Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-15

ope ming of this as free bridge. ] grant 1t, but to my mind it furnishes no argument for making it pay for public accommodation. 1t ought to have been free bridge long years ago, and then they would have had the bene- fit of what will now come to them under free bridge, but instead of that they have been paying toll, and the value of the prop erty has been kept back from it's natural rate in the scale of market values. In addition to it's depressed valuation they have been pay ing tolls, which would equalize any supposed increased valuation by reason of the abolition of the toll system.
 Again, most of the persons whose property will be specially benefited by the free bridge system are now within the territorial limits of the town, and the increased valuation of l their property will be felt in the increased rates of taxation upon that property, and hence they will naturally contribute to the l bridge by virtue of increased taxation upon 1 the very property that is to be benefited by l the substitution of free bridge for toll
 bridge Mir. President, I am opposed to the I system of burdensome assessments upon the l individual for improvements that concern l the public. A free bridge, public highway, | public park called for by the public for public convenience should be paid for by the public, and I would no more resort to lnd1- l vidual assessments for benefits in those cases than would for the location of a church or
 
 turing enterprise located in their vicinity that
 would equally enhance the value of their property There is no more reason 1n the
 one than in the other, and there being no
 reason for either the idea of individual as 1 sessments in such cases should be abandoned.
 The idea should first be settled in our
 minds whether the public demand free
 bridge instead of @ toll bridge, for one
 or the other we must have. That question
 settled in favor of the free bridge we should l go forward and secure it and let the public pay for it by general, capitalized taxation { without resort to individual assessment even
 if the legal right be clea1 and undisputed.
 l Ihope etheresolution will pass, and that the ! city, with its Mayor, Corporation Counsel
 Aldermen and members of this Council will ! be appointed to act in concert with the l Selectmen of the town, and that they will gc ! forward and secure at the earliest practicable | moment, consistent with their duties to the public, free bridge to take the place of the
 one now there, that reflects only disgrace anG , insult to the intelligence of this people. A Newsboy Run OSer-Crushed Hi Thigh.
 A young lad named Thomas, one of thu
 regular newsboys who are employed on th Housatonic road, was run over by the car . about half past two this (Friday) afternoon
 near Rays factory, on Housatonic avenue The train consisted of an engine and four O : five empty cars, which had been used t.
 transport ballast, and were returning empty
 Thomas lived up town, and he boarded tn f train to ride down. In some unexplained wa . he fell between the cars, and they passe |; over his left leg at the thigh, crushing an @ mangling it from the knee nearly to the hiE : He was taken into Rays factory, and fror n there carried to his home at IFS North WasE ; ington avenue. messenger was sent t t several different offices, but was unable
 find physician until some time had elapsed Il The leg will have to be amputated. Thome n is between fourteen and fifteen years old b Bridgeport iSt0nd07d.