New Britain herald., 1917-05-07
Britain schools were this morning dis missed for two xyeeks

Britain schools were this morning dis missed for two weeks.
 The health officer has indefinitely closed the Worthington and South schools, suspended all church services, ordered that the Grange suspend meeting which was arranged for this week, the discontinuance of drills in the Town hall by the Home Guard, and in addition to the vaccination of all school children, which has been recently done, recommends all others " io arc not protected by vaccination to attend to it at once. Only by the reporting of all suspicious cases of sickness at once can any epidemic be checked or prevented.
 Dr. >Griswold says, For years have preached vaccination to a community that is no different from most other country communities in such matters. Because the standard of living and the general health of the town Is good, i people become careless and neglect the ordinary precautions which every wise person should take. l made the i; statement at recent meeting of the ] school boad that probably not moro i than twenty-five per cent of the chill 1 dren in town were protected from i smallpox. The physicians who have vaccinated the school children report {! to me not over twenty per cent had i been vaccinated and because Of this | lccndition of unpreparedness the whole l town is now paying with great deal , ct trouble and annoyance and con- l siderable expense" Mrs. Albert Rip i pie and five children have been quar- i antined with mild cases of the small pox.
 Communication Received. l The following communication was received in the office of the Herald this morning in regard to the small FOX situation in the town.
 Gentlemen:
 N-ha: is the matter with the Berlin authorities? That the smallpox situa- ton in tho town of Berlin is serious. il fact is very serious matter, goes without saving. Some three. or four. or half a dozen of our people that are i.l' the habit of going about attending te. their usual occupation are deprived of the privilege of earning living be- cause they. or some members of their household have smallpox. That does not affect you and me very much, but il does have a very serious effect on ''-"t .:-''>,~ capacity of tho party in fected I have no hesitation in saying
 aoJ.-y%s s5007-wiIl not pay, the expense which these people have been obliged to incur on account of this epidemic. This puts 1t entirely on Q financial basis. and says nothing about the distress Of those of us who arc z compelled to endure the present con- dition of affairs
 Now then. somebody blundered. will not attempt to that that it was Dr. A or Dr. E. but 1t is a fact that the town of Berlin has several cases of smallpox and it is the business of somebody to protect those who are well against those who are sick. All our officials are dodging the issue. The selectmen say they have nothing to do with it, that it is up to the health of fcer, and the health officer says he csn do nothing without the assistance of the attending physician. Tho state board of health say they are not re ST Ionsible, and the attending physician ir each case denies all responsibility Now then. who is to blame? I do not know. But I do know and do feel ; that 1t is the business of the sc,A t. men of the town to protect the citizens and did not have authority would take authority.
 CHARLES M. JARVIS.
 Fair Closes Tonight. ,. Foresters fair which has been in
 progress for the past two nights in
 the hall on Farmingtor road will come to a close tonight with the draw | ing of tha prizes, The heavy rainfall