Norwich bulletin., 1920-05-01
Especial to The Bulletin.)

Special to The Bulletin)
 New London, April so.-Barring the Masons, about every other civic organi- zation in the city has appealed to the public for financial assistance by giving some public entertainment, with the so- called fairs having the call, although they have not, all of them, been fair from start to finish in the money making venture Notwithstanding the high cost of living and the consequent suffering of the workingman and his family, as re- ported, more money has been spent at these fairs within a year than in any decade af the past and the movies are showing to packed houses 2t every per formance and with the price of admission more than doubled. The fairs are not. attended by the recognized rich but in the main by the workingmen and lnern- bers of their families, with q saiaried man who is spending the coin. He is riety. It is the down-trodden working man who is spending the cain. He IS the best patron of the fair and the envy take chances in the expectation of being winner, whether at the wheel, the booth or the book.
 Just exactly how much coin has been taken in at these fairs is not at hand, but it is known that the last trio of these events, the one following the other in rapid order, the receipts were fully $58,- 900, and the net profit will probably reach almost half that sum. Some of the patrons may have received return for the money expended, but the great majority were in a way imitators of Steve Brody. but not as successful as was Steve. But then, it is anybody's privilege to take 8 l chance if so inclined, and is willing to pay the price. Fairs of this kind are probably more successful in New London than in any other city in all New Eng l land. Of course there is a reason.
 The munieipaIIy managed ferry has become quite a serial and there is new material in every episode all tending to l show that the mistake made in taking over the management is broadening as l time goes on. The story of the purchase l and the ups and. downs of the Nathan Hale have been told, as has also the sus-
 sequent sale of that craft to the state of l Maine. After the deal was closed the Hale laid up for some time at the muni- cipal pier, and prior to that period was used by the city with the full knowledge and consent of the new owners, who were not ready to put the boat into commis, sion. That was the opportune time tt l take V1e John Winthrop off the line fol
 the needed overhauling and repairs ant
 there would have been no real seriou;
 injury to the limited service. After tn,
 Hale departed for away down east ant : when there was no opportunity to secur
 substitute boat came the time for gov
 ernmental inspection, and now the ser vice is almost as inadequate as was tn
 Sunday ferry years ago when Captail
 Asa Perkins was the ferryman and tn
 ferryboat was a lapped- streak vorkinI or smack boat.
 The municipality has no spare boa
 for use in emergency, as did the forme lessees of the ferry franchise, and i
 consequence the public is deprived of service to which it is entitled and tn
 promise of the city to improve the ser . vice of the past is broken, as it practi
 cally has been ever since the city wen : directly into the ferry business. The pro : motors of the municiDally managed ferr
 idea made claim that better servic r would be given, so much better that tll
 state highway bridge would be an .ah
 but not a competitor, and that the cit } | treasury would be considerably enricf 1 ed. Nothing doing in the promised lin : as yet and the prospects are becomin y dinner and dinner daily.
 The Morgan line of steamships wit e terminal at the state pier, due aeeordirl Z. " OihSleL sss1O peSln Op6raJl0 more than month ago, 10 ply in tf g foreign trade, has not yet made entr !. into the port and no explanation is nat
 by the officials who declared that u steamship was sure to come within f least month after the announcemel ; was made. It has been demonstrate l, that the pier was in readiness to loa ]. and unload vessels as expeditfously as y any other port, being supplied with a
 down to the minute appliances Sever h, steamships arrived during the wint, r. with big cargoes of four from the inortl tt west and their big cargoes were store y on the pier for shipment abroad As h; 1t been written sbefore, that flour W; n brought here in ships and that shil
 would come here and take it away. Or | ship is now taking on a cargo of tn II flour that will go to Poland and tv s other ships will soon do likewise. B e this business is a. side issue of tn l- promised Morgan line. Several banai l. laden steamships have discharged at u z pier. one is now discharging and othe
 4 are en route here. That business, to :, is a side issue ). But, every one of these craft are u e- loaded and loaded so satisfactorily to : ss concerned that the true merits of fl 1f port of New London and the state pi T. are gradually dawning upon the min le of big shipping concerns and receivil
 that consideration that is sure to rest
 in making this port one of the most ii
 portant on the Atlantic coast The col
 mission in charge of the state pier al ir Engineer Clark are out for business al s, with good prospects. Therefore it real T, does look bright for the commercial f i'll ture of New London. Even if 4tf1e Nc
 gan line of steamships should never re steered this way.
 ys
 st The Groton Iron Works as a corpor ,l- ton is having troubles all its own, wi yh prospects that augurs well for it's futu on continuation of activity and ultims
 success. Just about this time there a of all sorts of rumors concerning the lt. plant, but those on the inside decla ha that the plant and location are .nnt <