Norwich bulletin., 1910-04-02

1t may not be generally known, but
1t was Bryan f. Mahan. past and
first suggested the need of a new city
| hall, and, after all it may up to him
to push the idea to realization. Dur
ing his first administration. at a board
i of trade meeting when he made the
best speech of his life, he openly de-
clared that progressive city like
New London should have a city build
ing adequate for all present and future
needs. and expressed himself as being
| heartily in favor of the erection of
4 such a building with the least possible
/ delay, adding that the time was al
/ most ripe to make it a city and county
building, one that would compare fav-
orably with the city and county build
| ing in Norwich. Mr.. Nathan did not
succeed himself as mayor: Benjamin L;
Armstrong his most bitter political
| opponent, being selected as his sue
| cessor.
| The opportune time came and Mr..
Mahan was among the leaders in oppo-
| sition to the plan, but favored the
| preservation of the antiquated wooden
structure at the head of State street,
| and a city meeting voted to that eff
city and county building slipped away,
| although New London paid nearly one
| third of the expense of altering over
| the county building. The matter was
| carried through the city meeting on
| apparent patriotic grounds based on
false sentiment as to the historical
| value OF the building to be preserved.
| Now the work is nearing completion
| and the county will have larger and
| more convenient courthouse, the only
part of the building that is preserved
| being the general style of architecture
| of the front of the structure. But very
| little of the material that composed
the old building remains, and instead
| of the old being being preserved
| a practically new building has been
| substituted and New. London if il has
"A nifV hall III he a hl1ill-
ing and the county will bear no part of
| the expense.
One of the final acts of the Arm
strong administration was to provide
ways and means for a new city hall,
in compliance with a vote of the citi-
zens in city meeting assembled, and
is fair to presume that interest is be-
ing paid the bondholders, while no de-
finite action has been made towards
the actual building of a. new city hall.
1t may be that a way will, be found
to divert this money for some other
uses as was done at the recent special
city meeting with the moneys voted
for specific purposes In annual city
in repairing the present structure. as
was done. with the appropriation for
the police signal system and the COM
pletion of the paving of Washington
street This action, however, will
probably not be permitted by the may
or, who is understood to be still in
favor of a new city. hall on the pres
ent site, which is directly opposite the
Croker house, owned by the mayor,
and the most convenient location in the
city. The. grounds are ample for a
building twice as large as the present
one, which is not half large enough
for the present purposes. Now that
Mayor MsEan is in supreme control os
muricipaI matters it is up to him to
carry his original plan for a new city
ha Il completion.
Push carts of themselves are more
or less of a nuisance when pushed
abcuPt the streets and the contents
peddled from house to house, but when
they are permitted to be stationed at
street corners and alongside the
curbings of the principal streets, they
become nuisances OF more cecid+d
type and should be abated. Their
owners are non-residents and they Sc
lect the most desirable locations and
compete with local dealers who pay
taxes and help pay the current ex-
penses of the city whose residents give
them support.
1t is not fair to the local dealers in
nuts and fruits to permit these timer
lessen the income of the regular deal
ers especially as their presence is of
no benefit to the general public. The
dealer that pays rent or owns his store
should be protected, as this stationary
pushcart business is not a legitimate
competition.
For. fire in Ocean avenue this
week, alarm was sent in from the
nearest box, which happened to be at
Blenwood and Pequot avenue, and a
long distance from the scene of the 4!
conflagraton, causing the hremen to
go beyond and double back thus los
ing valuable time, but which in this |
particular instance did not have a |
tendency to increase the fire loss. This |
fire, however, showed conc1usively that |
there should be additional fire alarm |
boxes In the Pequot section, which |
includes all the property south of |
G1enwood avenue rs well al the Pc |
quot colony proper. 1t also demon |
strated that spare hose should be |
of hydrants increased, for, with all the !
companies of the FIRE department pres |
ent except one, only two streams of |
water could be put on the fire. owing |
to the distance from the nearest n.y. |
drants. The fire originated in the /
dry grass and from some cause at |
present unknown, and before the |
alarm was sent in large barn on the
Dawson property was burned. The
sparks set fire to the handsome Rus
sell mansion, but the prompt action |
of the department prevented damage. |
Had the fire been given any Roadway
on the Russell place, serious dam
age would have resulted, as there is
not enough water pressure at that 1
point to reach the upper floors OF the
building.
This is not the first time that pub
lie attention has been called to the
low pressure water service along
IN IF nd l