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Show 1 SKVERE PUNISHMENT The Volunteer Firemen wail that the excited citizens obstruct their work and endanger the lives of their members by following the fire truck too closely close-ly and rushing about the streets recklessly on the rare occasions when there are fires in Milford. They say that the town board has given them permission permis-sion to throw monkey wrenches at the offending drivers following the truck and they make threats to do so. Certainly the firemen have a right to object to the behavior of the citizens citi-zens which undoubtedly impedes their progress and causes them annoyance, but their method, and the method of the town board, in putting a stop to the procedure is not the wisest and most expedient. Hurling monkey wrenches at automobile drivers may be entertaining for the hurler but may prove fatal for the victim, Shattering a windshield, and startling a driver into ditching his car and possibly falally injuring himself him-self is severe punishment. It may be a grave offense to hinder the fire department de-partment in the performance of its duties but it is not an offense punishable by injury or death. There is a town ordinance prescribing a fine of not more than fifty dollars and not more than thirty days imprissonment for those who commit the misdemeanor mis-demeanor of obsructing the fire department, which ordinance, if enforced would be sufficient detriment to the enthusiasm of the fire engine chasers. The permission of the town board to the fire department is hard to understand under-stand under the circumstances. Why not enforce the ordinance? |