New Britain herald., 1922-06-17

Looking at the matter from a
 standpoint of opinion and disclaim-
 ing even tho slightest challenge oi
 holding any especial brief for the theater owners, adverse comment may
 be made on the recent order Of the
 police board whereby q policeman
 shall be on duty in every theator al matinees as well as evenings
 In looking over the ordinances the board discovered that there is one providing for policeman on duty af- ternoons as we'll as evenings. Since 1t was an ordinance, Chairman Dunn was for strictly enforcing 1t, although missioner Jackson thought it un- necessary. In the opinion of the board however, there was no alterna- tive but to order it enforced since 1t k a city law. If that is the only reason the board has for enforcing this ordinance, then in the name of justice and common sense let 1t look through the ordinances and statutes again, ferret out the thousand and one other laws that are on the books not enforced and compel the police to enforce them too.
 There is an ordinance which pro- vides for a policeman at every pubic dance. Is there one? No. Prob ably at the cheaper public dances there is, but not at the others. Would the police board dare send a uni formed policeman to stand guard over one of the public dances Ca dance to which any acceptable person may gain admission by the purchase of a tickeD given in local halls? The question causes a smile.
 Then there is law relative to open cut outs on automobiles. Is that en- forced? Within a day a big jitney bus, followed by a big truck, both with cut-outs banging, passed the chairman of the board on Main street. Did he call a policeman and order the arrest of the drivers? There is a law which governs glaring headlights. Do local police ever challenge motor- ists on this? There is an ordinance restricting the hours during which sidewalks in front of stores can be swept and cleaned. Is this always enforced?
 There is a rule governing the route of every licensed jitney. Are drivers arrested for taking a different route? There is an ordinance against splitting on the sidewalk. Arrests are not made every time policeman sees this done. There is one prohibiting the encroaching over the building line for moveabe fruit standss etc. Is this always lived up to? There IS another forbidding cars to stop on the left side of the highway, also ones specifying that bicycles and horse lrawn vehicles display lights at night. These are not all rigidly enforced.
 This is no attempt to criticize the police or the board for conditions here are as good as the average. It 1oes however, dispel the argument that just because an Ordinance is on he books it must be enforced.
 Getting back to the theaters, it does not seem reasonable that policeman should have to be on duty afternoons, since the afternoon attend- ance is generally quite limited.
 The fire board rumpuS, resulting III the resignation of Commissioners II Iierpe and kranowitz is the first real break in the new administration. No| 1eed to delve into that, but at the same time it recalls the fact that dis ,urbances on the police and fire board, IS we'll as the old safety board, have not been uncommon with other ad- nJip1aV's a6z several commissioners were forcibly removed and others 1uit in sympathy. There are many yho still remember when Quigley re- moved Joseph R. Andrews as chair nan and commissioner of the safety board. MT. Andrews had refused to 'esign and insisted on not only at ending the meeting, but also on pre- siding. Quigley also appeared and ordered Andrews to vacate. An lrews refused, whereupon the mayor ,aled in Sergeant w. c. Hart, then a and ordered him to.| orcibly remove Mir. Andrews. Even hat was unavailing and the unfor unate policeman was in quandary.
 He had reason to believe that he vas condemned if he did and con- lemned if he didn't He finally ouched Mir. Andrews on the shoulder Lnd asked him to leave, whereupon he latter simply grasped the arms of lis chair and sat tight" The l umpus was eventually smoothed out 1 an open break and Mir. | Andrews eventually gave up the | hairmanship. This simply shows l hat uprisings, especially on these | important boards are not new affairs