New Britain herald., 1928-05-19
THE OBSER VER- Makes Random Observations
 On the City ana Its People

Bristol residents should take heart from bulletin issued by the state board of health dealing with the
 smallpox situation. The effects of the
 disease are not expected to be
 as serious as in Middletown recent
 ly. The explanation is that a greater
 proportion of Bristol's population is vaccinated.
 Bristol has needed the call to vaccination whenever it has been
 sounded. AS a result. the community is we'll fortified against further en-
 croachments of the disease.
 The state health department state-
 ment says:
 Tt is not expected that the Bristol
 outbreak will reach the proportions attained by the Middletown outbreak
 last winter. Bristol is somewhat bet
 ter protected by vaccination than
 was Middletown at the beginning of the outbreak. About a quarter of the population of Middletown are foreign born and were vaccinated
 either in their native land or upon admission to this country. In Bristol
 about 40 per cent of the population
 would come under this classification.
 Besides, many people in Bristol were Vaccinated four years ago when smallpox occurred in New Britain. For example, a recent study indicates | that about 22 per cent of the present school population have been vacci-
 mated. Thus it appears that the smallpox outbreak found somewhat
 more than half the population of
 Bristol vaccinated sometime during their lives as against about 8 fourth the population of Middletown. This difference in degree of protection is
 sufficient to influence considerably
 the extent of smallpox outbreak. |" From time to time the Observer
 has taken genuine pleasure in cham- pioning the down trodden pedes- trian. This species of the human family has been long suffering and l meek. He deserves all the encour- l agement and sympathy he can get. His life has been one hop, skip and a jump since the automobile was invented. When he leaves home his wife always kisses him tenderly
 and sheds tears that have fare
 well' labeled all over them. She never knows when he will be
 brought home in an ambulance. He has been abused by automobile drivers until there are callouses on his ears. He has learned how to do
 more funny steps than professional dancing masters have been able to originate. In the mass, while cross ing a thoroughfare, he is more live ly than the chorus of Good News shuffling through the Varsity drag.
 That he is alive at all is to be won-
 dered at. Three cheers and tiger for the pedestrian.
 But. here's a word for the man who drives his own car. When he starts from home he expects to reach his destination with dispatch.
 His mind is set on getting to cer- tain point. In the mass, he resembles Nd dpolcOu Oll iIt loou to
 Moscow Does he get there" Yes, but not with dispatch. And here's 1 the rub. When the driver arrives at point at which traffic lights are glowing gladsomely, he is usually
 held up. Not for long, If the lights , are functioning automatically. Bnt
 wheu they are being operated by hand during the busy hours of the day he might just as we'll get out and have a sleep on the curb. He's there because he's there, as the old | song would have it If it were writ ten that way. And he usually stays there for what seems to be ages and | cons. The pedestrian is crossing the 1. street, either singly or in group. | and the cops who are operating the light controls apparently favor the pedestrian. Sometimes, it seems, they wait until all the pedestrians have l crossed, gone home for dinner or supper, as the case may be, and are returning. In the meantime the
 automobilist who has started for a certain destination is wondering l whether he hadn't better send a Telegram. |. Why not give unto the pedestrian the things that are pedestrians and | the driver the right that is his? l Giving all due allowance for Mayor Paonessa's foresight in rec commenting the election of city omLtroller who will devote all his working hours to the office, the Ob-
 server is not duly impressed by the
 suggestion.
 A competent comptroller would
 require fairly large salary. A man who would work for an ordinary in-
 come would not have the proper
 spirit of responsibility. A large sal
 ary increases the immediate and permanent overhead. It adds just
 50 much each year to the tax bur l den. It is hardly worth 1t.
 The city now enjoys the services of a comptroller who does his work !, efficiently for a part time salary i He is sharp eyed and has long ears Very little slips past him. If there
 is any question about the payment
 of bill. he is quick to put on the
 brakes and hold it up. He does his l job as thoroughly as any permanent
 comptroller would in spite. of the fact that the post is side issue. He
 is up to the minute on his reports
 and can tell almost at once what the
 financial condition of the city is.
 It has been said. although the identity of the person making tht
 assertion has escaped for the mo
 ment, that permanent city comp troller would have charge of all de partments, including the schoo
 board. Now the school board is gen
 orally regarded as the bad boy O
 finances in spite of the fact that it
 members work assiduously and con
 scientiously to give the children o New Britain the best education possible. In bad boy fashion it ha