Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-10


 years in New London. the Hopson and Chapin company. occupying one of the largest manufacturing plants in the 1 city, is about to close permanently. This will be a material loss to New London for at no time, even when bus mess was very dull, was the weekly pay roll less than s15,000. This. of | course, does not apply to the brief period preparatory to the closing of the plant. This property is owned by the widow of John H. Hopson, the head of the company and who came to New London from Wethersfield and established business. Since the death of John Hopson the business has been conducted by William T. Hopson, who will continue in the installation of the Hopson and Chapin system of heat ing. The material will probably be manufactured elsewhere but business will be continued under the firm name
 with offices presumbly in the Man waring building.
 The great majority of the employees have been with the Hopson company from twenty to twenty five years and some have been with the company since 1t located in New London. It
 was one of those concerns where the best of feeling always prevailed be- tween employers and employees and the dissolution has therefore it's senti-
 mental as well as business side. The
 
 definitely known but it is believed that there was a lack of capital to carry on the business to meet the in creasing demand for the products and to keep well in line with all competi- tors. Not long ago considerable ex- penSiVe machinery was added to the plant, but for some reason or other some of the machinery was never put to use, indicating that there were some business disappointments. If the cause of the closing down of the Hopson plant was due to lack of adequate working capital, then the fault is with the enterprising New | London Business Mems association, which, acording to what has been to render financial assistance to new industries, and in some instances, of
 which they know little of: Perhaps it
 would be just as well to give atten- tion to the industries already estab- lished in the city and whose stability is so well-known. The Hopson and Chapin company is of the kind that no city can afford to lose. Some fellow spoke truly in the long ago when he
 said something of the bird in the hand and a couple of birds in the 1 bush.
 As the plant is the most desirably located in the city it will probably be not many moons before it is sold | or l0dSSQ to SOIne cOnC6IH O1 1 tude and perhaps that in the long run | the city may not be the loser by the retirement from the manufacturing | business of the Hopson and Chapin | company. Perhaps.
 The Pope Hartford fire apparatus 1 that was recently added to the New l London fire department was put out 1 of business while going to one of 1 those still alarms in East New Lon | don that have been so frequent since 1 the automobile has been placed in the | Thomas Hose house. Prior to that 1 time still alarms in that section were l exceedingly rare, but now there is a
 call almost every time black smoke is 1 emitted from a chimney. The ma
 chine has been temporarily repaired 1 arid is back into commission, but 1t is l understood that arrangements have l been made that will result in lessen | ing the number of unnecessary runs.
 Since the Pope Hartford has been in | commission it has probably travelled more miles than most any other ap- 1 paratus in the state for like period, | for when not going to still alarms it 1 has been on practice runs or trial | tests. Now that the novelty has worn 1 and the machine has had it's first seri- l ous mishap, and without injury to | any of the fremen, it is expected that | the machine will be devoted hereafter | to strictly fire duty.
 
 1t is perhaps this accident more 1 than anything else that prompted I Alderman Miner to have vote 1 passed in the court of common council that no person will be permitted to | drive a motor driven fire apparatus until he shall have passed a pre- | scribed examination to the full satfs- | faction of the fire committee. This action does not indicate that the | council Is of opinion that other fire annqraf1lG rn nm fn he | standard. The drivers of the Pequot 1 apparatus are all experienced and | licensed ehauffeurs, while one of the 1 Niagara drivers has had experience of at least six years in fire apparatus driving. theS other is an experienced 1 and licensed chauffeur and the spare man Is conceded to be an expert me- chanician, as well as operator and he has the official supervision of drivers and apparatus in so far as goes up- keep and operation, The operators of the automobiles of the department are also licensed ehauffaurs.
 Therefore the action of the council l in this particular Is not in the least objectionable to the drivers and, no doubt, they all court examination by those who are competent to exam | inc It is essential that the drivers of | these vehicles should not only be competent.. but caol-headed careful and able to act right in an emerg- ency and he wholly devoid of reckless ness under all circumstances Tine council acted Well in demanding fa- l niliarity with the qualifications of | the drivers of meter driven fire ap= | paratus.
 1 Just because Health Officer J, Ter | rinstea Black handed in bill te the 1 court of common council amounting | to S1,625.16 for the care of small pex | patients and preventing the spread of | the dread disease in New LeHdan, the