New Britain herald., 1917-02-28
WANT PLANT ON MOUNTAIN


son For Endangering Lives and
Property OF Local People, Select
man Will Refuse Permit.
| Unless Representatives OF the Du
Pont Powder company can show that
| the town will be protected and the
+ lives and property Of local citizens
will not be placed in jeopardy by
their plans, First Selectman William
j. johnson today declared that he
will refuse to grant them a permit
for the right to store within the bor-
ders of Plainville or to transports
through the streets dynamite or other
| high explosives. Before endorsing the
/ company's plans Mr.. Johnson states
| that he will want complete informa-
| ton as to its intentions and If 1t is
Within his power he will refuse to per-
NIT them to make PlainvilIe a powder
town.
According to reports in circulation
for several days the Du Pont people
| are making arrangements to buy or
lease land here as a site for powder
storehouse. 1t is said to be their I,ur-
pose to locate the building on prop
erty on the East mountain, some dis
! lance north of the plant of the Con-
! necticut Quarries company.
Men claiming to be their represen.
tatives were here few days ago and
during their visit they filed an ap-
plication with Town Clerk Usher for
permission to transport the explosives
through the streets. The law provides
that such a permit may be issued
either by the town clerk or the Sc
lectman. Mr.. Usher was unwilling to
assume the responsibility, believing
the matter one more under the juris-
diction of the selectmen and he re-
ferred his callers to Mr.. Johnson. The
latter could not be located at the
time and the men announced their
Intention of returning here later to
take up the question of a permit with
him. They indicated that the ware
house would be removed from dwell
lngs and would be located on the
mountain. They gave no idea as to
it's size. They intimated that the ex-
plosives would be transferred from
trains at the local freight yards and
would be hauled by team or auto to
the building in which they would be
stored AS to the company's object
in having such a plant here, they
were extremely reticent.
Seectman johnson has heard moth
ing directly from the company. He
is not anxious to have powder
storehouse located here and he pro
poses to block the company's plans if
possible. Explosions occur not in
frequently in places where the plants
of the Du Pont people and other
powder manufacturers are located
and the selectman does not wish to
expose the townspeople or their prop
erty to the danger which the pro-
posed storehouse would bring.
Developments in the proposed plans
are being awaited with trepedation
as well as interest by the residents
and sentiment is decidedly against
making Plainville an arsenal or "the
home of the powder industry
Representatives of the concern have
also interviewed G. L. Barnes regard
ing the leasing of property on the
mountain south of Barnesdale and on
the New Britain side of the town line.
It is said that the owner did not con-
slider the amount they offered ade
uuate for the risk which would be
entailed.
the seriousness OI the u1IuCuitlCS
between this country and Germany
regarding the U-boat campaign, and
the possibilities of the United States
being plunged into war, it is intinlat
ed. has caused the Du Pont people
to look for inland locations for their
powder storehouses, the plants now In
use being located in rather dangerous
places and more open to attack.
While Plainville is willing to as
sumo its full share of the burden in
the event of war, the townspeople will
object to a powder storehouse being
located here, at least until such time
as conditions indicate that q move of
this character is to be of value to the
military authorities of the country.
But Two Appeals Granted.
Although the assessors made nu-
merous increases during their sessions
in the fall, the board Of relief estab-
1ished a, new low record for reduc-
tons in the report presented to the
town clerk today by it's chairman, A.
H. CondcN Not in the memory of
old inhabitants have the changes in
the assessors report made by the re-
lief board been so few and repre-
sentative of such q small ann cunt,
Chairman Condelps statement show
ing that deductions made at the re-
request of property owners total but
$3.50, leaving the grand list practical
ly the same as it was when presented
to them for Inspection.
While the board had heard unofi-
cially that there would be numerous
complaints this year because Of the
raises made by the assessors, and to
accommodate prospective appellants
had made arrangements to hold one
more public session than usual, only
ten petitions for reductions were fled
during the twenty days in which petit
tions for relief were in order