Norwich bulletin., 1917-10-13
NEW LONDON AFTER THE V|OLATORS
Committee of Citizens Getting Ready Put End legal Sale of Liquor Authorities Also Active Along Same Lines-Mayor's Managerial Plan Doesn't Meet With General Favor-How the Police Department Has Grown

1 London, as nearly every member Is | connected with the department.
 The mayor delivered a message that overfiowed with what the city and the mayor did in the patriotic line during the year. and every word of it was solid truth, for the mayor and the city | surely kept in line with the other cities l tained to upholding the good name of the city and state. The mayor men toned again the advisability of having l a city manager to attend to the details of municipal affairs and leave the
 mayor and the council free for legisla- tive business. The duties of the office if such were created, are not clearly defined by his honor the mayor. therefore the required qualifications are not known. The mayor has a clerk
 under small pay. It has been suggest ed that the mayor raise the salary of
 his clerk, by the same mothed that other salaries have been increased and
 have him perform the duties that the
 mayor would expect from a city mana
 ger. If the clerk is not competent for
 the increased duties, get the right man
 for the place and pay him accordingly.
 The mayors managerial plan does not
 meet with general favor. not near as
 much did the proposition of former
 Alderman Perkins for a commission
 form of government for the city of
 New London.
 The police department has advanced
 some since the days when there was
 one uniformed policeman, and his name
 was Smith. Hezekfah B. Smith, Civil
 war veteran, former postmaster and
 today one of the oldest members of the
 Niagara Engine company. No, he was not. the first uniformed policeman. The man accorded that distinguished honor
 was EbenAvery. and when he first ap
 peared on the streets he was at
 tractive as a circus parade. Between
 the Avery and the Smith regime the city had a real police force, perhaps as large and as efficient as the present. It had a chief of police a captain, lieu
 tenant. a sergeant and even a clerk. The chief was Dr. Henry Potter and the clerk was lis son George, subse- don Northern railroad and it's success or. Later there was another police force. with full whiskered captain, full whiskered lieutenant and at least one ermen or deep water sailors. This force gradually faded away, and today. the city has a modern department.
 Now the mayor of the city is chief of police, and there is also a captain, desk sergeants, over twenty patrol men, and stop, look and listen. a corps of three detectives. That is going some And all within the recollection UT men WHO were too young to enlist in the Civil war as did the old time Smith department and Captain George Haven, the efficient head, next to the mayor, of the present department. The police committee contemplates other department improvements. The sta tion house is to be provided with modern steel cages in the place of the dingy and unclean brick cells, and a brand new patrol wagon. motor driven. and Of the very latest design and fully equipped, is to be added to the equip ment. In fact. it is expected that be- fore the end O. the year the depart