New Britain herald., 1916-09-26

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 HIGHWAY MONEY FOR WALKS Petition for Special Session Now in CircuIation-Selectme Issue Call for Regular Meeting-Foresters Make Merry-Funerals Tomorrow. That another attempt will be made 1 to have the town purchase young ma | chimes for use at future electlons is now certain, a petition having been put in circulation for a speclal town meeting to consider the question of making an appropriation for that pur- pose. The petition calls for the pur- chase of machines at a date winch will insure their delivery in time to make them of use at the elect1oh on November '.
 According to the men back Of the movement entirely too many votes are lost here every year because or the intricacies of the Australian oal- lot which is now in use. From sl&ty to eighty ballots, more than ten per cent. of those cast, are thrown out by the moderator owing to improper markings and other misuses and as consequence a number of citizens are deprived of their rights
 Instead of becoming more familiar with the ballot every year the voters appear to find them more compl1cat- ed, judging from the situation re- vealed when the ballot boxes are, opened and the results are most un- satisfactory. Voters are disfranchlsed because of carelessness or ignorance and candidates for office are unfairly treated. When the ballots are wrongly marked the moderator has no choice but to disallow them and one candidate has as much chance of losing votes as another Neverthe- less the arrangement does not satisfy and the demand for voting machines grows stronger every year.
 It is claimed that suitable machines can be purchased for approximately $500 or s7OO. Practically all the cities now use voting machines ex- c1usively and towns are rapidly fall ing into line. There appears to be considerable sentiment here against
 
 be surprising if favorable action is taken on the plan for buying ma- chimes. A suggestion along these lines was offered a few years ago but it was rejected at the town meeting which considered 1t. Supporters of the scheme declare, however, that the outlook is different this year and they expect a change of sentiment will be in evidence at the meeting.
 Town Build Sidewalks.
 Adopting the suggestion of a num- Der of citizens, the board of select men, in the call for the annual town meeting to be held next Monday, which was issued this morning, is in- corporated a clause authorizing the session to consider the advisability of having the town build and maintain sidewalks. The state law provides that fifteen per cent. of the money appropriated by towns for highways may be expended on sidewalks, should a vote to this effect be passed at town meeting. With others, the se- lectmen believe that more attention should be paid to the walks around town and as a result the voters will have an opportunity to formally con- slder authorizing them to use some of the highway appropriation for such a purpose.
 Otherwise the call contains no ex- ceptlonal features. The notice au- thorizes vote on town officers; con- sideration of the question as to whether the town is to allow the sale of liquor; action on the reports of the vAr1ous officials; the policing of streets and the laying of town tax Little Interest Shown.
 The appearance of the town meet ing call occasioned some talk today regarding the seeming lack of inter- est in the election. But little is heard around the streets regarding the session and were 1t not for the li- cense question 1t Is doubtful if more than a corporaps guard could be 1 rounded up to deposit ballots Efforts of the prohibition workers to make Plainville "dry'' town and the work done by the liquor dealers to stop the drive against their busi- ness is bound to bring out a big vote Generally the opinion prevails that the saloon element will again be vic- torious by a substantial majority. The exposure of local conditions made by the state police in their raid on a dozen "blind tigers Sunday. will not serve as campaign material for the no-license workers as it added strength to the contention of the vets that should the town vote against the saloon speak easies''