Norwich bulletin., 1919-06-28
fsnecial to The Bulletin.l

Especial to The Bulletin.)!
 New London. June 27.-The building of a large number of three story wooden tenement houSes in New Lon- don, though of attractive design and modernly equipped met with disfavor by the municipal managers, not very long ago, and. as result the build ing code was amended so that in the future no more structures of that de- scription can be erected. The new code provides, that no tenement or dwelling house can be built of wood above two stories and one half. or a total of not more than thirty five feet in height. within the city limits, either within or without the fire limits That is a reason why the Hartford house, so-called at Ocean beach is not to be converted into a three story hotel. al though it will be practically three story structure insofar as usage goes. The property was formerly known as the Bindloss place facing Bentley ave nue, the rear of the property border ing on the creek.
 In order to avoid complications, and permit enlargement by extensive ad- dition, the peak of the present house is to be fiattened so that the thirTy- five feet limit will not be exceeded, and the extension will be carried on a level with the converted roof, and pro- vision made for one hundred rooms. This can be done by the use of dor mer windows with every other room in the third floor or in the half story. This will cause a slanting roof in half of the rooms and the others will be of full height. This plan may be adopted in other sections of the city, as the building inspector, the common council committee and the corpora tion counsel have decided that such structures can be erected without vio- latfon of the building code. Should advantage be taken of this plan. and it probably will be. the architectural intention of the Identification of the city, will be very much much worse than if the three -deckers were per mitted. Some people are of opinion that the members of the court ot common council, who serve the city without pay, are trying to do too much for the city they represent. Some i'm mortal chap once wrote that 1t was better to bear the ills we have than to fly to others we know not of.
 So the purchaee of the Gurdor Miller pond. as an additional water supply for the city of New London which was agitated to a finish some twenty-five years ago and finally abandoned as a bad job, has been re- vived. When this matter was for merly in the public eye, it was sci forth that in the dry season when the mills in that section were idle for lack of water, that Miller pond was virtually a pasturage. Farther. that the water when there in quantity was of the same nature as that in Lake Brande- gee, which is not only unfit for do- mestic consumption. but not fit fol use in boilers and not even fit for use in railroad locomotives. When the purchase of the latter was effected for some s66,0o0 of the taxpayers money it was supposed it would re- lere the drain upon Lake Konomoc - q Subsequently 1t was ascertainec that about the only benefit Lake Brandegee is to the city, is that il furnishes place for skating wheI skating is safe. It was farther as, serted in that old time discussion tha Miller's pond, or rather the contribut ing stream, helped to feed lak, Brandegee.
 Conditions must have changed, 0, the municipal managers. egged on b, the chamber of commerce, would never consider the purchase of Millel pond as an additional source of watel supply for the city of New London. Nc one doubts the honesty of the gentle. men who are advocating the purchase but sometimes even honest men make honest mistakes. In the past in som, of the big deals in which the city wa principal, or the party of the second part, it used to be hinted that tn, sale movements were actuated by per sonal motives by some persons benin, the throne. But that was in the lon, ago, and whatever is done now in tn name of the city is on the level. o cuorse, there is no doubt about that
 A few weeks or months ago, thi pond was purchased by a reputabl lawyer of Westerly. R. l. It can b said with safety that the aforesai, lawyer has not got s100.O00 or mucl less than that amount to invest il such properly It Is therefore pre- sumed that it was not in reality
 personal transaction. Wonder if tn new owners had any idea at the tim of purchase that 1t was intended fo the city of New London, and that the stepped in merely to clear the til and to make the transfer easy However, if the pond is needed by tn city 1t makes but little difference a to the mode of purchase. If gentle men from the outside anticipated tn purchase and made a little invest ment that is to their credit and dem onstrates the slowness of those wh have the charge of municipal affair This is of course on the basis tha there is no colored gentleman in tn wood pile.
 While the purchase of Lake Bran desee was advocated by the board ( water commissioners and the superin tendent and the transfer complete, that body does not propose to repea the blunder at this time. In the cit meeting this week the chamber ( commerce committee urged the pun chase of the Miller pond, stating ths the Westerly syndicate would sell { the city at an advance of only $50 being disposed to have the city be come the owner to meet the necessit of an increased water supply. ratht than to divert the water of the pou 10 other uses. This seems a fair pror osition and perhaps that's the reaso why the committee or the chamber commerce is interested.