New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-12-30

The suggestion that the electric
light on the top Of the Soldiers
monument be made permanent and
not removed with the other holiday
decorations is meeting with general
approval about the city and the ques-
ton seems to be one of wonderment
Why such a simple Improvement was
lection Is inadequate and the service
poor-we want improvements" This
IS best illustrated by the Corbin ave-
nue. grade crossing controversy Of
recent date. When the railroad COM
mittee asked to have the crossing
abolished it reported the geographical
conditions and said it should be aboI-
ished as it was dangerous. Nothing
resulted. The next attempt was not
made until a compreh ensive and con-
elusive plan had been evolved. 1T
was demonstrated to the public util-
tiles commission that a bridge was
a necessity. The commission was
shown that the city had made a trunk
highway in the eastern section
through the center was explained and
then it was shown that via Corbin
avenue a western trunk highway was
needed and could not be obtained so
long as the dangerous crossing re-
m aimed. To further convince the
commission it was stated that not only
would these three trunk highways
accomm odate the general public to a
marked degree, but they would also
divert traffic from the main streets
about the center of the city thus
| making 1t safer for the little school
children and others The plan was
feasible, the crossing was abolished
and bridge ordered, although today
1t seems that to have the bridge a
few feet wider would hava been more
practical
Since Christmas many Of the young
ladies about town have been wearing
a satisfied smile-in connection with
| something bright and shiny on their
| left hands.
After January 10 the number Of
| automobiles about the streets will be
| materially lessened. Registra ton
| licenses expire and many owners will
| put away their cars until April 1 and
| take advantage of the pro rata dis
count.
one writer with a facile pen has
| aptly said Tuesday was the Bring
| Ioe'oh 'iie JUNK lay. Inat 1t was the
| day of reckoning to the generous
souls who put bargain counter pres
ents In Fifth avenue boxes and
| truth was revealed when exchanges
Or appra1sals are attempted in the big
| shops. All of which means that
Christmas presents received on Mon
day We're brought back to the stores
| to be exchanged on Tuesday. In New
! Britain this has been true all week at
| the various stores and the clerks have
| been kept busy not only rearranging
| their stock but also making ex-
! changes. store clerks during this
week have looked upon the person as
| mildly dippy who did not tote a bun
| die and wear a look of dissatisfaction
| Everybody was doing it, and many
| We're the holly bound Christmas pres
| ents yanked out of its mussed package
! to be viewed with a pessimistic or
appraising eye. A New York paper
! has termed these exchangers and ap-
praisers 1.-THE Society For the Pre-
vention of Letting 'em Get Away With
| It." meaning that the recipients of
| gifts not suited to them sought ex-
| changes, or gifts which were SEEM
| ingly expensive were taken back to
! get an estimated value. That may
! have been true in New York, where
the writer declared 1000 friendships
died between Fifty-n1nth street and
/ Thirty-fourth street" We hope, how
ever, that the last chargefwas not true
in New Britain. We would hate to
think our citizens so hypocritical or
| so vulgarly grasping as to forget the