Norwich bulletin., 1920-08-26
KorARIANs ENDORSE MAYOR
 ON JITNEY REGULATIONS

Unanimous approval of Mayor Herbert M. Lerou's move to clear the jitneys out of Rose alley and to establish new traffic regulations for them was voted by the members of the Rotary club at it's week 1y luncheon Wednesday at the Wauregan house. The mayor invited any members of the club who could do so to attend the hearing Friday in the superior court upon the jitneymen's application for an in junction to restrain the city from putting the new traffic regulations into effect
 President Joseph c. Worth presided at the luncheon and two new members, Charles J. Twist and Alex McNichol, were introduced and formally made members.
 Charles R. Butts, assistant secretary and treasurer of the Norwich Savings society, gave an instructive and enter taining talk along banking and fire insur- ance lines. He spoke first of the Norwich Mutual Insurance company, of which he is the treasurer and the only officer. Its history makes unique chapter in fire insurance annals It was formed in 1794 by a dozen or fifteen Norwich people and the first policy was written on a house at Norwich Town and is still in force. One of the early provisions was that houses insured in the company had to bear a label to that effect which was
 
 a few years the company was able to return to it's policy holders 100 per cent. of their premiums and for many years now the policies have been renewed from year to year without costing the holders anything. The company now has $12s,- 900 at risk on about 145 buildings, in cluding two of the towns school build ings at Norwich Town, and is probably the strongest fire insurance company in the world. At the time it was formed there was only one fire insurance com pany in this country, the Ben Franklin of Philadelphia, but the Norwich company is now the oldest one that has been in business continuously, for the Ben Franklin had one period in which it did no business, although it later resumed and is now a going concern.
 In speaking about the banking busi- ness MT. Butts related something of the early history of the Norwich Savings so- ciety, which he said was organized ir 1924; primarily with the idea of encour. aging thrift and providing place where the ordinary person might prodtably place his money, as opportunities for the small investor were not many in those days. The first deposit was of S200 made on July 24, 1924, by Dorcas Mans field. The bank started in the rear room of the Norwich bank, which was where Shannon's corner now is, and the savings society was at first open only on "the first and third Mondays of each month, ir the forenoon"
 MT. Butts spoke of the founders of the Savings society as illustrating the type of men then in the community and added the interesting bit of information that the banks of Norwich today have a total ot available banking capital of S36,o00, ,000 which on a population of 30,O0O means ar average of $1,200 per person. It i. doubtful if many cities can make a bet ter showing.
 Pleasing musical features of the lunch con were a solo by Eben Learned and tn, discovery of an able quartette wher John BlaekmaF, Charlie Wells, Alex Nc Nichel and Bert Lerou were called upo1 to sing. One guest present was Henr, H. Murray, electrical engineer of tn, Eastern Connecticut Power company, wht was introduced to the Rotarians by Harr! Clark.