Norwich bulletin., 1915-11-20

By, his own acts, or the acts Of others, Dr. J. Torrington Black. health: | officer of the city of New London, he, who believed it would be for the best public Interest to have a distinct line. drawn in the classification of school. children and so expressed himself at, a legislative hearing. is kept well with lin the reflection of sthe public food light This time he is the bone of con- tention at a city meeting that is to- be held in the basement of the old county courthouse this (Saturday) evening. The doctor is not responsible for the meeting; that is. he was not among the signers that requested the mayor to call the meeting, but it is the result of the action of Alderman Charles e. Perkins. who bucked against an tn- crease. from sf ,0o0 to s3.000 in the yearly salary of the health officer. All .dern1an Perkins was not alone in op, position, but the proposition to amend Ethe charter to make, the Increase in salary possible was passed in spite of their protest. The claim was made lsthat the raise in salary was not only tnntustifiable bye reason of the amount Einvolved for the service rendered but that. 1t was also illegal, as the sum to
 be paid in salaries had been stipulated in the appropriations in annual city meeting and made mo provision for an increase in the salary of, health officer. Under these conditions Chairman Per
 
 chairman of the finance committee he would sign no treasurer's voucher for tthe payment of the proposed increased salary.
 Alderman Perkins went farther and decided 10 let the people decide the
 question in a legally and ofderly way. He took the proper method to have a city meeting called and that is the
 meeting that will be held in; the court : house this (SaturdaO evening. The he meeting will be called upon to approve or flisapprove of the action taken by l,the court of common council in the passage, of an ordinance that carried
 withs &thes increase in the salary or the health officer. There have been times in the past. right sin the old courthouse, where parties in interest have packed the place and took abso- l lute control of the situation, packed the place to. the extent that only those l In favor of the side that indulged in the packing process could get beyond the entrance, Dr. Black. is professional gentleman. not a professional strickster; and would resort to no such means to attain his end. Of course not. Neither would Alderman Perkins, who in this the opposition, with Alderman John +. Murray as. his able assistant. It is the custom in New London to
 hold city meetings ia the morning in- stead of in the evening, and the cause Eof the change has not been publicly l explained. Ordinarily it would be taken for granted that the, change was for the accommodation of the mer-
 chants, the clerks and SO on down the l line of occupations; but with Saturday night, the busiest of the week for all | classes of employees, those actually l employed on that, night, and others Ex--a I<,4r INf,- .aolr end business, preparing for Sunday and for resuming their regular occupa- l ton on Monday. Of all. nights in the l week, Saturday is the least acceptable | by the masses for a city meeting.
 There must have been a reason and if I will probably come to the surface when
 that meeting is pulled off.
 The increase of the salary Of health l officer originated with the New Lon l don Medical society at the time when I his resignation was pending and when l organized effort was on to urge the
 I council not to accept the resignation of Il Dr. Black. Since the present contro-
 lyersy started. Dr. Stanton, the rec
 f ognized head of the profession and Il also president of the board of school
 Il visitors, has written letters to the local
 newspapers praisfng the efficiency of
 l pr. Black and giving cause why his \ salary should be raised from $1,00o to H S3,O00 by reason of that en1ciency. Ex-
 Il Alderman Robert Small who served Fl for several years on the health com
 i mittee, and Aldermen William ). Har- H rigana and Maurice Sherman, members
 of the present health committee, and
 Rev T. M. Crowley. have figured in
 letters in the newspapers along the
 same line. The Ietter.wrftina, is all ore- sided, B except those ccntributed5 by Alderman Ii c. c. Perkins, mainly through whose