Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, December 23, 1916, Page 4

Glorwich Zulletin and Qoufied 120 YEARS,OLD Sulscription price 1Ze a weeks 50c a month: $6.00 a year. Entered at the Postoffice at Norwich, Conn., as second-class mattef. Telephone Calls: Bulletin Businass Ofsice 450. itorial Rooms 35-3. ulletin Job Offics 35-2. ©7 Churen St Bulletin Ed B Willimantic ‘Telephone 21 Norwich, Saturday, Dec. 3, 1516, S S — Sesecceascscencsscscececessatcecorecnsossessses The Circulation of The Bulletin The Bulletin has circulation of any paper in Eastern Connecticut and from three to four times larger than that of any in delivered to over 8,000 of the 4,053 houses ‘n Nor- wich and read by ninety-three per cent. of the people. it is delivered to over 900 houses, § in Putnam and Danielson to overd 1,100, and in all of these places the local daily. Eastern Connecticut has forty- nine towns, one hundred and sixty- five postofiice districts, 1ural free delivery routes. The Bulletin is town and on all of he R. routes in Eastern Connecticut. CIRCULATION average..... 905, average...eouserienn e 5,020 F In Windham is considered eold in \every ; December 16, . STATE RESERVATIONS. From the realization of the fact that the state is doing much valuable work in the preservation of many of the beauty spots abbut the commonwealth, for use as public parks, there cannot be other than interest in the report of the state park commission to -the effect that it has acquired East Hampton, Westport and Litch- fleld to thé amount of $20,000 in the That there has been much more past-two years. opportunity to secure which is equally desirable for its nat- ural beauty cannot be doubted Connecticut abounds in such tive localities which ought not to be destroyed through the invasion of the sawmill or the land promoter, but it is seriously doubted whether the state is ready to go ahead in this matter on the grand scale advocated by the com- when it considers would be economy to spend $4,000,000 to $5,090,000 during the next ten years in acquiring reservations of mountain, lake and seashore property. If Connecticut was out of debt and had a half million dollars which it could not put to better use each year for the next decade, thers would be no objection fo such use of it but this state is under a large bonded debt. It has only just bezun to feel the ef- fects of improved conditions which continuance, There are many other directions in which a half million a year could be put to better use for all concerned and until ly remove it. such needs acquisition of reserva- tions on such a large scale ought to Just at present looked upon as a luxury which can be dispensed with. it must be LUXEMBURG SUFFERS TOO. Regardless of the protests have been made to Germany by the neutral nations concerning the depor- tation of Belgians, there doesn’t ap- pear to be any let up in the work. Germany s going ahead apparently satisfled that it has furnished ample explanation for its acts, and as if it did not intend to pay any attention to the appeals which have been made to it by neutral nations. It hak of course claimed that it was being done for the good of the Bel- glans and it has offered to allow neu- trals to investigate the conditions un- der which the deported people working, but that cannot be accepted 88 a satisfactory reason for breaking up the BEelgian homes and causing conditions in that country which are bound to result by taking away the able bodied men in order to help out the nation which has done so mueh to bring about the existing situation in Belgium, for it cannot be denied that Germany is receiving much benefit who are being from these people forced to work in one way cr another for the German government. But in addition to this method of forcing the Belgians to help those who are fighting them reports from Am- sterdam state that the same practice is being followed in the Grand Duchy which has not only suffered from the German invasion of Belgium but which permitted German invasion of Its territory and is not en- gaged in the war. Germany will have to do more than it has in the way of explanation before the neutral world can be made to see”the justification of It is one of the great of Luxemburg, such oppression. outrages of the European war. GOETHALS AND THE CANAL. For years it has been evident that there was no one who had any more faith in the ultimate success of the Panama canal than General Goethals. This conderns not only the construc- tion but the operation of the big wa- He has seen the work pro- gress to a point where there is no question but what the canal has been built on lines of permanency and that whatever problems have arisen in the course of construction are bound to be overcome in time, and in view of the use which has thus far been made @ return on the large