New Britain herald., 1922-06-24

NtW lerltaln pollce CoHlnlSSlon. ] would be putting it mildly to say tha
 the incorrect report of the interview which was published in an out 0
 town newspaper created surprise il
 New Britain. According to that yer
 sion of the affair MT. Alcorn was pic
 tured as attempting 10 dictate the sue
 cossor of Chief Rawlings Of the police
 department. Further light i~owi
 upon the subject reveals the fact tha
 such was not Mr. Acorn's intention
 although he did speak warmly il
 praise of Detective Sergeant liar
 who, the out of town paper said was
 recommended" to head the loca police force.
 When the first version of the inter.
 view was published Mir. Alcorn wa. | placed in an embarrassing position
 He is state official and has no con.
 nection with municipal affairs other
 than when they are brought to his
 attention through the regular pro.
 cesses of law. It is true that New | Britain has been in his mind during
 the past few months because of the
 misfortune this city has had in con-
 nection with violations of the law re-
 stricting the manufacture of alcoholic l;quor. But there Mir. Alcorns inter- est in New Britain legally ended. Ii
 would not be within his province to dictate to New Britain whom it should have as police chief. Perhaps this | was farthest from his mind. It must be admitted that New Britain people who read the first account of the dis l eussion between Mir. Alcorn and the l ocal police commissioners resented what they thought to be interference on the part of the states attorney. They were more relieved when they learned the truth, that he had simply advised the commissioners when they sought his counsel. Resentment against the commissioners was also created because it was thought that they had gone to Hartford to ask Mir. Alcorn to recommend a police chief. This resentment also expended it's force when the truth came out. So far as is known. the whole misun- derstanding has been cleared up and the feeling against Mir. Alcorn and the commissioners has subsided.
 Mir. Alcorn, it is now known, spoke
 highly of Detective Sergeant Hart and considered him eligible for the berth
 of police chief. The Observer has heen informed that he spoke equally IS well of Captain Thomas w. Grace.
 whose friends believe that he should he promoted to the highest office in the police departm The states I l..
 lnissioners that Captain Grace is cminently qualified for the position through long familiarity with police affairs and temperamentally as well. MT. Alcorn also spoke a friendly word for Sergeant George Kelly, whose ad- mirers are convinced that he would make an admirable chief He, also, has spent years in the police depart ment and, like Detective Sergeant Hart and Captain Grace, is thoroughly familiar with police work. It is re- ported that Mir Alcorn did not express preference for one man more than the others but said that he was confident that each would work in harmony with the states attorneys office ln| ease of appointment.
 Whether the next chiefs name is Grace, Hart or Kelly. the department will be in capable hands as each en- ioys the confidence of the public which realizes that all would dis -harge the duties of the position with credit to themselves and to the city
 Friends of the administration are at the inauspicious start it has made with reference to the | ire commission. The recent retire ment of Commissioner KranoWitz and | because of dissa tisfaction over the selection of Commissioner Keev- CTS as chairman deprives the city of l two men whose knowledge of fire de- pertinent matters is broad and of great value. It also creates an al | most unheard of condition--a com mission composed Of entirely mex parienced men, which is not a pleas }nt situation to contemplate although serious may he born of it.
 It seems 10 be the consensus of opinion that MT. Hjerpe should have been retained as chairman because of l
 
 surprise to the public to learn that he l had been superseded by man who had been newly appointed to the toard.
 The Observer has not heard any objection to the choice of Mir. Keev- CTS except on the ground that he has never had an opportunity to come in contact with the fire department and therefore cannot form or execute a policy as well as someone who has served on the board. It is also point ed out that he is employed in another city and cannot have that intimate knowledge of what is needed from day to day that he would have if he were constantly in the home atmos- phere.
 The writer has no sympathy for those who have been described as rebels" within the democratic ranks because their rebellion is based or personal disappointment but it must be admitted that the administration made an error when 1t allowed Messrs. Hjerpe and kranowitz to step out
 Despite hectic prophecies on the part of a few dissruntled democrats, Dave Dunn continues to hold his position as head of the local organi- zation, At the meeting of the town committee on Thursday night he was reelected chairman, ac- cording to information given to the press, thus confounding the few chagrined critics who predicted that they would get his scalp if he dared to call a meeting of the committed,