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dredging material and depositing at 
._-Masconomo Park. The finance com- 
mittee recommended that no appro- 
-priation be made until accurate and 
complete working plans have been 
prepared and considered by the 
town. W. C. Rust thought that no 
further appropriations should be 
made for Masconomo Park until a 
definite plan of the whole thing was 
‘prepared. 
Austin Morley asked if a plan had 
not been prepared some years ago by 
Joseph Curtis. Park Commissioner 
Reed replied that there was a plan, 
but it was nothing definite to go by. 
He wanted a plan that would be an 
improvement and not a detriment. 
F. P. Knight moved the recommenda-_ 
tion of the finance committee be 
adopted. The vote was 104 in favor, 
none being against. On motion of 
F. J. Merrill $500 was appropriated 
to take out the provision of the pre- 
ceding vote, to have plans prepared 
for the improvement of Masconomo 
Park. The vote stood 76-to one in 
favor. ; eke ae 
Article 7. Relative to building a 
wall.at Masconomo Park was passed 
over. 
Article 8. Civil service for police. 
Dr. W. H. Tyler moved that the town 
accept the provisions and all amend- 
ments to Section 37 of Chapter 19 of 
the Revised Laws so far as it applies 
to all members of the regular or per- 
manent. police of the town. Town 
Clerk Jewett read the statute. W. 
GC. Rust said he didn’t know as-the 
town was large enough to accept 
this statute. He didn’t know as the 
town wanted to elect its police for. 
life. He asked if the acceptance of 
this statute would make the police 
more efficient,—if they would open. 
their eyes more. He moved that the 
matter be indefinitely postponed. 
Dr. Tyler said he was the first one 
to petition for this article, and was 
free to eonfess that he had never 
signed an article for the town war- 
rant with more satisfaction than this. 
He told of some of the advantages to 
be gained by the acceptance of the 
act. He said the chief of police 
could be removed at any time, by the 
superior officers (the selectmen). A 
patrolman eannot be removed, ex- 
cept by charges preferred and he al- 
ways has the right to atrial. A pa- 
trolman can be discharged for neg- 
leet of duty or for conduct unbecom- 
ing an officer, An officer is kept 
right up to the mark with this hang- 
ing over his head. If they did not 
do their duty, they would have to 
walk the earpet in pretty short or- 
der. The minute he is unfit for duty, 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE. 
either by age or otherwise, he would 
be asked to resign. Ie gave a list 
of some of the towns that had ae- 
cepted the civil service.” He thought 
nothing was too good for Manches- 
ter, and he thought the acceptance 
of this aet would bring the police 
force up-to a better state of effici- 
ency. + 
O. T. Roberts wondered if this 
would have any effect on opening 
the eyes of the police. He thought 
the enforcement of automobile laws 
was never so lax as now. Ile said 
no attempt was being made to curb 
these speeding autoists. Ile didn’t 
think it was the owners of the cars 
so much as the chauffeurs’ and 
younger boys. 
Austin -Morley thought the ae- 
ceptance of the statute would take 
the police out of polities. The police 
now have their hands tied.. He 
thought this would be something for 
a better government and that it 
should go through. 
EK. P. Stanley favored. the ae- 
ceptance of the statute. Ie wanted 
to see the police taken out of pol- 
tics. If we place the department 
under civil service, we will get bet- 
ter men, 
O. T. Roberts wanted it under- 
stood that he was not against civil 
service, but he did want.to take oe-, 
casion to say the police ought. to give 
a better enforcement of the automo- 
bile laws. . _ 
F. P. Knight spoke in favor of 
civil service. He thought it would 
make the officers more efficient. He 
had heard it said that the police 
were overpaid and they had an easy 
time, but he thought they were not 
overpaid and they did not have a 
_snap by any means. He wanted to 
see mén who in the conduct of duty 
are untrammelled. The question 
of police enters too much into our 
polities. Te ‘thought that the ac- 
‘ceptanee of this-law would mean a 
better police foree year after year. 
T. Jefferson Coolidge, jr., felt 
strongly that the chances are the 
town will be better served when the 
officers feel they ean get fair play. 
Ile wanted to see the laws fairly and 
fearlessly enforeed. When the offi- 
eer feels his job is secured, he is not 
eoing to be afraid to tackle the rich 
man as well as the poor man. Ile 
ought to feel that he can-do what._is 
right and that he will not be inter- 
fered with. Civil serviee will mean 
a better force im the future, although 
he wanted to say he thought Man- 
chester’s police foree today is as 
good as any small town in the state. 
©. C. Dodge wanted the matter 
21 
held over until the next town meet- 
ing. He said he had looked over the 
town reports since 1889 and he 
found that on that year the town 
paid for constables and police ser- 
vice $245.85, and we then had good 
law and order. Now we are spend- 
ing -$7,800 for police and he thought 
that was ‘‘going some.’’ Mr. Dodge 
said he was the oldest servant of 
the town today in point of service, 
having been on the police foree for 
the last 40 years. He did not believe 
much in civil service and to substan- 
tiate his position, he told of the civil 
service examinations for letter car- 
rier in this town last fall, when, out 
of nineteen applications, only one 
Manchester man was able to pass the 
examination, he said. The idea, he 
said, of having to write an essay on 
airships and agriculture for a boy 
to carry mail in Manchester. 
Dr. R. T. Glendenning spoke in 
favor of the civil service. He said 
that Mr. Dodge was always kicking 
against Improvements. Civil  ser- 
vice he said, means progress, and he 
hoped to see this go through. 
Mr. Rust’s motion to postpone was 
put and lost. The motion on the ae- 
ceptance of the statute was carried 
by a very large majority. 
Article 10. To see if the town 
will appropriate $600 for care and 
maintenance of playgrounds and 
provide apparatus for the same. 
Under this article, the financial com- 
mittee recommended $400 for main- 
tenanee and that no apparatus be 
purchased until the work in process 
has been completed. 
Dr. Tyler asked what the financial 
committee expected the $400 to 
be used for, to which F. J. Merrill of} 
the financial committee said he un-- 
derstood the money would be used 
for putting the tennis courts and 
erounds adjoining, in condition, as 
the grounds in general would not be 
completed this year. 
Dr. Tyler said he felt that the 
erounds would be in eondition to be 
used very nicely by July 1, especially 
that part which the committee de- 
cided to set apart for the small ehil- 
dren. 
Dr. Tyler moved that $600 be ap- 
propriated for the care and mainte- 
nance of the playgrounds and_ to 
purchase apparatus for the same. 
George 8S. Sinnicks said that the eom- 
mittee had given the school commit- 
tee what they asked for. They had 
said $200 was to be used for ecare- 
taker to be there each day, and $400 
for maintenance. Dr. Tyler’s motion 
was put and carried. 
Article 11. To see if the town 
