New Britain herald., 1924-02-28
Safety League Raps Mayor, Police
 Press and Courts; Demands Change

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 the sign actually was painted out, this being the last afternoon of the last day of grace given the owner by Mir. l Alcorr, following our second request of him Thus 1t took almost exactly six months to get this small piece of law enforcement through, whereas a ten-day warning ought to have been more than sufficient. In this inter- view with Attorney AIcorn he said there was no excuse whatever for the New Britain police not enforcing fed 1 eral law.
 We took this matter of federal, law enforcement, later in the year, to the mayor; but in our interview with him he pleaded ignorance of the facts and the law and said that he left all mat ters of law enforcement to the police commissioners and gave them no or- ders; and in fact had not met with them in 14 months. Perhaps he did give them mo orders but when he reasoned with the chairman of the commissioners against allowing fre- quenters to be arrested and the chair
 
 the law take its course, we congratu- lated both the mayor and the chari- man. The chairman thanked us but the mayor set mp in defense the poor hotel guest or. the poor store patron who might in his innocence be ar- rested, and said nothing about the case in hand, which however was chased correctly by the judge. He put the whole bunch down as saloon freauenters and fined them accord ingly.
 "At the above mentioned meeting of your committee with States At torney Alcorns we submitted to him a statement of our police court rec ord showing g saloons still operating in New Britain. His campagin of dismantling all saloons in Hartford county, by the use of the paddock law if necessary, had been announced two weeks before and was bearing rich fruit. We met him on Tuesday and by Saturday night that week he said he expected every saloon to be dismantled in New Britain. He greatly appreciated our cooperation and he said it was time for the New Britain judiciary to give jail sentences for all second and third offenses, at least.
 Your executive committee has held IS meetings during the year, at practically every one of which con- plaints of law-brealsing have been considered and evidence transmitted to the constituted authorities. The results of these actions will be re- ported by your president.
 'On June VIC had an interview with Prosecutor Joseph c. Woods who stated that ho would take the matter of the paddock law and cer- tain drug store violations, outlined 10 him, to the United States district at- torney at Hartford. Raiding of drug stores was left entirely to the federal officers, he explained.
 Tn June the committee distribut- cd copies of Hon. Homer s. Cum mings' address entitled Liberty and Law to the police department board of public safety. prosecutor and judges and all executive officers of the city. These copies were furnished by Chiof Justice George W. Wheeler, who wrote a. very appreciative letter to the Civic league, commenting it for its good work, and named eight points on which to work.
 "on August 31 the matter of hold Ing public meeting in harmony with the governors proposal that we cele- brate September 17 as Constitution | Day was discussed with result that a | meeting was called for September to which all pastors of the city and other representative citizens were in- yited. This resulted in call issued by Mayor Paonessa for Q meeting held September in the council chamber, and the result was that your secretary was deputed to fur