New Britain herald., 1922-10-19
THE COMMON COUNCIL.

Most of the time of the common council last evening, not devoted to necessary matters of routine, was taken up with the discussion Of the advisabiity of following the recom- mendation of the United States health department and the state and local health departments forbdding the harvesting of ice on Shuttle Meadow lake, and the discussion of the proper manner of providing for the placing of the lanterns at street intersections. The first question was properly de- cided when the council ruled to forbid the harvesting of ice on the lake which Is the source of the cltys water supply. The second matter was left open.
 The discussion as to the cutting or Ice was valuable, as every such dis cussion is bound to be, as showing the precautions now being taken to protect the health of various com munities all over the country. The result of such precautions has been a lowered death rate and the prospect of longer healthier life for everyone. pr. Lee, health superintendent, cited instances, especially one in New Haven in 1891, where contamination was traced directly to the ice supply and his comprehensive explanation of the possible danger from this source should suggest the wisdom for the city of investigating the sources of all the ice sold here. The fact that there may be ice brought and sold here which has been harvested in places where there is danger of con- tamination should not be an argu- ment in favor of continuing the dan ger where the city has control of it's main source of ice. It is unfortunate that a hardship may result to anyone, notably those who may be planning to submit a bid for the ice contract, but the welfare of the people of the city should be considered before the interests of any one person or group of persons. Steps should be taken, however, to investigate the sources of the ice supply of all ice coming into the city, now that information of the possible danger has been forth coming.
 Regarding the matter of placing the silent officers" or lanterns at street crossings the solution is less difficult than would appear from the discussion of last night. Theoret- ically it may be the duty of the po- lice department or the department of public works to place these lanterns. But the theory of the matter makes little difference at the moment The practical situation is that the police department has to use the service car or the patrol to carry these lanterns to their places and collect them in the morning. The work requires about an hour and half. The police department cannot well spare man or vehicle There is danger that the patrol would be needed while it is doing this work, either for regular police duty or to carry patient who has been injured to the hospital. The police department is notoriously short-handed. The commissioners have arranged for the patrol driver to do the ianitor work, thus releasing one man for street duty. The depart ment is willing to and can well take | care of the lanterns, filling them and | trimming the wicks, etc., leaving their | disposal for some department which | can spare man for that hour and l half.
 Either the board of public works | or the Municipal garage committee, | the former employing unskilled men, | the latter having jurisdiction over a "helper", should be able to furnish | a man and a vehicle to aid in this placing of the lanterns better than , can the police department. The prac- ] tical situation may well be met by 1 allowing the police department to pre- | pare the lanterns and keep them in shape, and arranging for the most available man and vehicle to place and collect them.