Norwich bulletin., 1919-08-05
w ES TIE RLY

There was two and one half hours session of the Westerly town council, Monday. but a portion of that ] time was taken up by some of the members in side talks and foreign to any matter acted upon by the coun- | cii. Dr. John Champlin who owns a | dance hall complained to the council tha> there had been discrimination against his property in the issuance of dance license. in that the license for his hall was denied and granted for another nearby hall. It was ex- pIained by President Maurice w. Flynn of the council that there had been no intent at discrimination but that the incident was due to misun- derstanding between the chief of po- lice and the town clerk. In this par ticular instance license was refused the applicant for a dance in pr. Champlin's hall, as the application
 was not approved by the chief of po- town clerk not to issue dance license
 for the Champlin hall without such
 approval Later, another party. rep
 resenting the one who had been re-
 fused license. applied and received li-
 cense from the clerk for a dance in
 another hall, on the ground that the chief had named the Champ1in hall,
 and noe other. As a matter of fact
 there was no intention to discrimi
 nate and it was all due to miSunder-. standing. In order to adjust matters and prevent recurrence, the council voted that hereafter no dance licenses be issued. unless approved by the chief of police.
 Chief Engineer George Esser, of the Westerly fire department asked
 the council to provide the way to prevent the parking of automobiles in
 Union street and a section of Broad
 street so that fire apparatus coming
 from the fire house could have a safe
 right of way down the Union street
 hill and into Broad street. Action
 was deferred until such time an
 ordinance could be drawn by Town
 Solicitor Agard that. would meet the
 requirements set forth by the fire
 chief. Chief Egger also called atten
 ton to the congestion in the event of
 fire alarm in High and Main streets
 with automobiles parked on j, both
 sides of the streets. and also to the
 troublesome custom of automobiles
 rushing to fires with total disregard
 of giving right of way to fire appara
 tus. He referred to the way this con
 gestion was relieved in New London
 and that like rules ought to prevail in
 Westerly.
 The nuisance in stiIInanviIle, caused
 by the overflow of surface water
 which became stagnant and was a menace to public health, was a mat
 ter up for consideration by the coun
 cil. The matter had been investigated by a special committee of the council, with Dr. Samuel C. Webster. health officer, and Thomas Mckenzie, civil engineer. Dr. Webster told in detail of the health menace, and of the dan ger. of epidemic starting from that source as added to that sta gnant sur face water was some sewage. It was nuisance, he said, a menace to the public health. and ought to be abated.
 Engineer Mckenzie stated that the nuisance was caused by the closing 11f Iii was a deep wooden drain. long since filled in. and now covered by dwelling houses. Two small brooks joined al the point in question. He submitted a plan to connect these brooks, and then relieve the conditions. though a fifteeninch piNa sline a distance of 275 feet at a cost Of S320. and thor oughly clean out the brooks. and with adequate outlet, at total expense of about $500. The council voted to ap propriate that sum- or so murh there of as is nedessary. to do this needed work.
 Charles ;. Butler, property owner on the Fort road, from Bay street, ervati tion. asked for few additional street lights in the section where a dozen cottages had been recently erected He said that while the fort was = ~rizoned the government fur. nisheos the lights. The wiring is there and the cost of installing the lamps would be small. The matter was re- ferred to the committee on street lights with power.
 A convenient and large room ,in the basement of the town hall. adjoining police headquarters, has been assign juveniles. pending disposal of their cases. with conveniences for a police matron when called to special service, as well as for. those in custody. An appropriation of $500 was made in fl nancial town meeting. to get this r0om into readiness for the intended use. but nothing had been done in that line. President Flynn appoint ed Councilman Hasweu Clerk Whip ple and Police Chief Brown com to be done. the cost of the same and to report to a meeting of the coun- cil.
 Tree Warden Ed Gavitt informed the council that due to the increased l cost of labor and material he would | he unable to care for all the town | shade trees with the amount to coun- l cil had appr6~ted for the work, 1 5 300. There was much work yet to l be done in the White Rock section. He l request was granted.
 Superintendent Thomas Mckenzie | of the water and sewer department l explained to the council that the | board of commissioners had reached l an agreement with Judge John w | Sweeney relative to attaining land in | with the sewerage sys- -em, in which the judge would sell the l and desired for s55e. and asked for i council approval. By vote the coun- cil endorsed and. approved the action 1 of the water board. The strip of land 1 -o be purchased is 500 feet long and we rods wide.
 The council approved the action of he water and sewer board in award | ng the contract for 1900 barrels of Portland cement to the Westerly Lum- per company at $2.44 net per barrel. The contract was also approved for pumping machines at s6512. to The Power Equipment company. Boston.
 Councilman Daniel Larkn asked the to cause the removal of the small building at Watch Hill. intend ed as a lookup and which had not ,een utilized of any conseauence in