Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-09-10
Australian Ballot to be Used First Time at
October Elections
BANK STREET A LONG TIME TORN UP
Paving has been Up Two Weeks Now-Accommodatn
Trolley Car Conductors-Death of James Brennan
Ocean Beach Hero Should Attract Attention of Car
asgie Fund.

The republican caucuses were held
Friday evening, and the city conven-
ton followed. when candidates for city
and town officers were nominated. and
the democrats will assemble this (Sat-
urday) evening and do likewise I'm
der the new election laws the nominal
lions are made over three weeks in
advance of the election. and thereby
the candidates will have ample time to
do electioneering and not have their
efforts confined to two or three days,
was the rule in the old political days
departed. The candidates can now de-
vote the time and expense usually de-
voted to pastors to playing the button
hole act and display their persuasive
powers to the fullest extent They will
also be relieved of the expense of
hiring doubtful voters to handle pas
ters for them at the polling places and
see to it that the garnered f1oaterS vot-
ed according to agreement. This is all
done away with under the Australian
ballot system and the little paster is
now among the things in politics that
were but are no more
The Australian ballot will be used
for the first time in New London at
the October city and town election, and
it will mark the time when the voter
there will be no army of election Off =
Gals to watch his every move. While
not claiming familiarity with the Aus
tralian system as adopted by Connec-
ticut, and presuming that it is practl-
cally the same as is in use in Rhode
Island. the change will be welcome to
I all voters except perhaps the profess
sionaI and interruptions politicians,
who not only have been accustomed to
furnish the voter with a ballot fixed to
suit the politician, but have actually
followed them into the voting place. in
violation of law, to see to it that they
/ fought as they We're bought.
In Rhode Island voters are required
to use q pencil furnished by the state
and the use of any other pencil is liza :
bic to inValidate the vote. In that state
all the ballots go to the board of can
vassers for a recount, and in some in
stances they have been known to apply
the water test to ballots that had been
| marked with indelible pencils. and such
votes ruled out, These were claimed
to be marked ballots within the law
as it would enable representatives. OF
the political parties present at the re-
count to keep tab on the number ol
ballots thus marked and ascertain il
the political goods were delivered as
agreed
The street committee. the Sidewalk
committee, or whatever committee O.
| the court of common council that ha:
| charge of the repaving of Bank stree
and the rebuilding of the sidewalks are
easy meat for the contractors and have
| very little regard for public safety an(
conVenianc 1t is known that public
improvements cannot be made withou
some public Inconvenience, but there
should be a reasonable limit to that in
convenience. or it resolves itself into
an imposition upon the public. Two
weeks ago the work of removing the
paving blocks from the west side OF
Bank street was commenced and hur-
rad on until all the blocks were taker
up from Howard to Pearl streets. ant
uD to date not even one paving bloch
has been relaid and there is no telling
when the paving will BEGIN. The curb
ing has been laid for portion of the
I distance which carried With it the
| tearing up of portions of the old side
walk. and not an inch of new sidewalk
has been rebuilt
So there is no wonder that the mer-
chants and others having business or
that side of that busy street should
register some vigorous kicks at tina
mode of procedure. This condition Sc
.cCngests Vehicular business that the
merchants on the opposite side of the
street are not permitted to carry OF
their business in the regular way
barely time being allowed for the load
ing and unloa ding of their teams, as
standing teams are liable to cause :
blockade in that street that is all too
narrow even under ordinary condi-
tons.