investment. In this connection General Goethals number of addresses which he has made since leaving his post, that there should Be no serious interfer- ence with the policy of tolls, but he is firmly, of the opinion that the ves- sels which use the canal should be made to pay in accordance with their earning capacity which is not always indicated by the technical tonnage. The result of the operation of the canal during the first vear shows a balance on the right side of the ledger of $350,000 which he believes to be satisfactory, everything considered, but by the suggested change in the toll charges, which would be a more equitable method, he sees where this can be greatly increased, and with the greater .use of the canal, brought to the point where a profit will be shown on the canal over and above expenses, looking towards the gradual repaying of the construction cost. His knowl- edge of the enterprise is such that his advice ought to carry much weight. - DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROHI- BITION. No little interest is being centered upon the fight which is being made in the United States senate in behalf of prohibition in fhe District of Colum- bia. The senate as has been shown by the tie vote taken on the question of a referendum is very closely di- vided, and each side is manoeuvering for every advantage that it can get, but while the district is much con- cerned over the outcome, it is likewise attracting. much attention throughout the country. That there should be much senti- ment in behalf of a referendum is not surprising. The District of Columbia is under a different government than states, but it nevertheless seems only fair that the people thereof should be consulted in regard to what they want, instead of fogging license upon them if they want no license, or insisting upon it beifig “dry” when the majo ity prefers that it should be “wet.” It on the other hand there is not the disposition to allow those in the district to decide the matter for them- selves, it might be only a reasonable move to give them a chahce to ex- press their views upon what they want as a guide for the action which the senate will take in the matter. Such of course need not be binding. It might not even show what would be the better course, taking everythinz into consideration, but it would indi- cate nevertheless a disposition to hear the people instead of allowinz those from the four corners of the country to say what they must have, whether it be prohibition or license. MUDDLED THE SITUATION. It is seriously doubted whether Sec- retary Lansing has, by his explana- tions of the note which has been sent to the bellizerent nations of Europs, contributed anything in its favor. That he has muddled the situation instead of clarifying it, both in this ‘cowmtry and abroad, is indicated by the ex- planation which he has made of his In one of these he explanation. speaks of this country being on the verge of war because both sides are continuing in their violation of our rights and later, after having discov- ered the effects thereof, he hastens to say that he did not intend to convey the idea that this country was con- templating a departure from its neu- tral position,\and that he-did not con- sider that his first statement open to several interpretations. - But there should have been as much care taken in the explanations as there apparently was in the note. If Mr. Lansing has said more than he intended to it is possible that it was based upon information which the government has which has not be- come public, but the result has been that instead of making the meaning of the note more plain, or setting forth the reasons for sending it. he has thrown a cloud about the entire affair which even his third statement doesn’t dissolve. This is bound to have its effect abroad as well as at home, a fact which should have been taken in- to consideration before it was made. His explanations indicate that there is something in the note which has to be arrived at through inference rather than through what is actually said. was EDITORIAL NOTES. The time has expired in which peo- ple are expected to do their Christ- mas shopping sanely. _ Only those who have not gotten their fill out of the stock market and “war babies” have any fear of the prospects of peace. ‘The man on the corner says: When a man contributes to the conscience fund it is an excellent sign that he doesn’t need the money. As long as it is a horseship, the submarines of the central powers con- sider that they have a rizht to sink it, whether it contains Americans or not. There may be some grumbling be- cause the big snow storm failed to de- velop as promised, but no straw vote is necessary to know how most peoplé feel about it. There is no use talking, the iceman Is happy under many conditions. He rejoiees in