The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-01-18
VOLUME x, Number 3
Around Town Vii
The Editor


1t sure makes a difference which
side of the fence you are on!
During World War II, thousands
of boys, fighting on the battlefelds
of Europe and the Pacific (and
among them were hundreds from
Hagerstown and Washington Coun-
ty) were writing home to their fam
lilies, bitterly criticizing defense
workers for going on strike while
they were fighting for their country.
Today, we have some of those
self-same boys - not many / hope -
in the picket lines at the Fairchild
plants.
Yes folks, it sure makes a differ
ence which side of the fence you are
on.
When the Police Department, OPP
Grating under the terms of the
Maryland State Liquor Law, again
made surprise inspection of twelve
Hagerstown clubs on Tuesday after
noon and found slot machines, or
other gambling devices, in eight of
them, they were only doing their
sworn duty and should be praised,
rather than criticized
When the Police Department made
a surprise inspection of local clubs
back in July 1949 and confscated a
number of slot machines, there were
many myself included - who
felt that due to the slot machines
having been permitted in the clubs
for many years, the clubs should
have been given an opportunity to
get rid of them - the same as was
done in Allegany County. But this
time there was an entirely different
situation.
The clubs in which the gambling
devices were found, not only knew
they were breaking the law, but
they were also aware of Police Com
missioner Ellinger's oft-repeated
public statement, that as long as he
was head of the Hagerstown Police
Department, the laws were going to
be rigidly enforced - without fear
or favor.
The clubs should also have been
aware of the fact that President
Truman recently signed a law out
having slot machines all over the
country - law which plainly stat
ed that, even in States, or counties
or cities within those States, where
the use of slot machines were made
legal by State Legislation, they could
not be used until the States con-
cerned had passed new laws per-
hitting their operation.
The clubs that were fined and had
their liquor licenses suspended in
the 1949 cases, should also have
realized that second conviction,
under the State Liquor Law, would
bring them face to face with the
possibility of having their liquor
licenses revoked.
That was quite a meeting the
Mayor and Council had on Friday
night it was another of those
executive meetings that the Mayor,
during his campaign for election,
said would be done away with. The
meeting was called for the purpose
of trying to name a personnel direc-
tor for the city, and the fur was
really flying.
understand that the Mayor made
a New Years resolution - ask him
about it = and if he did, he GER
tainly broke that resolution wide
open at Friday nights meeting, ac-
cording to information given me by
some of those who were present.
wonder what happened to those
bids the building committee of the
YMCA called for some time ago, for
the remodeling of the old North
Street school, in order to turn it into
a YMCA for our colored population.
Since the funds for remodeling the |
building were furnished by the tax
payers of Hagerstown and Washing
ton County = the County and City
each voted the sum of $4,000 for the
remodeling job it seems to me
that the taxpayers should be told
when the work is to get started, or
if it is being held up, what the reason
is.