The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1901-10-18

Ex-sELECTMAN D. E. sOULE MAKES A
STATEMENT.
To the Editor of The NEwTowN
BEE; Dear Sir: Please insert in your
valuable paper the following infOr-
nation and facts for taxpayers of New
Milford, Conn. AS much has been
printed by the New Milford Gazette
about the last years administration
of town affairs being SO much more
economical than in former years,
I will call the attention of the tax
payers to the following items and facts:
In the report of the year ending Sep
TENDER I, 1900, there was paid out for
extraordinary purposes that were I'M
avoidable for the general interest of
the town:
During the month of March when
ground was frozen, from the last of
February freshet On roads, to make
them passable. s1a9s
On Bridges for same cause in March, $50
Ferris, Mill Street and Halpin Bridge
built new. cause February freshet, 1899
Other new bridges, 652
Painting iron bridges over Housatonic. 326
New roof, Gaylordsvile 12O
Town hall, new heater, 40
Painting building outside and Justice
court room, =, 375
Insurance for three years, excess over
1901, 1925, in all 1,l70
Roofs Of town sheds, 126
Oxen bought in excess and either sold or
kept for benefit of 1901 report, 100
Two new road machines. 400
Excess Connecticut hospital for insane, III
Treatment of other hospitals not required
in 1901 100
The Watson lawsuit. $50
Total 1882
During the year ending 1901, moth
| ing had to be paid out for all the fore7
going extraordinary expenses and
there was no reason why the towns
indebtedness should not have been re-
duced the $1,000 which would have
been done as easily the year before if
disasters had not come in February,
carrying off bridges, outlying roads
under frost and. all such things, as
painting, insurance and other matters
that will last for three or four years to
come. There has been no spring dur
ing my term of six years as selectman
when the highways came out as we'll
as they did last March and April, and
everybody knows it. There has not
been in the same years as little done
on the roads for the money as there
was last summer. If you don't believe
my statement look at the Town re-
ports, 1900 and 1901.
| The business of 1901 was closed one
| week before the last Saturday in Au-
gust, which should not have been.
There has been since that time, Au
gust "a to Saturday before town meet
| ing, laid out on highways over $4,000
and over $500 of same in the village
streets This does not include the
week after town meeting either. There
has been borrowed since August "a to
October $4,000, $1,000 of which ought
to have been in last years expenses.
The editor of the Gazette as tax
payer had better go to the town books
and look up facts and compare ac-
counts before publishing comments
for the Taxpayers to swallow. Any
taxpayer has right to see the ac-
counts of the Selectmen or town treas
urer any time.
August "a, 1901, $4,000 would not
have put the roads in as good repair as
they we're one year previous at that
time of the year. The editor of the
Gazette said in his paper that Mrs w.
D. Black contributed 1000 loads of dirt,
but he did not look up and print that
the town paid her man, Kimlin, and
others over $500 to cart the same.
These are some of the facts as they
occur to me which | am induced to put
in print over my own signature, and
could write other matters interesting,
but defer until some future time.
really do believe that some of the
taxpayers may be fooled part of the
time but not all the time. Taxpay-