City of Cambridge Has Trouble with Signal Set

Cambridge has had an interesting history, and one chapter of this history which will live for some time concerns a very modest set of traffic signals in Central Square.

Ten years ago, when Mayor Quinn was lord of the Cambridge City Hall, he was persuaded by an enterprising salesman of the Signal Service Corporation of New Jersey to buy a traffic signal set. He had no money, cheerfully told the salesman he'd pay "next year."

Unfortunately "next year" brought, among other things a new mayor, Mayor Russell. The latter said he had no intention of anything up for the lights.

Russell served nine years, and this winter, with the advent of Mayor Lyons to the mayoralty, the Signal Service Company has again brought up the matter. In fact they say that they are planning to remove the lights, unless ducats are forthcoming.

Edward H. Donovan, City Councilor and chairman of the Wires and Lights Committee, told the CRIMSON last night, "In my opinion we've had the use of the lights, and we ought to think of some way of paying.