Norwich bulletin., 1919-01-11
e fspecial to the Bullet:n.)


 New London, Jan. t0.--The efforts of the mayor, the chairman of the police committee and other members of the court of common council to disrupt and destroy the usefulness of the police department of the city of New London, by retiring experienced officers to make way for promotion of new men over others of seasoned experience, seems to have the call over all other city business of more importance and benefit to the general public. The mayor and his police coD1Inittee have been permitted full swing in this particular matter up to the last meeting of the council when a majority of the members called a halt and demanded 2 show down Mayor Rogers and some of his left overs in the present council managed to dispose of Captain Haven. and ap- point Patrolman Pinney his success or. The present mayor and his police committee have succeeded ia retiring Lieutenant Jeffers, after thirty three years of faithful and efficient service and are now endeavoriug to pull over a stunt like that in the captaincy, and appoint Q new recruit as lieutenant ignoring the seniority of Sergeant Beebe. two> other sergeantS and quite a calaXy Of patrolma1. The powers have agreed that the seniority idea i be solved and with them it is merely l 8 question of selection for promo | tion The mayor and his committee | selected PatrolInan Kick, hut did not 1 have the courage to present the nam6 to the council as they knew there was l determined opposition, and their de sire was to let the matter simmer fol a while, especially as their man was already acting lieutenant ey their ap- l pointment
 Some members of the council turn l aled to the plan and demanded ac, fion, but the mayor epd his inmediatt i associate. rlnairnaan of the rt0l5Ce com mittee, ducked the issue. They hac | TO name to present for lieutenant a that meeting. Request was made tha 1 some name he presented for action o the council, put the request was ig 1 nored. Then Seiectman Fitzpatrick l presented the name of Sargc ant Bee
 be to be lieutenant. The mayor pro tested as it was not in regular orde
 for any other than the police commit 1 tee to nominate anybody that saVOTe
 chance in the police departnen Persistent effort to have the commit
 tee name a candidate failed and fl nal1y vote was permitted and Ser seant Beebe received twelve vote out of a total of sixteen and wa elected lieutenant to succeed Lieu tenant Jeffers, retired This actio
 was not in accord with the plan c
 the mayor and his committee, c
 which Alderman Harry C. Chappe is chairman. So the mayor exercise
 his power of veto. It is understoo that Mir. Reebe has ambition to r
 lieutenant after thirty years of DC lice service, and after a lime retir . voluntarily, just to satisfy the mayo , and his committee. In the case ( JeTers against whom tharn was Il charge an extension Of time befcI . enforce retirement was denied. an like action is said to await Reebe. Mayor Morgan after due dolibera : ticn saw the error of his way, req
 ;zed that the council members wou l adhere to their action, aud decided l withdraw his veto to the election | ? Sergeant Benjamin Beehe as lieuteT . ant of police. He so notified Gil
 Clerk Harry Adams. The mayor-chie 7 of police also issued orders to Cal
 tain Pinney to call Beehe to servi' . as lieutenant and return Acting Liel
 tenant Kick tc his former police SC 6 vice. The mayor says he has no ol :. lection to Beebe as Eeuteuant, but c T l object to the council acting on poll | matters that did not emanate fro q the police committee. There is liab
 to be more breech of etiquette in tn
 1 line.
 While all who favored euehe are l.
 friends and would like 0 see prcl - ton, their support was not wtol = fer that cause. as away down at |
 bottom was opposition tp the appoin Il ment of lick over Detective Cav }, naugh and older members of t d force who are entitled to )romotiC :. It so happens that one Of the mer bers of the council who advocated t $ promotion of Beebe was reminded
 MT. ChappeH that he was Q brothe
 in-Iaw Of Cavanaugh, which perhal
 explained his attitude. It so happe
 that Chappell is a brother in-iaw n. his honor the Mayor, and shot 7t throw no stones in view of his at C. tude in carrying out the wishes of t h. mayor. Relationship ought not to c any figure in this muddle ever poll 'o affairs and it probably has not. E III the citizens gre few who gre not
 the opinion that it has been an u T. wise move 10 destroy a police fo1 III that did it's duty to the satisfaction