Norwich bulletin., 1920-04-15
Special to The Bulletin)
 EeU london A Df-i1

New London, April 14-l The Morse interests are back in | control of the Groton Iron works ana statement is made officially that with in a short time the working force will be increased to 5000 men and that the big shipbuilding plant will be as per- manent as the natural granite foun- dation upon which the marine rail- ways are located. It is set forth that it is the best located shipyard on the Atlantic coast and will be utilized to the very best advantage by the pres ent owners. who have practically re- covered from the financial collapse that resulted in turning over the bus mess to receivers This is cheering news to New London and vicinity and the waning business since the war activities ceased will be revived and made permanent.
 There was fear that when the pres ent contracts for ships expired, no new contracts would be entered in to and that the Groton Iron Works would share the fate of the Eastern Shipbuilding company when the plant was abandoned after the com pietion Of the Minnesota and Dakota, the largest freight carrying ships afoat at that time. The demise of that concern was a big loss to New London, and would have been better for the city had that plant never To- cated on the Thames. It increased the general business of the city tenn porarily. but when it ceased. Oh, what a fall was there. my countrymen.
 At the court of common council meeting, last week, the council recommended these appropriations and the mayor called a special city meeting for Friday to act upon them. The sum of S12,500 is recommended for police salaries made necessary by the Increase in the force to carry into execution that three platoon system. The sums of t30O0 for fire insurance, 5000 for printing and advertising, 5000 for voting booths, and $7000 for miscellaneous and contingent ex- penses. These in addition to the ap- populations made at the annual meeting when the budget was made up. Besides these recommendations Is the sum of ss1OO for a war memor- al tablet. S250O for repairs to the clin- tc in Church street. and s10,750 for the purchase of 1000 gallon American LaFrance combination pumping en- gine for the Niagara Engine com pany, 10 replace their old engine which will be taken in part payment TOT tho new machine. It is more than passing strange that the only rec ommendation that created any discus sion was that providing for the pur- chase of the fire fighting machine.
 There is probably not a citizen of New London, and that includes every member of the court of common council who isn't of the opinion that the Niagaras need and are entitled to the best kind of apparatus, and no one will deny that the American LaFranct machine which the company has user for the past nine years has a record for service that has never beer equailed in this section. The citizen: have seen the real demonstration O. the worth Of that machine. All know it has given the very best of satis. faction. and has never refused cal for duty which cannot be said of som other fire apparatus of later date il the department. There really was II, opposition to getting a new apparatu for the Niagaras, and the recommen dation would have probably wen through without a hitch if a machin of any other make had been s1bsti tuted. It really does look, after talk ing careful view of some things tha have passed before, that some mem Der or members of the court of com mon council, have personal reason fo boosting fire machines of anothe make at every opportunity. Tn worth of the old Niagara machine ha been proven beyond doubt, and it but reasonable for the company to ex pect more modern machine of tn same make if one is to be purchase 10 replace the old, true and reliabl fire apparatus.
 The mayor and the senior alderman