a hot summer and he is all smiles when the weather keeps below the freezing point. Turkey, by announcing that it will now permit the 200 Americans to leave the Holy Land, indicates that it has been impressed by the failure of this country to receive its ambassador. From the way in which the Ruman- ians and Russians are retreating, it is cuite evident that the assistance furnished by the czar was not as powerful as w: ported or expected. General Scott sald the militia was sent to the border to bluff the Mexi- cans. Perhaps that is the reason why Villa, after sizing the soldiers up, de- cided to disregard the rights of Amer- lcans. The attitude taken by ex-Premier Asquith shows him first of all a pa- triot. He isn’t finding fault or sulk- ing because another has been put in his place but is offering him -all the en- couragement and dssistance possible. The declaration from London to the effect that the Marina was never in the service of the admiralty makes it plain that it was not subject to at- ‘tack without warning, and that it was entitled to all the respect of a mer- has made the suggestion during a . lowbrows fellowship but these thoughts which which we ought all to be.ashamed. Billy Sunday, like the Saviour, has a creed above human folly highbrow and the lowbrow: must alike ! come to. daughters worthy of their Father in Heaven. The highbrows and the lowbrows as such have Heaven or in Hell is always of more value to the doer than the deed. do, but our_why or way of that tells. the irritable and gentle with the mis- erable, and kind to the poor and gen- erous to the through a closer relation what Chris- tian brotherhood really “man’s soul contracts as his purse ex- pands;” strengthens Christian ministries the needs of his less fortunate fellow- man. is so closely related to man that they cannot isnore the interests of one an- other without endansgring their are the developers of spirituality; and those who practice these virtues resemble the Great Master in power and practice. little with it except disappointment. “The 200d,” and the good fruit is that which tells for the well-being and happiness of others. mountain high this winter if we do not know how high they ha® soared before. in New England before but not in the memory There was a time when potatoes in Montana sold for which means in some states over $27 a bushel and in other states over $30. Clifton Johnson ways and Byways tells us that the first grown in and of a English hay sold for $14 a hundred weight or $280 for a short ton. is not the banner year of the Ameri can hen for esgs sold for $1. dozen in Lou it is clear that what is in the way of high prices and what might be are still very far apart. who waits, but it is rather siow com- ing. The man who has things when he wants them without waiting is the man strenuous endeavor as well as for pa- tience. loser, but he doésn’t see things com- ing his way as the hustler does. patience that is the key of content is a good thing to lose. many varieties of patiénce as are of mosquitoes and some of‘them bite worse. serve who only stand and wait;” but they don’t count for much in raising 2 building or holding: up an-enemy. Patience is popular tion to the irritable by people who are no more patient than they be—it is are on the perilous end of a life-line. Time waits for ne should wait for time unless he has too. children small calamities if not of large ones. The misfortune which befalls any of us is really of less consequence than the way in which we take young fellow out west who was the victim of a railroad accident in boy- hood is working his way through col- lege and making his own wooden legs. We once knew a lad with one leg who could graceful than most boys who had two. ing can happen to some people that will make them think they are down and out and must confess they are done for. grit does after he has been knocked down is to get up again; and the man who has been way develops talen or skill in another If we are heirs to anything it is to more than one grip upon life; misfortune cannot deprive us of them. Misery and man are the Siamese times of life; often out-generaled misery. plored the fact the gift of gab was not bestowed upon them, when it may have been the greatest blessing of their lives to be short of words. Half ;)tf the people who have the gift abuse quired the habit talk too much. record made by those who talk too much is that they think too little. It ‘has been said that there was once a lady who talked so incessantly that ;éle couldn’t give an echo fair play. “There is the same diffe the tongues of men as between the hour and the minute hands of a clock —one goes_ten times as fast and the other signifies ten times as much.” A a{lfl. of gab is a curse to any one who o has not often been blamed for say- ing too liftle. great doers. words