The Weekly Gazette

Glastonbury Civics
By Pelton Ferry

The most amusing development during the past week was the interest politicians have shown in the jail farm question. Like hungry vultures they are waiting to swoop down. The gap unwittingly was opened in the manner in which the option was taken on the property. Few people knew about the jail farm option until after it was taken. Human nature is a funny thing. Immediately human nature thought something was being put over on it and rebellion broke out. There have been threats to call a town meeting to instruct representatives to vote down the jail farm. Personalities have entered the picture but worst of all the politicians are advancing. Their work can be the real destruction. Not only to the jail farm but to the town government.

Every so often a politically inclined individual decides to run for office and starts off on a friend making spree. Invariably he raps on the news reporter's door toward the end of his campaign with the exuberance of a schoolboy bringing home his first "A". There is the usual party yarn, the plaintive plea for support followed by the disheartening reply that his opponent also will be given adequate publicity. It has been noticeable that such politicians usually do not get very far. At least they are outdistanced by the fellow who goes out and gets civic accomplishments and is elected on his record.

The boys stopping at Constable George C. Hall's Garage have ruined a number of stoves for him in attempts to keep feet on the warm spots during the winter. Mr. Hall recently started his acetylene torch, cut up an automobile frame, built a rack and on the rack he placed a steel drum. Addenda to the improvised stove included, pipe, grates and a suitable door. Now the boys kick the rack which they can not ruin. The heat radiates downward to make feet comfortable. The only defect in the stove is the fact that one has to reach around corners of it during a card game instead of dealing over the top.

Our personal opinion about the "snow covered hydrant situation" in South Glastonbury is that there still remains embers from the personality rows during the past few years. One official of the company pointed out last week that the hydrants were in a workable condition even if they were behind snowbanks. This official further pointed out that the hydrant need not have the opening facing the street clear because hose connections are made to the sides of the hydrant. It was pointed out still further that to shovel out hydrants would make a place for water to collect and freeze. Something must be wrong or several people would not have called attention to the situation. Hydrants in the Glastonbury Fire Departments areas were cleared soon after the storm and there were no criticisms.

It was so cold here last week that the tavern owners were selling beer by the chunk. The peach crop is farther gone than it was last year. Temperatures of 30 degrees below zero established a new record. Ice was almost two feet thick. Fruit tree damage will aggregate from $75,000 to $100,000.

The tax collector has opened up on the automobile owners who are delinquent in personal property taxes. The gasoline buggy pilots either must pay or they will be jailed. Police Chief Michael J. Muccio will make warnings known and if they are not heeded arrests will follow. We assume that the action is a good idea for this reason. If a man has funds enough to pay for registration, operator's license, insurance, gas, oil and accessories he should be made to pay his taxes on his car. Collector Charles Pollard has been threatening action for a long time. Most of the bills are for small sums and there are about 200 of them. Another factor that should make collections better is the fact that there now is increased employment.

When the Republicans left the tiller of the governmental ship of state at the end of the Hooverian Era unemployment was at its peak and mills were at their slackest point. We are not certain whether unemployment still is as bad as it has been pictured but the fact remains that mills here have shown a big increase in business and many new workers have been given employment. For instance, "Hopewell Mills to Reopen Under Name of Brookside Mills", "Addison Mills Adopt Full Time Schedule", "Angus Park Company Reported on Three Shifts", "J. B. Williams Company on Good Schedule with Christmas Business" and others. Naturally this puts a feather in the hats of the Democrats even if it happens to be an old economic law that is responsible for the change. Anyhow the Democrats are going to claim around election time that they started the wheels of industry turning.

One of our South Glastonbury informers is boiling because some of the Democrats have picked for themselves jobs such as riding around and bossing fence builders. Bring these cases out in public if they are worth it at election time. Otherwise forget them. There will be good jobs as long as politicians lead people.

A number of times have politicians attempted to organize young people's clubs for the purpose of discussing politics. They invariably have failed at each attempt. Rev. Russell McGown, pastor of the First Congregational Church went to work recently and organized a Fireside Study Group. It was the brain child of the politicians but instead of belonging to one faction or the other, it considered all factions. The group is interested in governmental and political problems of every kind. The young people have shown a big enthusiasm.

We still maintain that there should be a similar group among the grownups. It would be a progressive step toward the elimination of petty politics that are not necessary in a town where everyone knows everyone else.

The various small clubs in town have their virtues. From them we hear of projects in the process of development. It is amusing to watch the development of such problems as the jail farm and others. For weeks prior to the taking of the option on the jail farm we knew about it despite tight lipped denials.