New Britain herald., 1917-07-14

anu SlSHSl bS d notary. DuDNC. a year the bars were lowered so that almost anybody could get a license, even through the mail. The formal blank, stating the persons indentity and approximately the number of miles he had driven a car generally sufficed to bring him license. This year, however, a person who did not hold a license last year must give a practical demonstrati ton of his ability 10 operate a machine under all con- dltons before a license is granted. To test the ability of these new appli- cants is one of the duties of the new inspectors.
 What is your number? This is one time when the average American male with little gambling blood in his veins. does not banker for the
 Nlctoflous sensation of having his number pulled from the government lottery box.
 I've got your number" is what Uncle sam will soon be shouting at several hundred New Britain men.
 Broadly speaking, New Britain has a set of plumbing ordinances that are
 
 state. A new plumbing ordinance has recently gone into effect, the provi- slons of which are not known to everybody. This ordinance is relative to the drainage of ice boxes or re- frigcrators. Previously, in a tenement house it was not uncommon for 8 single drain pipe to carry off the ice box dripplngs, the pipe being tapped at each floor. Also. in one-famiIv houses, as well as in tenement houses, 1t was common thing for an ice box to be dralnled directly through a pipe onto the ground. Now different pro- visions are made. Tn a tenement house. unless each ice box is drained into pan and emptied separately, the drain pipe must be connected with the ice box drains through separate traps. This pipe must in turn be drainied Into the sanitary or storm water sewer through a disconnected trap. In single family houses it is not permissible for the ice box to drain into the yard. It must be connected as above. The sanitary reason for this ordinance is explained by the health board as follows: If, for in- stance, in a three-family house the tenant on the first floor had some highly contagious disease 1t would be very simple matter for germs to find their way into the open drain pipe and then there would be nothing to pre- vent them from finding their way into the refrigerators on the upper floors. The water trap prevents this. Tn one- family houses not only does this ordi- nance prevent germs from entering the refrigerator through the drain hIf al soggy, damp space in the ward, space where various germs would be likely to breed. The disconnected drain trap leading from the ice box drain to the sewer is a necessity be- cause in the winter time when the refrigerators are not in use, there would be no water in the trap, thus permitting the gases from the sewer to permeate the drain pipe, enter the box, contaminate the food and the air.
 The thought uppermost in the minds of Home Guardsmen, not elig1- ble for the draft. Is what disposition is to be made of them. Dispite contrary reports, many of these men are afraid they may be called upon to do guard duty at lonely reservoirs, pipe lines, factories, etc.
 The railroad company has expressed a willingness to cooperate with the city in every possible way to allevi- ate the dangers of the grade crossings. Fine! But what the people want is action. In the meantime hardly a week goes by but what one or more narrow escape is reported due many times to that lack of proper protec- tion, both human and mechanical.
 With favorable weather conditions it is figured that Stanley street be- tween Hartford avenue and Allen streets, should be paved in about six weeks. Already the Connecticut com pany is rushing its share of the work and the city is ready to step in. with it's contractors and complete the Job as speedily as possible. The paving of this section of the main trunk line between this clay and Hartford will answer a long felt need. For several years the work has been held off, while traffic has had to suffer and vis | itors have received anything but fla | vorable first impression" of the city. |
 Park street too, is badly in need of 1 repairs and the council has | done well to recommend that this be 1 done. It will be remem bered that the l original city budget contained suf- 1 ficent appropriation to pave this street 1 from Elm street to John street, but 1t l was voted down at the mem orable city | meeting. Whiting street, between the crossing and Cherry street, is likewise In a very bad condition, but there is little likelihood that either men or money can be spared to make even temporary repairs. As soon as the city can do so however, both Park street and this section of Whiting