are usually niggardly in deed. Some one has sai “Men who have nothing to do are kept busy do- The man who elects to do nothing always "has a serious prob- lem on hand—he must work to sub- sist, or compel some one. to support him or be conscious of those he can impose himself upon. ways and means are not every 's ~ master they are every person’s concern. It cannot be so much easier to solve the problem how to live without work than it is how to satisfyingly support one’s self by work. The Almighty meant that life should never become anything less than a problem; and that the genius of man should never be able to make anything less of it. The slacker and the lout and the moocher and the fuyard are nuisances in any part of the world in which they turn up; and the hand-outs al- ways come grudgingly their way. Life to them is very much the same as it is to the yellow dog—precarious and uncertain. They seem to enjoy doing something that they may become nothing. Billy Sunday into *highbrows and lowbrows’ proceeds to hit them off in vigorous shape. What other three words in the English language can include. and classify the whole hundred million of us. The highbrows think the low- brows are of no consequence, and the think the highbrows are selfish and dishonest. One class thinks they are it; and the other class would like to be and think they would be it if the other class didn’'t keep them down. This fixes a great gulf between them when there is' really nothing to rend their brotherhood or blossom in the selfish mind and of which the To Billy Sunday men and women must become the sons and of God or they are un- no claim for recognition in Some one affirms: “A good motive It is not wi ‘We can be pat unforunate and realize It is said and his as he righteous through vision gentle contributes to In the whole plan of life man own. giveness, ess kindness and gentl most Selfish giving - carries noblest motive is the public motive which bears The price of potatoes appears to be They may have been dearer of the present generation. eents a pound in American High- field of - potatoes and onions Montana brought $16,000; ime in Dakota when go#d This a iana 53 years ago. So Everything may come tb the man who hustles. Life calls for The patient waiter may be no The There are as there Milton says: “They also for commenda- kin to hope and salvation when you »man and no man all of us more or less of misfortune—victims of We are it. A skate better and cut € more pigeon-wings upon the ice Noth- The first thing a man of incapacitated in one and but by his genius man has Many a man and woman has de- and most of those who have ac- The was Sydney Smithgwho wrote ce between .a bit out of the ordinary, all dollar can ever find a bottom to rest upon. the top dollar that spells competence but the dollars in between. Some men appear to be afraid to hold on to a dollar tight for fear they may be call- ed tightwads, or be charged with mak- ing the eagle squeal. Many a man’s bottom dollar is going now. for coal at $10.15 a ton, flour at $12 a barrel, and eges out of sight; life"s necessities is only half as much as it cannot make a dollar the speculators cannot make cheap by making other things dear. bottom dollar absolue want is held at bay. lar falls out that credit fades away, and man becomes a debtor instead of a creditor. experience somewhat similar. ever quickly we slip back into tke >ld ruts after it is over, we are ali of us better because of the holy festival. It is good to have caught even a glimpse of the star in the East. are made kinder because we have re- membered, even if but for a mcment in the ‘midst of rushing years, Child who lay smiling in the manger of Bethlehem At no time moic than at Christinas does Tiny Tim’s bless us every one,” seem a natural and universal solution. C diers who gifts instead of bombs between the trenches in Flanders yield to the mood of the season. Sometime, by the grace of God, that which is now the pass- ing impulse begotten of the cliarm of the Christmastide, will become the pemanent order of life. sentiment. It is the application of the gospel rule of gold to all our mun- dane affairs. And the golden rule is about as radical and transforming a principle as could well be imagined. It goes to the very roots of numan conduct. to do aught to hurt, his neighbo:r. will not despoil him of possessions, or time, or character. good will will not build ships .or the purpose of sinking men of other na- tions in the sea, not drill armies for the purpose of killing them on land. Figure out, if you can, reader, some sort of moral mathematics, just how far we are from the reign of good will at the present hour. flat ‘to the ground land gambling dens. filoughsha.re deep through all that de- les would do away with one haii the hospitals, alms houses, jails and in- sane asylums, by making them necessary. One-half are naught but monuments to man’s inhumanity to man. Had good will prevailed they need not have been. 