New Britain herald., 1924-09-20

ing or me common council last Wednesday night when 1t was voted to pass without further delay an ordinance which will interfere with those playful spirits who acquire property in desirable home sections and threaten to erect tenement houses unless owners of abutting realty buy them out. This species of animal has increased in num- bers during recent years, so much so that he is a menace to the community and deserves to be tarred and feethered and escorted to the city outskirts on a three corner rail. al
 There have been numerous in- stances where spectators have seen an opportunity to enrich them selves at the expense of their fel- low citizens by conduct that is nothing short of blackmail. They have made 1t their business to se- cure title to vacant land in a dis trict of homes and after making deposit have broadcast the news that they intend to erect block or business structure. Naturally. resi- dents of the district become alarmed. Many of them have paid for their homes secure in the be- lief that they would be unmolest- ed by the construction of unsight- ly buildings. In order to protect their homes from depreciation they have been forced to buy out the speculator at an exorbitant price.
 A more despicable adventure in real estate Is difficult to imagine than the purchase of a site in or der to get blood money out of the man next door. So far as the law is concerned, it is legal. The cow ard who sets out to force sale by these tactics realizes that he can not be put in jail and because there is no law under which he can be punished he has had free fiIx, The new ordinance will have a ten- dency to make tricky speculator think twice before he buys up va cant property.
 It was also explained at the meet ing of the common council that permits for buildings which would not be permitted under the pro- posed zoning regulations have been sought. Property owners, realizing that they cannot carry out their plans when the zoning laws become effective, are attempting to rush them through. This will be checked with the new ordinance so that the zoning arrangement will not have been prepared in vain.
 "The moon and the weather often change together, but the moon has no effect on the weather" according to an old saying.
 But there are people who believe the moon has a bearing on the weather. That they are wrong is in- dicated by a communication to the Boston Herald by c. F. Marvin. chief of the [. s. weather bureau in Wash ington. The communication was sent to that paper after number of correspondents to 1t had started 8 discussion over the moons influence upon the weather. Because of it's authoritative source we pass it on l to readers:
 The relation of the moon to weather has been the subject of exhaustive studies, especially by the Germans. These investigations showed that the moon has no appre- ciable effect on the temperature, wind, rainfall or any other weather | element.
 The chief way the moon can and does minutely affect the temperature ot the earth is by the perturbations it causes in the esrth's course about the sun. However, this effect can only be computed, as it. is too small (roughly, only the fiftieth part Of one degree) to be certainly detected in our tc,apera.ure data. This cal- culation was published in the Month"; ly Weather Review, page BAY, 1914.
 Perhaps the idea that the wealth. CT Is coldest at and near full moon had it's origin as follows: The wealth. CT is, as a rule, cooler on clear nights than cloudy. On cloudy, hence | relatively warm nights, one does not of course see the moon even at times of full, or neuc full, moon. On clear nights, hence cool ones, one does see the moon, If 1t Is up, and Is apt to note the beauty of the evening.
 Tn this way moonlight. and the full, or near full, moon becomes as- sociated with relatively cool weather though the phase of the moon had no part whatever in causing me coolness."
 Ii Is not generally known outside of the fraternity that the Knights Templars have a scholarship system and that it was ilaugurated by H. Wales Lines of Mer:den, for Ss years grand treasurer of the Knights Tenn plars.
 The Grand Encampment of the Knights Templars at its triennial ses- sion held in New Orleans in April 1922, established a revolving edu- cational loan furd which is to be available to assist worthy and needy students in obtaining loans to aid them in completing the last two years of their course in normal schools, colleges and universities.
 The Grand Encampment also es- tablished an educaion endowment fund, of which only the income can