New Britain herald., 1917-05-22
E Plalnvlne News
411AUV1u( Ne"S TRAMP NUISANCE A
 PROBLEM ID POLICE. Knights d the Road Seem to Be
 Mobiizing in PlainTills FIREMEN READY TO AID.

AA1l1mAN AkuAUl " nAU Hoboes Commit Many Depreda4ions \ Townspeople Uneasy Auto Hits
 Radlroad switcl, Sign Painter Un-
 der Arrest Play southnston naser.
 With the arrival of Spring like weather, the number of tramps honor ing the town by their presence Is mounting up to proportions that Is causing the authorities some uneast- meas and the means required to pre- vent them from becoming 9 nuisance is proving problem dincult of so- luton. Complaints concerning their sdepredations and the insolence exhib- tied In their calls on housewives dsr- ing their food foraginE expeditions are being received in large numbers and the constables arc finding them . source of considerable trouble.
 During the past week rsports have been received regarding the presence of tramps in barns and vacant build- inks, entrance to which had been af- fected by the breaking of locks and windows. Property owners 1Iad that locks do not bar the unwelcome euests from their barns. and they are in constant worry through fear that fires will be started by carAless smokers. They prowI around the buildings often damaging tho highly priesd homo sardens and otherwiss causing dam age to property. ss
 During tho past few days knights of the road tore down whole sec ton of . fence on property n0ar the, Water company's pumpin9 stationf u1dns the wood for fuel for their camp nres. Similar deprsdations have been committed elsewhere. according to reports made to the ofllcsrs. @
 Tho assembling of the tramps tn this section II believed to be duo in . largs measure to the demand for laborsrs It tho local transfer station and 1t the plant Of the Bristo1 Brass company. large numbers of alcohol, soaked dsrelicts reporting for employ ment. They stay It work but . few; days and sfter drawing their pay pro- ceed to spend 1t over cafe bar1 with the result that they become . nui- sance. The decision of the author ities to stve shelter in the Town hall to no able bodied man forces the tramps to seek accommodation1 else whore with the result that barns hays been converted into Hotel Do Giniks.
 Ordinarily . series of raids on barns would serve to discourage the hobo fraternity from using them for sleep ing quarters. The men who come here now, however, do not appear to be fearful of jail sentences and the police seem to bother them not. Con- sequentlys the officers are in quan- dary. They are not anxious to bur den the town with | debt which tho imposition of jail sentences on the men would entail. Yety they would try to remedy the conditions com plained of. A municipal woodpile might serve their purpose as tho music of the saw as 1t makes its way through lumber is anything but tunefuf to the ear of . tramp. It has also boon sug-s rested that the hoboes be stven the choice of Eojng to jail or accepting employment 6n farms This plan has been successfully worked in other places and unless conditions improve here in the near future 1t may be adopted by the. local authorities.
 Local Fhesaen Were Ready.
 Responding to m appeal from the New Britain authorities Chief M. \. Norton of the local Ire department had . delegation of his mon at their posts In the town building last eve- ming ready to respond to, call for cid. should the factory Ire in the neighboring city ret beyond the con- trol of the home companies. The Ire at one time had gained such hsAdway that twas feared 1t might communi- cate to other property and Chief Nor ton was asked to hold his mon in readiness for call to assist tho New Britain department. The local de- pertinent is now equipped with special couplings which would eliminate any delay In attaching hose to hydrants In contiguous cities or towns and last night the chief was ready to use them in case the Plainville company's aid was required. Tho department's auto truck was in readiness to move at . moments notice and had the servicAs of tho depasSmept been required the men and thSiraAquipment would have reached New Britain in . very few minutes 4fters tho call was received.
 The flames from the burning build MgS cast lurid reflection on the sky .whishs covld be seen for nliles around Recalling the recent night of terror when a series of fires were started probably by an ihcendiary. In ths neishboring city, large number of Nlsanville people maaa ,a burried "trip to the scene of the conqaeration. Autos vent through the fdwn itracing Knight place on Grove Till, East Ber-. ltii.
 < Mrs. Horace Judd Is visiting with :hers dAdghter; Mrs. H. B. Cleveland, in smyrna. N. Y.
 Arthur F. Goodrich has been ap- pointed chief engineer at the Berlin