't know what to do with it. Man Great talkers are not Those who are lavish in Every man’s bottom dollar is not the foundation of even a competence, not to mention a fortune. It is safe to presume from the fact that men so freely bet their bottom dollar that most men have one; but the facility with. which a great many men keep in debt indicates that some such bottomless pi\tl of folly thai men are t no For lo! the days are hastening on By prophet bards foretold, When with the ever circling years Comes round the age of gold. . When Peace shall over all tae earth | Its ancient splendors fling, s And the whole world gives back the | song - ‘Which now the angels sing. (Written Specially for The Bulletth.) It is a good sign, the revival of tne old Ci customs, as any ob- server must note, year after year The singing of carols, during the midnight hours on snowy nights, the playing of the Waits, reminiscent of ages ago, the uni ity of the vogue of the Christmas tree, delight of chiid- ish hearts, the melting of the hard crust of self and selfishness and seit- cénteredness which has formed dux ing the twelvemonths, perhaps, by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune; the light, the music,- the feastings with their go:‘ffieu cse have their effect in uplifting and en- couraging poor humankind. Best of all, there that spiritus uplift, that awakening of the mnobler side of man’s nature, that rising above cut-and-dried ideals, prosalc hopes and purposes, routine duties, the making and the counting and the hoarding of money, a rising to a sort of sublimated atmosphere in which the small things of existence are Ilost sight of for the time, and even the most sordid and commonplace and uninteresting among us finds life a newly glorified state, and in his heart, at least, sings for a while the jubiiant chorus of the angels, “Glory to God in the highest; peace on earth to men of good will!” To be sm!o, everybody scolds mildly about the vexations of Christmastime; the purses too small to emit coins suf- ficlent for the extraordinary demands; the currency which refuses to become elastic, which, Yuletide spirit since every mother's son or daughter of them is putting steam-engine en- ergy into thoughts for the pleasure of {others—we are tired, and overtaxed, and grow peeved at trifles; but when it is all over, and we cease to mar- vel at all the friends we have and all the crowds in the stores — to one imbued with the true are really splenadid, It is not the bottom dollar or and its relation to used to be. The government So_ long as there is a It is when the bottom dol- Sunday Morning Talk GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN. The widow of the Confederate gen- eral, George E Pickett, has related an incident that followed their baby boy in Civil war days. that time the two camped facing each other, Like giant buiidogs waiting to spring. was commander of the Nortucrn force and Pickett was a_brigadier general in the Southerm. were lighted along the lines, apparently by way of some kind of celebration. meaning of his chief of staff. Ingalls, and was told that the illum- ination was in honor of Geurge K. Pickett, Jr. the birth of At armies wcre en- Grant One night boufires Confederate Grant inquired the Gen. Now the Northern soldier and the Southern, aithough the war had ranged them as military foes, had been warin personal friends since days when they had riden side by side in Mexico, “Get some kindling and strike a this side, too, for young Pickett,” rected the silent man in bluc. came about that on a certain evening, no guns were fired, but bonfires were blazing along both fronts, and the Gray—and all in_honor of a wee baby in the Southland. giit on ai- So it the Blue Such concord of spirit betwesn men in arms against each other was too good to last and in a day or two the shock of battle was on once more. But it is safe to say that neither side was the worse for the brief interlude of peace with its expression o good will, in the welter of war must Lavo en- couraged everybody. Such a sample of brothcrhiood Christmas brings us each year an How- embittered, gifts, the strangest of presents! master-mind, ‘whom, perhaps, readers turn, at this time of year. to catch the true spirit of the season. shelled individual unaffected, after he has Dickens writes of the associations of Christmas; feeling, and the honest interchange of affectionate attachment, which abound at this season of the year! lights of a Christmas family party, where petty jealousies and discords are awakened in bosoms to which have long been strangers; father and son, or.brother and sister, who nave met and passed with averfed gaze, or 2 look of