Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-08
Policeman Randall Fined Thirty Days Pay For
 Being Off His Beat
NEED OF ROUNDsMAN WAS DEMONSTRATED
Nothing Being Done For Aboishment of Dangerous Grade Crossing at Station-Counci Continues to Have Some Interesting Personal Scraps-Efcent Service in Health Department -Friction in the Police Assignments.

It would perhaps be just as well for
 the mayor and the police committee to let bygones be bygones In the con-
 duet of the department, to clean the
 slate and commence the reel at the
 head, so to speak During the present
 week action was taken upon the first
 complaint to be made by Roundsman
 Beebe and as result Policeman Ran
 dall will work without pay for thirty
 days for leaving his heat for an hour.
 This is not the officers first offence and he was warned that repetition
 would carry with it dismissal At
 this same meeting when the Randall
 case was considered reference was
 made to an old complaint against
 other officers who decided to do the
 gallant for a woman who arrived in
 the city on late train and asked for
 police escort. It was announced that
 this act would receive the attention of the committee and that the alleged
 offending officers would soon be called
 on the carpet.
 Guess that old placard that hung in the Sanctum of a local newspaper years ago that read: When report
 CTS have nothing else to do; knock the police,' has been transferred to the office of the police committee of the court of common council for the city of New London If this be so the 1 aldermen composing the committee 1 had better devote alltheir time to com mittee work for they will be kept busy, if the plan is to dig up old com l plaints against the police for present | investigation.
 Better far for the committee to l deal with the present and the future lzi,, -4 and dig up ancient history in the po | lice department for investigation with ! a view to punishment If it is the in | tent to get the best public service | possible out of the none too large p0- l lice force that may be achieved by warning the officers that henceforth l and forever more they must do their 1 full duty or take the consequences | It is evident that all the policemen | did not take the tip when a rounds man was added to the force. Now ] that the report of the roundsman has | been approved and punishment meted 1 there is no doubt but an improvement l of efficiency will result. There is
 no need of muckraking for material
 that has been buried so long that an | airing would be offensive not only to l the officers affected but to the public ] in general Better let bygones be by
 gones, and deal in futures.
 Ever since the present Union rail way station has been in existence,
 carrying with it the grade crossing, l there has been considerable agitation 1 as to Its abolishment by reason of
 the great danger to life and the serious ! delay of traffic but up to date there
 has been nothing done along that line and nobodys doing 1t now. So far as can be recalled no person has ever l been killed or injured at that ex- i tremely dangerous gateless crossing which is all due to the watchfulness l and effective judgment of the solitary | crossing tender, as only one is on duty 1 at q time.
 There are hut a total 6f two cross ! ing tenders. 9 day and a night man, 1 and each of these are on continuous l duty for twelve hours With these 1 Overworked men to guard the life and l property at the station crossing the wonder is that such an excellent l record has been achieved, for there must be times in that long tour of duty ! when the mind is temporarily dulled l by weariness. Nearly all other men i in railroad employ of similar nature | such as yardmen and yard brakemen work eight hour shifts and it would ! seem but fair that this rule should be made applicable to the tenders of the
 most dangerous and best guarded i grade crossing in the state.
 According to the book of rules it is