONDoN'S PUsHCART NUISANCE
The Ocean Fire Alarm DiscIoses Need of Alarm
Box Ihere-New London's Fifteen Churches-Need
of Electric Police Signal System and 1t Should be
stalled. ,%,

change is made in the water system
| for that section. One remedy is to
have. the steam f1re engine respond
| to every alarm that is sent in from
the low-pressure section. and not wait
until an investigation is made and a
| special alarm sent in for the steamer,
| as is now the condition. The city pays
five dollars for the horses that are
selected to draw the steamer at ev-
cry alarm, the horses to be driven to
the engine house and wait there until
1t is ascertained whether the services
OF the steamer are required; IL needed
an alarm is sent in, and the city paws
ten dollars for the hitch and draw,
/ the same paid for the hose wag-
ons and hook and ladder truck, This
| economy is of a kind that does not
econonize and is risk that is not
warranted by good judgment or the
best interests of the taxpaying COM
| munity.
Speaking OF horses and fires here's
| another matter that should be correct
ed. 1t is all right for the several com
possible haste, but 1t is the height of
| folly and a dangerous and cruel prac-
tice to have running races in going
to fires. especially when tho runs are
long, two or three miles, as was the
| case at the Ocean avenue fire this
week 1t is clearly cruelty to the
horses to force them to run at top.
I speed that distance. dragging a heavy
wagon and loaded with a dozen or
more firemen. Should a horse be driv-
| en- through the streets any other
a dozen men. at a gait faster that n
walk the driver would be promptly
arrested by tho police and without
| complaint of humane officer.
Some wise one in the long ago said
| that church edifices were considered
sure indication of the growth of a
city, for as the population increased
/ II H.. rr.I.A
New London is surely growing city
! for in the past nves years five new
churches have been built: The Mon
tauk Avenue Baptist. the Swedish, the
Jewish, the Dniversafist and st. Jo-
\ speh's Catholic, the latter from an
| architectural standpoint being consid-
cred the finest in the city. Before the
| trolley tracks were laid in. Montauk
avenue there was not a church below
Shaw street except the Peduot chapel,
and now there are five In that section
| or just one-third OF the total, number,
there being fifteen churches in; New
1t is not so many years ago when
the generally accepted 1imits OF the
city We're from Trumans brook (Shaw
stree) to the Town mill, thus show
ing in a way Atl1e great growth of ths
southern section of the city wherein
is now locates~some of the. best of
resid and with building lots so
scarce that they are held at high pre-
MUM. - -
What IS now Montauk- avenue was
not many years before the coming OF
the trolley road, all pasture land. The
opening of the avenue brought into
market many building lots and with
trolley facilities at hand these lots
were rapidly sold and now all alonR
it's length is some of the finest resi-
dences in the city and what is said OF
the avenue can also be applied to
Ocean avenue and contiguous streets.
and be stretched to Town hill and be-
known the Tinker tobacco lot and
circus grounds.
While the populated area of the city
had spread out amazingly. and many
new churches built, there does not
seem to have been any material In
crease in the number OF nanufa otnr-
ing industries, so the solving OF the
problem as TO where the Increased
population is employed cannot be com
puted by rapid calculation. Still, New
London. like the colored gentlenan's
moon, do move. tr-
Inasmuch as the mayor suoeseded in
having city Meeting reseind the vote
appropriating a sum sufficient to in
stall a modern police signal syster.
he should now make good HIS state
meut- that for a few hundred dollars
a system adequate for all present
needs could be supplied, for there n
certainly need OF a signal system of
some kind in the police department.
way of communicating with headQuar-
tiers except by the use Of private teie-
phones. which nrs not accessible after
midnight without arousing accommo-
dating people from their fslumber TO
permit policemen to come into their
home to communicate with tho officer
in command at police headauarters:
When the commanding -off7cer de-
sires to communicate with a patrol
man, some resident along the ofiosr's
beat is called by telephone and asked
ask him to come to the telephone to
receive official orders from the superb
or officer. Therefore II IL fnnposstols
to have any secret service orders given
always delay in emergency cases.
Without a e.snal system ehere is Sc
rious impairment to efieYent servicS
in the police department, for without
you please plan and tho tax-payinE
public is not given that police pro-
lection that should be given. The
policemen on patrol duty and the Of
ficer at headquarters should be in
close touch at all hours Of the day
or night. II report should come 10
headquarters that murder had been
committed in Main street and that The
murderer was walking down Bank
street, there would be no way to reach
an officer on that thoroughfsre, al
though there are three on that street
at times only through the assistancs
of some telephone subscriber along the
line, who would consent to act as mes
ssnger for the police department.
Without tAe police system, an onicer
has the opportunity to leave his beat
at any time and for any length OF
time without fear of detection, as there
is no check on his service from the
time he reports for duty in the early
evening until he reports for relief
from duty in the morning. The mayor
has intimated that the policemen do
not want signal system, whsch
serves as a time clock on their move
II that be so, there could bs
no stronger arugment in favor OF the
of the system. AS the
special city meeting voted to with i,
draw the appropriation for the mod
ern system. that makeshift system
should be put into working order with
the least possible delay. and when
that is done. connection should be
made with the stable. where the patrol y
wagon is kept to respond to calls, for
low the only way policeman can GAii
The patrol wagon is by the private I'll
sphone accommodation route. Z. And
New London is a progressive otAv. WekA
In ehhcient police Department.