cold recognitioms for months before, proffer and return the cordial embrace, mosities in their pres toward each other, withheld by false notions of pride and self-dignity, and again re-united, and all is kidness and benevolence. Wou!d that Christraas lasted the whole year through (as it ought) is Dickens’ wisn, And from the Christmas tree he pi:- tures the images that go forth; angel, speaking to a group of shep- herds in a fleld; someetravelers, with eyes Baby in a manger; a Child in a sna- cious temple, talking with grave men; Our hearts the “God Even the sol- spend an hour tarowing Good will is no mere soft, flabby The man of good will is unwilling He ‘The nation of by The gospel of good will woald raze “In every image and sugges the season brings, may the bright star that rested above the poor roof be the star of all the Christian world! in commemoration of the law of love and kindness, mercy and comvassion! This in remembrance of Me!™ Haven Journal-Courier. much a bribe as to promise money. Legally the matter may at present be open to question, but the Kansas su- prem ecourt-has ruled that there is no difference even in law, removing the [Of ! mayor of Kansas City and giving the saloons, brothels It would run a and debauches humanit; It un- Is good will to prevail on this earth? Or is Christmas day only a fabl> and a fine sentiment? It is a 1ophecy. It is, like faith, the “subsiance of evidence of ings hoped for, the ings not. seen” ~ Burnes that he would make it his business to discourage the operation of aptomo- biles by drunken drivers. As a dis- courager Secretary Burnes may be classed with the allies in their efforts to stop German drives. ago |him, one in which there was no ta particle ‘of doubt, and the operator met a terrible punishment—had his li- cense revoked for ten days! Autoists all-the-year lcondition, some- how we have a new glow at the heart and the pleasure has outweighed largely the fuss and the eonm:li: and the trouble and the Of course a few pessimists are sa) ing as usual: “Bah! How n»luz! Christmas should be for children aud for them only! It is a silly custom for their elders to make gifts! Es- pecially this year, when there is much privation and suffe the illiohs An W tries! heard the other day of the beauti- ful and origlml way in which one family is keepink Christmas, in its loftiest spirit, while answering _the objections of said pessimists, and at the same time sending cheer- to the unknown little brothers and sisters in foreign lands, thousands of them as meanly housed and as destitute and as friendless, as was the One from ‘Whom Christmas borrows its inspira- tion and its lustre and its charm of magic influence upon otherwise dull souls in a work-a-day world Such joy as this parfiular 'houss. hold has" had for weeks!™ Instead of purchasing each other the regulation each has given the o.uer,,oh, Toys, and tiny warm dresses, and cunning knit- ted socks, and wee caps, and comfy things for cribs, and the like. Claus must be a wizard mind-readcr: for each on receiving these odd gifrs has declared them, ‘wanted!” of the household was with sets of outing rompers, and an- other member of the family with knit- ted horse-reins, little brass bell: Saunta “Just what 1 although the gentle motl gay with jangling These wise mortals “shopped early”, too; and mailed their Christmas pack- age with most commendable haste; for, as it was told to me, all thise gifts were boxed long ago, and for- warded to a sweet little French Sister of Charity, who is at the front caring for the wounded, yet is in close touch Wwith the needy orphans. Now, . wasn’t that a beautiful thought? Worth ten vears of ordin- ary, energy and unselfishness would do to stir the sluggish blood of those bilious mortals who keep saying, part, I wish Christmas didn’t come But once a century!” prosaic life! How much such “For my How different the wish _of Charles Dickens, next to the that t> Bibe, I defy any pes st to remain un- touched, who will sit down and read with proper attention, the story of the Nativity, marvelously, Luke, first to_the 14th verse, inclusive. as told so simply yet so in the gospel of Saint the second chapter, from the And I challenge even the hardest- to prove himself read what the outpourings of good The Ge- forgotten, social feelings are tney and bury their past ani- nt happiness. Kindly hearts, that have but yearned have bewn an uplifted, following a star; a a solemn Figure, with a mild and beautiful face, raising a dead girl by the hand; again, near a city gats, calling back the son of a widow, on his bier, to life; a crowd of pzople looking through the opened roof of a chamber where He sits, and letting down a sick person on a bed, with ropes; the same, in a tempest, walk- ing on the water to a ship; again, on the sea-shore, teachng a great