Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-07

There was revival of the enforce ment of the Sunday closing law at the regular session of the Westerly town council, Monday, when George Lando mia and Pietro Lupinazzo, fruit and confectionery dealers, claimed that the police committee discrirninated against them, as other stores in Westerly were permitted to do business on Sun day and they were not. They were or dered to close a month ago, and have of the other stores closed but one Sun : day. MT. Lupinazzo declared that there seemed to be laws for one storekeeper that were not applicable to another, and that if some were not permitted to do as others in the same line of business, they must get out of the business and steal for a living.
 Horace E. Burdick, chairman of the committee who ordered that stores be closed on Sundays, that Is fruit and confectionery stofes, and who soon statutes regarding the Sunday laws read by Town Solicitor Agard. Coun- cilman Burdick explained that 1t was his intention to have started for Flor ida on the first Monday of January, the day of the regular meeting of the town council, but that he did not go at that time. On the previous We'd nesdy, in company with Deputy Chief Brown, he visited some places where it was suspected liquor was being sold on Sundays, and he concluded to order these places closed on Sundays. Upon reflection he decided to order all such stores closed on the Lords day, and then it would be more readily deter mined where the liquor law was being violated. He considered that stores in Pierce street had just as much right to be open on Sunday as stores in High street. and he therefore ordered that all stores be closed, that all be treated alike.
 Councilman c. Clarence Maxson ask ed if the order included the drug stores, the news offices or the running of trolley cars.
 Councilman Bundick said the orders were to enforce the Sunday laws, and if in so doing there was injustice iC would work itself out right in the end,
 MT. Lupinazzo interjected the re- mark that under the law a man could played in his home on Sunday.
 Councilman Maurice w. Flynn said that strict enforcement of the Sunday laws, of the blue type, would make Westerly q very blue place on Sunday. The people had reason to believe that the late effort to enforce was directed at violators of the liquor law and not at legitimate. fruit and confectionery stores.
 Councilman Burdiclx said it was not right to close one store unless all were closed as if storekeeperS insisted on working seven days a week they should be urged to go out of the busi = ness.
 Councilman Maxson reminded MT. Burdick that he had made exception in individual cases.
 Councilman Burdick did not think it necessary for the police committeee to give it's plans in detail, and the com- mittee's work should not be criticised in it's every act, any more than any other committee of the council. The action of the council as a whole in not backing up the police committee had demoralized the police force and the policemen stood in fear of the coun- cil.
 Councilman Maxson said he did not believe any such stuff.
 Councilman Culley, of the police com mittee. stated that the committee had the right to act upon matters as they came up, and that it was not necessary for the committee to put matters up to the council for action, as he consider ed the committee clothed with the power to conduct the police depart ment.