Norwich bulletin., 1918-04-02

that time would net conform to pres ent occupation. Petition referred to public works committee with power.
 From Frank G. Rice for permission to raise line of his sidewalk at 11S Asylum street. Sidewalk if raised will not interfere with sidewalks of adjoining property. Petition referred to public works committee.
 From Mary Dolan, Lake street, l claim for damages as result of break ing of a hydrant March "A. Sum of nittee.
 From William Trottenberg, claim for injuries resulting from fall on defec- tive walk February z. Referred to f. nance committee.
 New Sidewalks Ordered.
 From public works committee, ask ing that following be ordered to con struct new granolithic sidewalks in front of their properties:
 Westerly side Mckinley avenue, south side Rockwell street. John A. Rockwell, trustee.
 Southerly side of Rockwell street, Mary G. Osgood and Martha L. Os- good. Petition was accepted, side walks ordered laid and hearing set for evening of April Is. 8 p. m. Should Increase Police. Force.
 Alderman W. H. Allen then asked that the following letter which he had received from City Attorney Lee Roy Robbins be read to the council:
 MT. William H. Allen, Chairman Police Commission, City of Norwich, Con-
 necticut: My Dear Alderman:
 Recent and more general acts of dis order in the center of the city have brought to the attention of the public the pressing need for the stationing 1 of another policeman on Franklin square. Present day conditions are simply bringing to focus facts that every citizen has long realized but never actually appreciated, namely, that because of our having become a great trolley and shopping center, coupled with the steady growth of our population and that of neighboring | towns whose inhabitants seek mer- chandise and amusement here. and the great increase in general traffic, our present police force is inadequate. Furthermore, in my opinion, steps should be immediately taken to an- ticipate and prepare against a recur- renee of the trouble of Sunday night That there is also a pressing neces- sity for the revamping and strength ening of our police force is recognized from a knowledge of the facts that our force is no larger (except for one of 1 fcer stationed at headquarters al nighD numerically than it was several years ago; that at least four and prob ably six of the present policemen are of advanced age and should have beer pensioned when such movement was agitated some ten or more years ago t5at the amount of police work as in- ldicated from the record of arrests has nearly doubled in the past ten years and increased by leaps and bounds fl the last half of that period.
 That this particular department o. Jour city has been shamefully neglected lis known by all who have occasion tC be familiar with its history. In the face of new and increased condition: of latest vice 1t has been the butt 0. unthoughtful and misinfermed citi 1 zens who found it easier to abuse thar to remedy. But let these scoffers com. pare what has been done for everJ other department of the city and the1 judge of their relative efficiency. Le them close their eyes and see the fir, department of ten years ago and ther let them ask themselves how it would rate today-ten years older-withou increase or public interest in it's main Itenance.
 do not doubt but what you ar fully aware of all the condition
 noted or that their significance is rec
 ognized by other observers, but in m opinion the time to correct them is a hand. Someone must take the inttia
 tive and by virtue of your positio
 the move can emanate from no bette or more effective source. Do you no . then, in view of present conditions feel constrained to bring these mat |, ters before your commissioners, tn court of common council, and if neces
 sary a city meeting in order to obtai results?
 If in your attempt to bring thes
 things about you require any aid tha , I can rendeE, you may depend upo me as one interested.
 , With kind personal regards, I re ] main,
 | Respectfully yours,
 LEE ROY ROBBINS, [ City Attorney. After the clerk had read the lette v Alderman Allen said that a great de;
 should be done for the police depart tment. While it was improbable the much could be accomplished in th next two months he hoped that befel
 the city meeting that the people wi
 have become acquainted with the nee
 for a larger appropriation to provi6
 for more men. In his opinion the ds partment has not been treated fair
 in comparison with some other d.
 partments of the city
 Council Carney said that in h
 OnlnIOn the city attorney c fqlir
 the right view of the need for larg , appropriation.
 , Alderman Waters said he hearti 1 agrees with Alderman Aliens r o marks. One step that could be takt at once is the retiring of three or fo1
 of the older men who have ever giv'
 faithful service. This, he said, cou D be done if the financial condition ) the department will allow for the pa,
 ment of the pensions He said he r
 alized that the department lost CO 1 siderable money in the Thames Lo;
 Ss Trust failure.
 Q Alderman Allen said he didn't thil
 it would be possible to go about t
 matter in a wholesale way as the
 nancial condition of the departme D hardly justifies it.
 Councilman Carney inquired as , how much the department lost in t
 Thames Loan & Trust failure. He sa
 he noticed in the last report that t 9 police pension fund total was giv 8 as s10,000.
 He was informed that the total h
 been carried on the books as S10,e Q as it had been impossible to figu 0 the exact total of the fund until jl ' recently when the Thames Loan
 Trust affairs had been finally settl'