multi- tude; knee, and other children round; again, restoring sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, healtn ) knowledze dving upon a Cross, watched by armed soldiers, a thick darkness com ing on, the earth beginning to shake, and only one voice heard. “Forgive ghe'm. for they know not what tacy gk ’ again, with a child upon His the sick, to strength to the lame, the ignorant; again, And the great writer ends by saying n that This, THE DICTAGRAPH. | OTHER VIEW POINTS Morally to promise an office is as place to his rival, because the former promised the office of police judge and chief of police to two of his friends who solicited votes for him. This de- cision can not fail of a wholesome ef- fect and aid in leading toward the de- sired period when nothing will influ- ence elections except the honest opin- fons of the voters.—To ter. n Regis- Awhile ago Secretary of State declared with positiveness A day or two a Waterbury. case came before Established 1872 PLAUT-CADDEN BUILDING sion upon the part anyone else, I beg TS, LLYN L. BROWN. Norwich, Dec. 22, 1916. Another One Not “Hit” There is, or should be, enough retaliation in our makeup to use in personal defense, but like every- thing else, it is abused, name of critlcism, ill-jud My previous let: invite criticism, and not feeling immune, was ready to see the little slap that “Southerner” sent, but was in time to dodge it, and will ex- plain why I did not feel “hit. “Southerner” has the right idea of I hope she practices I wonder if she applies it to the colored people of the South, as much as her white neighbors, or to use her words—*“to aid a person in distreas, no matter where he came from, or who he As for shiftless, lazy women, is ere a city or town in any country, where they are unknown, both women and men. Though Norwich, I prefer to defend, and not ddubt very much that class of people are more numer- ous there than elsewhere. it comes to “gossip”—oh! remember it takes two to gossiy d be careful how you acknowledge ths or the finding of that “disease. ‘When one hunts, they generally find, and if one seeks that LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Gas and Electrical Department’s nancial Condi I attended some weeks ago a very interesting meeting of the Norwich society in New York. There were about forty present. Mayor Brown of Norwich, addressed the meeting and made a very interest- ing but startling speech. stood him to say among other things, that when the present administration came into power the balance sheet of the Norwich Gas and Electric com- pany showed a balance of 99 cents to its credit but after a full investiga- tion had been made of Dr. Somers or to remain Mr. Editor: under the sarcasm. public letters the golden rule. expert ac- a_deficit of over $80 was ‘I also understood him to say that appropriation made for the in _which he and his colleagues took office had been eatén into by the preceding officials, and that the situation was a grave one for He made definite statement that these conditions would ca: increase in taxation, and the important that he would be forced to bring the facts before the citizens of Norwich. I have noticed nothing in the papers business year I do not live in chastise, and Soutnerner, about this matter, nor have I heard anything regarding the subject from any of my Norwich friends. a matter of such > to the tax pavers must Please let me acquaintance r‘np class of people, the gossips,” he is sure to find them, or if found, and sought, and the atmos- phere is not pleasant, one is rot oblig- ed to remain in that atmospbere. One iged to stay in a place, even ikened to the Rose of New have been published. know about this and kindly send me “The Bulletin” giving de- Mayor Brown made a very pleasing appearance, hearers ‘were interested in his reforms for the saving of tax-payers' money. He explained in detail- that much had been saved by the city through the elimination of unnecessary expen: the use of telephones by city oflals, and his policy of better sidewalks for As a matter of fact, when Charles A. Terry, presiding of- ficer of the meeting, and one of the of- ficials of thes Westinghouse Electric company, suggested that Mayor Brown might be a candidate for governor of the state, there was considerable ap- England, and if the South is cleaner and has cleaner women than found in New England, I should think a return to that part of the country would be especially when one nothing to do but exist. The women of New England are not afraid work, and many of them are employed all Norwich. clothing for the “ladies” of the South, It is a well known fact that those who are employed are hap- pler and live a more contented life than those who work not, but waited upon. "Wishing you the compliments cf the season, T am know that I have spent many dol- lars for