The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-11-25
m ooNAoElDI1IoN QUnsmoM

approach of the day set for the outlying districts of New Haven to vote upon the question of consolidation of the town government to the city government of New Haven, in accordance with an act of the last legislature of this state, brings the question close home to every citizen in the Fifteenth ward, at least, as to how he should act in the prem ises. Having lived more than fifty years in the Fifteenth ward, l think I understand the conditions it has been under during the above mentioned time, According to the statement of an old nearby resident While in the town of East Haven about the extent of our privileges were to go to East Haven grist mill, to bury our dead in the cem- etery pay our taxes and pay toll across lomlinson bridge" There was more truth than poetry in that saying. So far as progress was concerned deadness reigned from Tomlinson bridge to the lighthouse, About fourteen years ago the strip of territory now known as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth wards, and fully six miles long, was annexed to the town of New Haven. Now, l would ask the old residents if there has been any change for the better. There certainly has. As is well known, the toll bridge has been changed to a free bridge be- ! tween the city and the Fifteenth ward, roadways widened and hardened, pub lie parks laid out and other improve ments made. The future looks bright | for coming years all the way down to the lighthouse or city limits. The causes for this improvement, ] think, are easily explained: First, annexation to New Haven and being thereby re- l lieved of our share of the $l60,000 bond- ed indebtedness of East Haven amount ing to about S30OOO for the Fifteenth ward; second, by building new bridge and free from toll and improvements through to the Four Corners, which have cost the town fully $7500O, which the residents of the lower district en- | joy together with the rest of the public, besides increased property valuation, and taxes at least forty per cent. These good things have come to us right along during these fourteen years by annexa- tion to New Haven.
 | The question comes to us, Who is pay l ing for all this? The city taxpayers shoulder eighteen-twentieth of bonded | indebtedness and the large improve ments made In this section. have the best reason to believe that this side of the river never would have been taken l from a debt-ridden town and its re- | responsibilities shouldered except for the keen foresight of many of the most prominent men of the city, who could see with certainty that with it's water l front and beautiful shore extending be- yond the lighthouse 1t would respond l by growth to all reasonable outlays made for it; that its interests would be as much identified with the city as any other part of it's territory. Now to the l question, Is it to our advantage to come under the city government? l believe l 1t is for too many reasons to relate In l this article. In regard to the large number of law-breakers and peace-dis- turbers who thake this shore their how 1 ling and gaming place on Sundays, we have to call upon the city authorities to help suppress this lawlessness The town authorities do not respond as they should when such calls are made upon i them. It has been said by many, and
 some very prominent men in New Ha- ven, that the good old town government can give to the people all they want 1 for Improvements and prosperity. Let us see In regard to that claim. More l than forty years ago that strip Of ter ritory lying between Qulnnipiac river on the east and Mill river on the west, tract fully a mile square, was embrac-
 ed within city limits.
 The people of that section were arous- ed and excited by the city having bond | ed itself for something like S200,O00 to
 aid a railroad enterprise, to give busi- ness facilities and help the growth and
 prosperity of the city. The leading men of Fair Haven saw in this act of the city sure precursor of evil, saying to those about them that they have done this thing now and they will do it again
 and we shall be loaded with taxes and
 ruined. The inhabitants got together and petitioned the city to set them off
 to the town agreeing to pay the portion of this bonded indebtedness at once
 Their petition was granted, and MT.
 Gardner Morse told me a few years ago 1 that he never in his many years ser
 vice collected tax so willingly paid as 1 that
 Yes. so happy to escape into the fold
 of the good old town government, |"
 where they could get all they wanted
 and not much to pay. Well, how did
 they get along? Very well, I believe,
 for awhile, and while they did not want much. But finally. something struck the
 town. and that was prosperity. Well,
 what was the trouble? Their wants be-
 came known to them then. They found
 the town could not give them what they wanted-could not give them sewers
 and assess for them; could not order
 sidewalks laid, streets lit up, and many
 other things that a. thicllly settled com
 munity calls for, They could not be had under a town government. They
 were twenty years or so under town government and thus asked to be taken
 under city control again, which was done in 1872
 The growth of this district has been
 equal to if not greater than any other
 part of the city, notwithstanding the
 blighting effect of coming under control
 of city government. Fine places have 1 [oa1 annava1 fO cities b1Ii