Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-04

1OA Alll<1uCCS dJ SO lnuCu DeFs ,il llOS6 w llO have not been quick enough to get seats are willing to pay for the priv ilige of standing all through a per- formance, and of course the playhouse management is pleased to swell the box office receipts. This is all we'll enough if all goes right, but should there be a panic for any real or fancied cause and there has been such happenings, with an attendant loss of life, then thero vohld be warranted censure of the police authorities for the non-en- forcemAnt of the law.
 Since the introduction of the vaude- vile and moving picture combination shows in New London there have been & great many occasions when the aisles were completely blocked With humanity and a sudden rush for the exits, caused by fire or something of that sort, there surely would be quite a death rate. Public safety dama ndS that playhouse managers limit the sale of admission tickets to the seating ca paclty, and no more As their natural greed for cash caused them to sell tickets to all corners without regard. to public convenience and safety it is about time that the New London police authorities took cognizance of the fact and acted accordingly.
 Tho fourteenth anniversary of tho Now London lodge of EIles was ob- served last. Wednesday evening by a banquet at the Elks home in Wash ington street, with two hundred and fifty Elks in attendance. or about one half of the total membership of the lodge. It was a big event and it's suc- cess is in the main due to the excel lent management of the committee of James F. O'Leary as chairman. assist ed by Thomas E. Donohue George N. Putnam, Byron A. Zones and Tony Silva. pr. James H. Kelley of New Haven made a very interesting. speech showing the bright side of Elkdom, and of the work of the grand, lodge. but the rest of the talk was by home talk CTS.
 Of ceurse, Mayor Bryan E. Mahan had the post of honor twas greeted with Hail to the Chief bb the orchestra as he entered the banquet hall and given an ovation by his brother Elks. Did he talk? Altar making reference to the honor it afforded him to be an Elk. he delved into some of his plans for the Identification and improvement of his native city and said in the plainest way that if the Elks and the press aided his plans would be realized and he promised that if the projects went through that in ten years New Lon don would be so much improved that even the native born would not recog- nize it in comparison with it's present condition. He realized that his efforts would be opposed by men who seem to be satisfied to leave New London just az it is until the angel Gabriel blows her horn.
 The mayor believed it to be his duty to give the best there was in him foi' the benefit of New London and that hs yxy1c vx7tl inc frA yr a Y,d 6ni inc do spite the opposition of people who should advance rather than attempt t. retard the citys progress. But Hsf ths poor, they are always with us. am
 probably always will be. and they VII be lined up with uplifted arms anx warning finger and shouting at top
 voice; Thus far thou shalt go; but no farther!" People of this class havs kept the city from her place. among the cities of the state in progress and importance, and it is time there wasa a change in this respect, and the change was sure to come if his efforts received the direct support of all pro gressive citizens, men who were not afraid to stand up and be counted as men of progress in public affairs.
 Attorneys John c. Geary and Rich ard F. Freeman made speeches of di
 rect interest to Eikdom and eschewed reference to matters of interest to the city as a whole and impressed upon their brethren that the better the Elk the better the citizen. A feature oi MT. Freeman's speech was the presen- tation of life membership card to Manuel R. Joseph in behalf of the
 brethren of the lodge. MT. Joseph in accepting the honor mode a speech that went direct home to every Elk as he impressed upon them the iTnpor- tance of living strictly to the tenet of 1o nr6ar Ia ot Tor md vinced his hearers that even con- ductor on the rumbling trains of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad could get right up in public and make a speech that would com pare favorably with the best of lem
 Among other things Mir. Joseph re- ferred to the honor conferred upon him by seating him to the right of the mayor at the banquet table, and said he went to school with Bryan F. Ms : han. fought with him, played with him and set up tenpins with him, and had watched his progress from childhood. He was proud of the mayor and his work. past and prospective, and com pared himself as little better than a shack, but cG-dtent with his position in 1fe, especially when he compared it with the section men he passed by the side of the tracks in his daily runs. MT. Joseph said he was glad to see B. r. Mahan mayor of New London and senator from this district in the state legislature and declared it was only merited reward well won and all through his persistent and progressive personality.
 Three of the slated speakers were obliged to be absent and sent regrets. They were Rev. T. M. Crowley, pastor of St. AIary's church, Mayor 'Tom'' Reilley of Meriden and William V. Dayitt of New Haven Their absence was unavoidable but disappointing. However, 1t gave more time to the speakers present and they kept llp the talizfest until an hour. after midnight. The banquet was success from the start and the result will be strengthen ing to the members in the principles of the order and give the guests better conception of the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks.