The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-07-06
The MeddIer.
II the coat tas you. put It on"

NOISE ana nonsense are no longer the
fashion In Fourth of July celebrations.
Organized activities in one form or an
other have taken their place in practically |
every well regulated community. In Brat
tieporo, however, the younger generation
seems to have failed to comprehend this |
change IN public sentiment, if one Is to
Judge by the actions that marked the early
hours of Wednesday morning. Compared
Win former years the use of explosives
was inconsiderable but there was alto
gether too much wanton mischief. culmi-
mating IN the ringing of false alarm of
iire from box II near the hospital 1t is
resrettable that those who participate in
TINS sort OF fooshness cannot realize that
1t IS odd stuff; that the overwhelming
majority OF American citizens no longer
consider destruction of property and risk
OF lie necessary adjuncts to the proper OBJ
servance OF the nations birthday. But
since TINS lack of appreciation Of the safe
ana sane Fourth idea exists it ought to be
4 the duty OF those IN authority to bring
about change in sentiment The Meddler
does not believe that there would be any
determined disposition on the part of the
youth OF the town to devote the night be
tore the Fourth to mischief if they were
given to understand by the men whose
G duty 1t IS to preserve order that such mis-
chief would not be tolerated But whe1
n such actions pass unnoticed by the DO
iee officers It isn't surprising that the,
recur annually
h 80 far a turning in Il false alarm o
1t hre IS concerned that action falls within
much more serious category than ord
I'd nary mischief, and the fact that the sam
lie box has been pulled four years successiv,
II " Is poor commentary on the foresigl
9 and sagacity Of the local police depar
ment. Considering that false alarm Ia
- been turned IN from the same locality O
,b three previous Fourths it would aImo,
seem as If the village authorities migl
IN have bethought themselves OF the advi
sr- abIity of stationing a Waterman in tn;
er nclghborhood this year. and if they Ia
d done 50 there is hardly doubt that II
alarm would have been prevented Instea
= the department was not only called out {
II a futile expedition but large number
II people, especially those who had frien,
or relatives at the hospital, were subject,
TO needless anxiety and annoyance
II Those who followed the construction
II the new macadam road on Canal sire
II say that the job was executed in
- thoroughly workmanlike manner under Il
supervision Of Brattleboro's new highwi
engineer. Certainly it was built expe,
tiously as compared to the dawdling ma
~ ner in which the Western avenue concre
Tor job done last summer 1t is intcre
ne. ing to note what Commissioner Walla
ng. says about treating macadam roads wi
water Tor it bears out the contention of
great many other experts in highway c,
structlOn. Continuous sprinkhng no dou
the counts for the short life Of many Of Br
tleboro's macadam roads, and il ought
mn be the policy of the town officials in I
nix future to prohibit the use OF water
streets that arc likely to be injured by
ice In the case Of the new stretch on Cai
street Commissioner Wallace will dou
=, less consider the job uncompleted III
o). the number of oil applications lie c,
EN- slders necessary have been made.
1t seems to be a habit Of some tcamst
~ who have occasion to block the whe
of their vehicles on hills, to leave
/. stones which they use for this purpose
fell the highway. This is, of course, sn
matter and yet these obstacles. SO
ich quently found on steep grades and sh
turns, cause no small inconvenience
other traffic