transportation on the Penn- sylvania railroad, toward her south land, and I would not have remarked about the world-wide known laziness that is prevalent in the south perhaps to the atmosphere tbere), if I had not a personal knowledge of what I was writing about. I have seen the South and its people, both black and white, and while some are very bl there are those also who are very white (including the colored peo- ple), and hospitality is practiced to the fullest extent of the word. farther south I traveled, the more I desired the North, and, New England, in spite of the knocks from those who do not care for it, and who obliged to stay here, it is the place ‘While I was in the South, I did not consider it a courtesy to find fault, or criticise in print, what T Not being aatlsfled.d Lhget that place, and finally returned to the I left because I did not care for what I found there. And I find daily (for my occupation has so placed me), “poor fellows who need money more the Pennsylvania railroad, I am glad to be able to say to Scuth- that I have helped many “poor fellow” and his needy family. That is part of my life and occupation, not because of a salary, as one might think, for there is none coming, but simply because of the Golden Rule in- stilled into me by a New England mother and father. Very truly vours, - J. A. SOMERS. New York, Dec. 20, 1916. Upon inquiry being made of Mayor Brown relative to this statement con- cerning the Gas and Electrical partment’s condition, statement of his remarks to the Nor- wich society in New York was given. What Mayor Brown Said. Referring to the letter from Dr. James A. Somers to your- self under the date of Decomber 20, 1916, will you kindly permit me to state exactly what I did say at the November meeting of the Norwich so- ciety in New York city with regard to the financial condition of the City of Norwich and its Gas and Electric de- partment at the time when the prenent administration took office on June 5th Mr. Editor: At that time I made the statement there, and in view of the gentleman’s letter I believe it proper to reaffirm it that there are through your columns here at time, that while presumably the ap- propriation for the Gas and Flectric department for the year ending April 30, 1917, recommended by the court of common council to, and voted bv the annual city meeting last June, was based upon the department’s balance sheet for the year ending April 30, 1916, which showed a balance on hand of 99 cents, as a matter of fact the re- /| port of Auditor Martin E. Jensen re- ceived by the present court of com- mon_council some months ago disclosed that the Gas and Electric department closed year with something above $36,000 in unpaid bills outstanding. tention to the further fact that when the present sdministration took office on June 5th, 1916, some $45.000 had al- ready been expended by the retiring administration during the perfod which intervened between May 15, 1916, and of the city’s fiscal year, and said June I am glad to be p those who are not as fort- unate as I am, and a look or word of appreciation and the press of a hard working hand is recompense enough, so you see, Southerner, why I did not feet “hit” by your suggestion to me, for I have spent far more dollars on these “poor feHows” than on the Penn. R. R. I wish the dollars I did give to that railroad for the sights in the South, and the people, that I paid good money to g0 to see, did not give me so much as one particle of the recompense from my charity work, some of which wouid in- deed be beneficlal in the South, and to I called at- T ever have I had saved E then drew the conclusion that inas- much as the city’s budget for the year, aside from authorized temporary which amount appearing on both sides is immaterial in this connection, {s but slightly over $500,000 if the estimates were made up am the basis of an existing bona fide 99 cents balance in the Gas and Electric de- t, consideration the further facts that $45,000 had been spent during the twenty days elapsing before the present administration took office, it was evident that there is like- ly to be a shortage at the end of the present fiscal year equal to approxi- mately the difference between $31,000 and whatever would be a reasonable pmpor:lona:mp:rt of the bu?xi! ex- pense for s: 'wenty day period. This | ably is a condition which will undoubtedly have to be dealt with by tax-payers within the next few months, and at the proper time will be lgfl before them for their gonsidera- et 1 T nowhere, as in dear old New Engl and praise be to those who helped to make this little corner of the globe the spot we can proudly call our home ANOTHER ONBE. Jewett City, Dec. 21, 1916. Inoculation was first tried on crim- inals with success in 1721. e —————————————————————— Worms Easily Removed. as I stated,