Norwich bulletin., 1912-07-27

New London would have a much more efficient police force if there were more united action among the day and the night force, which has for sometime been managed almost as two distinct departments. This IS due to the meddling of the police with the officers when the business should be di- rect with the captain and no other member of the force. The present committee in that respect is just the same as the committees that preced- el for this meddles lme action has ie- come a custom and to the general de tri9Cnt of the force. Ii an officer has a grievance he makes complaint to a committeeman, instead of the cap tain, and if the committeeman has an order it is issued direct to some officer and the captain is practically ignored. So it has come to pass that tie lieutenant and che night force has no direct connecti3h with the captain and the day force, each work ing independently of the other and each endeavoring to satisfy the whins of the police committeeman. What is done in the night season is a closed bCok to the captain and the day force and what is done in the daytime IS almost sealed secret to the night force.
 Frequently a case comes to the sur face that should serve as an opIcct lesson and suggests a change in ,ne present rchce methods, but the old e dstom continues and the committee men are still the masters of the situa- tion. Here is the latest case in point. One lLAht this week a man vas knocked from a lunch wagon and his heard struck on the granite block pavement, and he died This happen ed right near the soldiers and sailors mOnum'It to which the presence of the l-nch cart has been a public dis grace fer y,Grs. At least one police rIan is sGilt seG to be in that imme- diate vicinity at all hours of the night, Officers went to the assistance of the injured man, called the ambulance and ali that sort of humane work, but no ehor; was made to ascertain the identity of the man who struck the blow that proved fatal. Some who were rear say that the offender was a scldier from Fort Wright, but the police II ade no inquiry as tl q man answering the description from the officers al the fort and no arIeSc Was hade. The soldier, or some othe, maL was Dc mitted to disappear, ,n1 i-r- h4rs ger away while a polio. officer was within arms length. In sa2t ,he necessity for an arrest did .Io, seem to dawn upon the policemen, until it was realized that the case was of more than ordinary seriousness. This happened at night.
 The only information the day force had of the happening appeared in the newspapers. So there was nothing of an official nature for action, as it any thing should be undertaken it might possibly interfere with the plans of the night force. However. inquiry was made of the officers at the fort regarding a suspect and that was the first information received at the res ervation that soldier was suspect ed of being the assailant.
 This is only one of the many in stances which tend to show that un- less there be a radical change in the methods that have existed for many years there will be constant and in- creasing deficiency in the general ef- ficiency of the department While the mayor, by virtue of his office, is chief s the captain should be the directing and the responsible head of the de- partment and that there should be nc interference by the committee in the matter of actual police duty.
 The old city hall is to be dismantlec and it is likely that three ordinary wood screws will be preserved as heirlooms, or some other kind of looms The work of dismantling was com menced by the removal of the door to the mayors office and the screws are the three that held the steady edge of a hinge. The mayor removed the first screw, the chairman of tho city hall committee turned to the lef for the second screw and then tht screw driver ~'as handed to the con. tractor and he secured the third screw The newspapers giving this informa. ton did not state what became of tho screws. but it is presumed that =they will be preserved by the trio who aid ed in the preliminary work ofo dis mantling, so to speak It has lon, been the custom of the head of al organization or corporation, the chair man of the committee and the econ. tractor to take some part in the be,
 
 l and the dedication of a public build ing but it is up to New London t, get onto ideas in that line that ar, new. But as a souv enir the ordinar, | wood-screw takes the doughnut ant
 the originator of the idea ought t, swipe the whole door
 This action on the part of tn mayor, the committeeman and tn contractor would indicate that the req | work of construction was soon to be | gin. for it is hardly probable that tn | building would be dismantled unles | there was intention to raze and ther l would be no raging if there was not ! positive notion of erecting a ney i building. This city hall job has ha | it's peculiarities from the start an | the indications are that they will con | tinue to the end and be remembere
 for many years after the new struc
 ture is completed and occupied. Blu | the fact is that the only way Ney London would ever have new and uni
 form walks was to build them, an
 the same rule perhaps applies to tn
 new city hall. The taxpayers pay tn
 freight and that's all
 The Central Vermont Railroad com
 pany in bringing big bunch of hlac
 men to New London, who are evident
 ly of a low type of humanity, gave t New London a serious set back Whic
 vii; require years, a great many (
 them, to overcome These fellow
 were picked up at random and no ceI
 tiicate of character was require
 from them when they were shipped {
 New London To take the place of th
 white freight handIers who modestl