New Britain herald., 1927-03-12
THE OBSER YER Makes Random Observations
 On the City and Its People

 ! sion of q merit system by which | members of the force would be in l line for promotion through recogni- ton Of all round ability might solve l the problem Of advancement which 1 is now confronting the board. In
 many cities policeman who per ! forms an unusually striking deed is 1 rewarded with merit marks which i are taken into consideration when ! promotions from the ranks are
 made. They do not determine pro motion but are weighed in the 1 scales in his favor. This is only l just and reasonable. A policeman 1 who is exceptionally brave and who 1 continually exposes himself to death l or injury in the performance of his ! duty might not make a good ser ! geant but all things being equal. If | he has the ability 10 fill higher 1 rank his record should be taken
 into consideration when vacancies occur.
 [ In some communities, 1t is GUS | tomary to award merit marks semi | annually in the presence Of city
 officials and any citizens who are | interested. The ceremony is car ried out in an impressive manner 1 so that the policemen realize that | they are being publicly recognized. This improves the morale of the l force and keeps the men on their ! toes. But the merit system is of 1 most value in connection with pro motions. Under the present sys- tenn, policemen feel that they must l have political influence to gain ad-
 vancement. Their record, if no | black marks appear after their i looked.
 Thrifty residents will be interest," l cd in the story of John Jones's 1 Dollar published this month in the current number of scientific mag
 azine, which reveals in an amazing | manner the possibilities of com | pound interest.
 i According to the story q certain | John Jones in the year 1921 de- | posted in a Chicago bank a silver dollar at the rate Of three per cent i interest, compounded annually. He ! stipulated that the dollar and it's | accumulating interest were not to | be disturbed until the arrival in the world of the John Jones who would i be the original dcpositors 10th di- rect descendant, the dnscendency 10
 take place through the oldest child of each succeeding generation. Jones died in 1881, according to inc story, which is written as Of the year 322l. At the time of his death
 the dollar had increased 10 s1.G4.
 At the end of 100 years, in the year 202l the dollar had grown to
 sl>,1o.
 At the end of 900 years the dol lar had grown to s364.0O. At the end of 300 years it was 1 S6.920.0o.
 At the end of 400 years the dollar l had grown 10 sl32 900.
 At the end of 500 years the Jones
 dollar had reached the total of ! $o,520.0 GOO.
 At the end of 60n years the dol | lar, now grown 10 the Stupcnduous l sum of s47,90o.00o. it required a special bank and board of direct OTIS 10 care for and reinvest i'. ! After zoo years it had grown to 1 s9l2. 2.0o0,o o00 with 13 generations still to come.
 By this time, it one were "a regard
 the story as a prophetic vision of the future. the moon had been re- moved by scientists of the solar sys- | tenn to make way for an inter plan ctary transportation system and by i the time the Jones dollar vas 500 1 years old it represented an Invest mont of IT billion, 400 million dol | l2rs and controlled the earth as Mars and Venus.
 After 900 years the dollar con-
 trolIed all of the wealth of all three
 planets and is computed to be 332 1 billion dollars.
 | Finally along came John Jones | the $9th,' known at that date not as John Jones. but as J664M4212 Male.
 who was engaged to be married. Ii was computed by expert mathemati-
 cians that his ancestors dollar had
 reached the unthinkablc total of SG,2l0, ,000 100000. To pay it 10 the
 4Oth descendant would require the total wealth of the earth, Neptune, Mars. Venus, Uranus, Saturn. Jupiter and Mercury, and q total appraiso-
 mcnt of the heat rays in the sun at
 q reasonable valuation per calorie, and still would by shy S4T4,75S,-
 637.S5 of the amount due.
 In order 10 complete the story, 1 the 3ath descendant had a lovers quarrel with his fancee and died unmarried. There was no 10th descendant and the property re-
 vertcd 10 the state, thus completing
 the cycle and bringing about the
 original John Jones' secret desire of
 government ownership.
 ! Who arc those strange people one
 secs when one is attending public
 dance? They are never seen else
 where but upon entering inc hal! 1 they are the first you observe and
 when you leave the dance weary
 after a hard task on the floor they
 are still going strong.
 i If Briggs wanted a subject for
 one of his celebrated cartoons it wouIdn. be bad idea to use The dance hall freuuentcr at home"