Norwich bulletin., 1912-03-23
The Combination Fruit and Pool Rooms
 Must Cut Out Slot Machines
SHE WANTS NO EASY ROAD TORUIN
How Andy Monahan Received President aThe President Made Brief Address and Shook Hands With the As- sembed Chizens-The Death of Clinton Shepard an Of- hcer Who Gave Good Account of His Stewardship

In response to frequent complaints
 and in anticipation of the work the
 social comfmittee of the Mems For
 ward Religion movement, the police
 department has taken the initiative in
 putting an end to gambling in the
 combination fruit stores and pool rooms of the city, and the wave of re-
 form has also struck the legitimate
 cigar stores, saloons and other places
 where gambling is carried on in
 small way. By direction of the prose-
 cutting attorney, the prODrietOrs Of all
 these places nave been warned that the
 slot machines and other gambling de-
 vices must be removed forthwith or
 prosecution will follow. The main req
 son for this order is in the fact that
 the keepers of some of these places
 permitted young boys to play the
 games through pure greed to get their
 pennies and niCkels, and without re-
 gard 10 the moral standing Of the boys
 and without any consideration of their
 future in the gambling line which was
 begun in this small way. After this
 class of gambling has been subdued
 the police department will give atten-
 tion to the games that gre played with
 cards and with high stakes in quiet
 and well furnished rooms where the
 players are entertained all night, pro-
 Vlded they do not go brOhe.
 In this connection perhaps 1t would
 be well for the police to make a note
 of the general conduct of some of the
 pool rooms that are supported through
 the patronage of the small boys. Some
 of these places are very closely cur
 tained, which is circumstantidl evil
 dence that what is going on will not
 stand the light, and these are kept
 open long after the saloons close. as
 long as the patrons remain, and it is common for these pool rooms to re- main open after midnight of Saturday
 and well into Sunday morning. While there may be no state law or city or
 dinance requiring these pool rooms to
 close at a specified hour, it is certain
 that they have no legal right to con-
 duet business on Sundays.
 Since the street department of the court of common council in connection
 with the health department, has taken
 over the collection of garbage and the cleaning of the city streets, there has been no improvement over the methods that prevailed when the work was done by contract. although 1t was publicly announced that not only would the work be done better and more economically, but that there would also be changes that would be appreciated by the general public. This may be all true, but has not come to pass as yet. In spite of the repeat ed efforts of Alderman 0'Leary to have the collectors of. garbage return the
 receptacIes to the yards after being emptled, they are thrown back on the sidewalks. there to remain in many cases, until the head of the family re- turns from his daily labor-a distig-
 urement to the streets and a gauntlet to the city beautiful committee of the i New London Municipal Art society. Under the old system the contractor
 was required to sprinkle the paved 1 streets before sweeping in the night season, but now this condition has l changed. to the detriment of the peO- l pie who happen to be on the streets while the sweeping is in progress and a menace to those who reside on the streets through which the street sweeper passes. The whole thorough | fare is filled with dust which enters ! the residences and is eventually in i haled by the residents and those who ! pass in the night certainly swallow their share of the proverbial peck of i dirt It may be that the committee l is delaying the promised improve ments until the good old summer time ! is really with us and when the whole l public can act as inspecting board of l the excellent service rendered.
 l President Taft was in New London l for five minutes "Wednesday night and
 was aiven brief bt hearty reception. | His coming was known to a few rail- road men just before the arrival of the | train due to arrive at 1040, but they
 mustered nearly one hundred men to | greet the president Andy Monahan, well known socialist. and candidate for ! alderman from the Second ward in the 1 last election was among the first to i get the information. and he spread the l news as ranidlv as possible. telling III