Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-11
WILL RENEW FEUD
 ON BLOCK ISLAND.
Proposed Legislation Gives Good
 Chance to Start Trouble.


 There is to be something doing at the next financial town meeting in New Shorehan, which is the name that Block Island is known under in legal circles, if an act which Senator Eugene Littlefield of that town pre- sented recently in the upper branch Of the Rhode Island general assembly is passed. The act creates a commission on town property. That sounds harm less, but when one takes into conSid- eration what the property of the town consists of and some of the facts con nected with that property it looks very much as though the senator had start ed something.
 The commission would be composed of five members elected by the fnan- cial town meeting. It would take over some of the duties of the town council, which is now headed by Dr. John Champlin, brother of the late Chris topher E. Champlin, who during his life ran affairs on the island and had a. good deal to say one way or another as to how the rest of the state should be run.
 Senator Littlefeld and the late Sem ator Champlin never agreed politically. The one was lined up with what was formerly called the Rose faction and the other headed the Champlinites, who for years had political control of the island.
 Senator Littlefeld was one of the steamboat commission. That is the board which controls the oper- aation of steamer New Shoreham. of which there was a good real said during the life time of Senator Champ lin. Senator Littlefield admitted that while he is on that steamboat com mission, he has very little to say about its actions, as the other two members. who are lined up with the forces formerly headed by Senator ChaInplin, and now headed by Dr. Chafnplin, out vote him. So he is willing enough to legislate the com mission, of which he is a member, out of office and allow the town f. l nancial meeting, if his act passes, to elect five commissioners who will not only have charge of the boat, but also ! the Great Salt Pond. the bathing beach and othersto property which 1 the present town council made up l of the Champiinites, has charge of. The senator, when asked if his col l league from Block Island, Representa- | tive Henry K. Iittlefield, better known as Kit would be in favor of the act. replied that he did not think he would | be. The representative has been a | strong supporter of the Champlin fac- 1 tion, while the senator has always op- posed that faction.
 Tke act has been referred to the | committee on Judiciary in the senate | VIII Stdy IueTS TOT a | while until the political, business and mental effect of the act on the island | CTS is determined.
 1 Already it is said by those who l know the island that some chuckling | and applause will go up from the Old l Harbor section when it is learned that l the act is presented, while at the | Great Salt pond and New Harbor | sections there are liable to be things | said which to put it as mildly as pos \ sible. will not be very prayerful. Representative Littleheld is out
 against the passage of the act already | Tt is a crack at the faction that was l formerly headed by Champ" said he
 ''ard is a deal between the Democrats l and Senator Littlefield. It means that | Sam Rose, who is postmaster now, l wants to hold his job as postmaster and it will mean, if it passes, that | Gene will not come back here.''
 By Gene" the representative meant Senator LitHefield.
 If the act gets out of the senate " | resumed the representative, T will
 meet it here in the house and defeat
 1t. If the financial town meeting was 1 mean that no one but a Democrat | would get a job. I guess not. This act don't pass if I can help it."
 All of which would seem to indicate
 as has already been said, that Senator | 1ittlef1eid has started something. l Were at Holy Cross Alumni Banquet Rev. W. A. Keefe of Plainf1eld and
 Rev. R. P. Morr1ssey of voluntown attended the banquet of the New Alumni of Holy Cross college in New
 York on Tuesday evening.