Norwich bulletin., 1915-11-20
NEW LONDON s HEAL THOFFICER' SPAY
Question Whether It W be Raised to Year to be Decided at Special City Meeting Tonight Time of Gathering Causes Surprise.

efforts this opposition developed and resulted in the call for the Saturday night meeting. Mir. Perkins claims it is not a matter of the efficiency of Dr. Black. and that 1t is introduced to befog the real situation. Dr. Black will not hold the office forever inti- mates Mir. Perkins. and while it is pos. sible that he ought to get more pay If he gives more time, to the duties Of health officer, there is no valid reason why the salary of the office should be trebled just for his personal benefit, when later on it may be paid some health officer who is not worth it. MT. Perkins declares that there are physicians of good standing in New London who would accept the office at the established salary, some saying that Dr. Black was glad to get the place at the price, and that they are in like position.
 There have been hundreds of city meetings in New London of far great CT importance than that which is to consider the establishment of the health ofhcer's salary at ga, 3,000 a year. but few have created more interest. It is therefore fair to presume, not withstanding it is to be held on a Sat urday night, that the. room in the court house where the. meeting is to be held is not large enough to accom- modate all who desire to take part in the proceedings, and unless some plan Is arranged to give all who have the right and the inclination to vote the opportunity to do so, there will be some on the outside awaiting the com ing out of those from, the inside to learn the action of the meeting. And voted on the question although they may not have had that legal privilege To overcome these difficulties and to give all fair chance to vote, all who have that right, and to prevent others from voting who have fa0t the right, it has been suggested that when vote on the main question, is taken, it be by eheek-list and ballot; Yes or No. The meeting will be called to order at@8 o'clock and, probably, with in half an hour taes talk will end and the. time for the vote reached. Then some good citizen would be considered an advocate of fair play if he should stand right up in meeting and make a motion that the vote be taken by check list and shallot and that the polls remain open until 10 o'clock. After that vote was counted the question would be settled on the level and there would be no opportunity for the claim that tine meeting had been pack ed in favor of the one side or the other, nor would claim be made by any cit- izens that he was not given opportu-
 
 opinion of one who has had much ex- perience in city meetings. that is the only fair way.
 There are many old people in New
 London, but none are able to renenr- Der the time when a city meeting was held in the evening, with single ex- ception, and that was some years ago l when action was taken that resulted in having the Saltonstall schoolhouse built by union labor. There was some ] crowd at that meeting, and, so it is said.z many who were not bona fide residents of the city, but were true blue union men, and were on deck to see to 1t that they did their full part in having the principles of organized labor upheld. And it was. There is an organization back of Dr. Black in this salary raise matter and although the membership is not as large as trade unions, still it has controlling power over many individuals. and they will be at the old court house in full force Saturday evening Queer, but a
 fact. just the same, there is just as much interest manifested. {. over this matter as over the average city meet l ing, and perhaps a little more.