The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-10-11
VEST HAVEN TAKES ACTION
SELECTMEN INSTRUCTED RE- GARDING WEST RIVER BRIDGE

Are to Take Action Towards Immediate
 Resumption of Work and ExactiOn of
 PenaIttes-Tudignatfon Expressed at
 DeIay-oM Tax Rate Adopted Again
 After Discussion.
 Special interest attached to the an- nual meeting of the citizens of the town of Orange, and, respondent to the call issued last month, several hundred fill ed the assembly room of the town hall in West Haven last evening. In addi- tion to the fact that it was the annual meeting for determining town affairs, there was the consideration Of the Kimberly avenue bridge delay to be taken up.
 Judge Bryant presided as moderator. Routine matters occupied attention during the early part of the evening. The present school session of thirty eight weeks was adopted for next year and $2S,875, an increase of $S75 over last year, was appropriated for the main tenance of the school service.
 The highway appropriation of $lO,OOO was voted again for the ensuing year. Of last years appropriation $9,S76.S7 was reported to have been expended. The sum of $50 was set apart for the observance Of Memorial day, according $sto the annual custom. Five hundred dollars was voted to the tree warden to carry out the duties of his office. The first discussion of the evening was occasioned by the subject of the tax rate. A motion to levy a tax of mills, the same as last year, was made, but an amendment placing the rate at mills was immediately offered. As sessor Benham was appealed to for an estimate of the increase in the grand list for next year, which he placed at S125, 1000. One line of opinion in the meeting favored a reduction in the tax rate on the ground that Orange had a very heavy tax rate, and that when the borough and school tax was added the ! West Haven property owners had to pay 1872 mills, or one-quarter of mill more than that paid in the city. MT. Warner expressed the opinion that 1t would be a great benefit to West Ha- ven if the tax rate was lowered below that of the city, as at present people who would like to do so refused to build in West Haven because the rate was greater.
 1 Against this it was urged that last year was the first year that receipts had covered expenditures, and that it would be unwise to reduce the rate and add to the town debt by failing to meet expenditures. The debt of the town, it was stated, was $SO0,00O, and it would be bad policy to add to it.
 A second amendment putting the fig ures at 7h mills was offered. This came up firbst for, determination by vote, and the moderator, being in doubt as to the result called for count. This rate was voted down, 94 to 49. The 6-mill rate was next defeated, and 5 mills was finally adopted.
 A vote to authorize the selectmen to convey and dispose of any interest in land acquired in collection of taxes was passed. The remuneration of the tax
 collector was placed at 1h per cent, as
 last year.
 It was voted to authorize the select men to make necessary repairs on the road from Forest street to the New Haven line, passing by the St. Law renee cemetery, taking the necessary money from the highway Appropriation. The original motion called for spe- . cial appropriation of $500 for this, but it was amended as above. It was alsc
 voted to have certais desirable inn movements in the tax collectors office made.
 Interest waxed high when Judge Bry-
 ant announced the Kimberly avenue bridge matter under consideration. Att tcrney Hall, of Clark, Hall & Peck, in , troduced the following resoltuion: . Whereas, Under the orders of the su'
 perior court within and for. New Haver
 county, the bridge over West river al Kimberly avenue was to be completed
 on or before March 25. 1905; and Whereas, The same was not so com
 pleted and the orders of said court not complied with, and the people of Wes' Haven have been put to great annoy ance and inconvenience thereby, and in many cases suffering and pecuniary , losses have been caused by such delay
 therefore, ,.: :
 Resolved, That. the selectmen of tht
 town of Orange be instructed to take such steps, legal or otherwise, as vii insure the immediate resumption o1 work upon said bridge and bringing thu
 same to it's earliest conclusion; and alst 1 to take such action against the. con-
 tractors as will insure to the town thu payment of the penalties for which
 they are liable and which are specified { in their contracts; and, furthen tha
 when this meeting adjourn it shall bt l to,one month from this date, and tha , at said adjourned meeting said select . men shall make report of how the in } structions contained in this resolution ; 1 have been carried out.
 |. First Selectman Walter Main was re ) quested to explain why the selectmer !, 1 had not taken steps to take the con |. tractors to account for their delay. IT l 1 response MT. Main said that, while h. . did not wish to appear to excuse th' contractors, still, they had been under several unexpected difficulties in carry ing out the work. The winter season he said, had set in last year three week
 earlier than could be anticipated, ant l, that this had caused a delay equivalen I +rx~o ir1 Thar fta