New Britain herald., 1928-04-21

of vaudeville team eXemplified the best traditions of their calling Thursday night at the Strand thea ter when the audience. affrighted by the possibility of panic, was calm ed partly by the courage of the en- in continuing their act. The actors were Cook and Rosevere, who showed great presence of mind as they read disturbance on the faces of the spectators and sang just as blithely as if they were out in a field of daisies.
 In an emergency people who help us to drive away dull care always seem to respond. The late Eddie Foy's conduct during the Iroquois theater fire in Chicago was not an isolated instance. Nearly every week the newspaper headlines blazon forth the fact that an actor has helped still the tumult in a theater when an audience has been on the point of losing its self control. Chil- dren of optimism, they are never
 
 Rosevere hereby go on the honor roll of unsung heroes who find their courage all part of the days work.
 Appreciation is due also to Man. ager Dan Finn, Hons Wagner, the leader of the orchestra. and Deputy Fire Chief Souney, whose coolness prevented a situation fraught with danger to every person present. It isn't the easiest task in the world to keep the orchestra going along on it's regular tempo when you expect any moment that the ceiling will fall in. We don't know whether Wagner was aware just what notes he was playing. but tbe point we want to make is that he and his men kept on providing the notes.
 It doesn't matter whether it's 3 benefit performance for an unfor- tunate member of the profession or an orphans home or whether it's stopping panic before it gets started. the job can always be ably handled by theater folk We like 'em.
 On April 1. A. D., 1928, a group of citizens interested in orga niZins a rew industrial bank appeared be- fore the honorable state banking commission at Hartford and spoke in behalf of their petition for a charter. They were within their rights. Opposed to them were repre- sentatives of two banks. already es- tablished. who spoke against grant ing the charter. They, also, were within their rights.
 Since that date. more than two weeks have passed. The petitioners and the opposition have waited cision, which was not announced until yesterday. Newspapermen wert told that the delay was due to the impossibility of getting quorum ol the commission present at one time in the same room to pass judgmen, on the application. Day after day announcement was made that thert was no announcement to be madt but that one would be forthcoming It came, like a slow freight througl Arkansas, far behind the time whcI it was expected.
 This article has nothing to dt with the merits or demerits of tn, petition. That is strictly within ths authority of the commission. But i has to do with this ponderous ma chine which we call governmen this lethargic. easy going, dilatory procrastinating organization b. | The state banking commission i only a cog in the machine. It is no particularly to blame for its coma | tose state. It has the great American government habit of putting off un til tomorrow everything that doe not require immediate action o which has no political impetus be hind it.
 | Late in the eighteenth century, | handful Of patriots drove the last 2 the British army into the sea an' the bells of freedom banged all ove 1 the land. America. it was said, Wa free at last. But Americans, if the had but known it, had simply eS changed one form of servitude fo another which was to follow-a ser vitude to a government bound roun with red tape. True, it was Amer ican red tape and that was, perhap better than the ribbons which Kin George had around our neck. Bl it was serritude just the same.
 senuflection toward pompous pull lie officials who are too busy discharge their public duties.
 The sloth of. the state bankin commission is an example of wh; American business is up agains This particular petition might nc
 have been considered of great in lportance in the eyes of the commi!
 sion but it was of importance to Il
 incorporators of the new banl
 whose funds were tied mp while u
 commission was twiddling i
 thumbs. And there is no way
 knowing how many friends Of Il
 incorporators were withholding a
 ton on loans pending the decisio
 on the charter
 The banking commission consis
 of the banking commissioner, il
 state comptroller and the sta
 treasurer. all of whom are presun
 ably on the job every day at Il
 state capitol Just as the factol
 worker is on the job during h
 regular working hours. It shouldr
 have been difficult to get a quoru
 present. And once it was present,
 should not have required more ths half an hour of solid thought