The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-04-03
FAIRFIELD.
sTRATFIELD's ROAD MONEY.

Iwould call the attention of voters and
taxpayers of the town to the recent de-
cision of the commissioners, appointed IN
the case of Stevens against the town OF
Fairfield, wherein they awarded Stevens
$500 to recompense him for damages
caused to his place in Stratfield in cut
ting down the road which runs by it.
Those who were present at the meeting
which appropriated the money to COM
plete this work will remember that Sc
lectman Richard b. Jennings, Frank l..
Rodgers and a number of others from
that section of the town said that the con-
sent and permission of Stevens and 9TH
ers, who were likely to be damaged if the
grade of the road was lowered, had been
obtained and that the town would run no
risk if the cut was made. They will also
remember that all that was asked in or
der to complete the road was $1,000,
which was said to be amply sufficient and,
if not, the local inhabitants would see
that the road was completed as it ought
to be. Those also present at the annual
town meeting in October, 1890, will re-
member that the amount expended by
those directly benefited by the improved
macadamiZed road was the large sum OF
$2l. 1t seems to me that it would be no
more than just and proper that those who
made these statements ought to be COM
PEELED to pay the sum awarded and all
other expenses of counsel, commission
ers, witnesses, ETC., and not throw the
burden upon the town. These reasons,
that the permission of property holders
had been obtained, that they would con-
tribute their own means to aid the enter
prise and that they are deriving all the
benefit of the Improvements are suffice
lent, morally if not legally, to hold them
responsible. There is not the least doubt
in the writer's mind, that the voters pres
ent at that meeting would have refused
to vote for the measure, if they had not
been misled and made to believe that the
town was not putting itself in position
where it would be liable in damages for
Its acts. Surely, they would not have
voted for the measure, if they had the
slightest intimation that they would have
to pay $3400, instead of the $4,000 which
they reluctantly voted. And again, where
is the money for damages to come from?
At the last meeting, it was reported that
the entire $4,000 had been expended and
more. Was not that money intended to
cover all the expenses that should arise?
Is not money paid in damages to individ-
uals injured in the repairing, opening or
changing of the grade of a road expenses
included in appropriations to do the work?
If so, is it right that a town should be
forced to expend greater sum, when it
has voted smaller? Shall a few say, if
we can't attain our object in one way, we
will in another? And yet that is precisely
the position the town is now in. 1t has
voted certain sum for particular pur-
pose and that begrudgingly, and that
amount is insufficient to meet all the de-
mands. 1t was all the beneficiaries dared
ask for and yet, to obtain more, they
adopt unfair and selfish tactics. They
may not have done this in so many words
but the town voted specific sum and
they, either wilfully or indifferently,
force it to pay more than the town thinks
ought to be paid. Shall the town adopt
and approve of these acts, or will it re-
fuse to do so and compel the culprits to
bear the burden, as they should? 1t is
time that good citizens put a stop to this
plundering Of our town treasury. These
bills cannot be paid without the consent
Of the town and, when the time comes,
trust that the taxpayers will be equal to
the emergency and refuse to appropriate
any more oney.-[Taxpayer.
Fairfield people interested in Mrs Pat
ty Buford and the noble work she is do
ing among the negroes of Virginia are
panied to learn that the hospital she has
reared and conducted there was totally
destroyed by fire, last week. The build
ing Is supposed to have been fired by
the sparks from the chimney. A
small insurance was carried. A Glover
cot has been maintained for years in this
hospital by Fairfield residents.
Wallace NJ. Buckley. the Fairfield liv-
eryman, has been restocking his stables
and barns and has several new horses