Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-04
GROWING BETTER,
New York Arrests De-
creased Last Year.
Weird Proposals for Removing
Snow from The Streets,
Craze for Organizing CIubs...cheap
Breakfasts and Dinners.

New York, Feb understanding
the fact that 1855 arrests were made
here during 1909, according to figures
just complied by the chief clerk of the
Board of Magistrates, New York is
rapidly bee )wing the best behaved and
most abiding city in the world.
In other words during the past year
one arrest was made for about each
thirty of the total population a de-
crease Of nearly twenty per cent as
compared to 1908, in which year more
than $4,000 arrests were made, or one
for each twenty-five residents. SO if
the city continues to improve its de-
pertinent mark at the rate of twenty
per cent. annually, 1t will not be long
before infractions of the law become
so common as to be a rarity. Indeed
at present there are only two infrac-
tons of tho law to each one hundred
of the population, since OF the $4,000
arrests made during 1909 the number
of persons convicted or held for trial
was only S4,9?3 or about 1900 less
than in 1905. Only 1911 arrests were
made for burglary and 1897 for felon-
ious assault, the great majority being
for vagIancy, intoXication and the
like. OF the total number of persons
arrested American citizens to the num-
Der of 1886 or about is per cent. east
ly take first place. Next in order OF
nationality came Russia with 1926;
Italy with 95O2: Ireland with s7O3;
Greece with G52a; Germany with GIL
and England with 1876. While these
figures do not of course indicate the
| relative law breaking tendency OF the
various nationalities mentioned, since
| the size of the foreign colonies here va
| ry greatly, they do when compared to
previous years show that New York is
| making a strong bid for the distinction
| OF being known as the worlds most
| law-abiding municipality.
This il, the time of the year when
| the Dffite Of the Commissioner of the
| Department OF Street Cleaning is fair
| ly deluged with all sorts of weird and
wonderful suggestions for the removal
| OF snow from The city streets, or even
to prevent its ever falling on them
Investigation mas shown that most Of
these suggestions come from persons
who are too lazy to shovel off their
own ioorstepS and who, when they
| the man who has to keep the city
clean, are diligent in making all sorts
| of criticism of the conduct of his Of
tice. Any of them could handle the
job to the perfect satisfaction of the
public, according to their own estimate,
provided they mad the opportunity to
do so. Nevertheless many OIL the sug-
gestions are amusing. One man re-
fl,n ornn NO
urated with kerosene ana burned up,
WI lie another with somewhat similar
idea in mind wanted the CITY to utilize
a machine on which he held the patent
to force q sheet of flame on the snow
thus melting it at once. Perhaps the
most ambitious scheme go far sug-.
gested was that of the man who want
ed the city to build a vast elevated
reservoir, into which all the snow
gathered from -?e streets should be
dumped. On the arrival Of spring the
melting snow would turn into lake
from which by 'ischarging the water
through pipe sufficient power could
be generated 40 run the city's electric
cars. Preventive ideas include the
roofing of the city with glass and the
spraying into the air during each
storm chemicals which would melt
the snow before it reached the ground.
But i'll spite of all these inspirations of
genius no more satisfactory method
of snow disposal than that row in use
that is shoveling it into the wagons
and dumping il into the rivers-has
yet been discovered
The lengths to which the craze for
ORIGINATING societies and holding pub
lie dinners had been carried in New
YORK was indicated by a dinner which
was held by the Thirteen Club at the
Hotel Majestic. one of the fashionable
residence hotels of the city, a few
Gays ago. The sole and only purpose
of existence of the Thirteen Club is to
defy tine superstition of ill luck at
taching TO the number thirteen and in
cide"taily 10 have as enjoyable a time
as pOSSible while doinr 90 A. +h;ss