The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-13
Board of Education Divided Upon Debt Making
 Scheme.
Suspicious Advocacy of Plans for Unlimited
 Indebtedness for Luxuries
Some Would Mortgage City to It's Neck to Prevent Ac- quirement of Enterprises that Will Produce a Rev enue and Help Pay Ex- penSeS.

l The high school bonding proposition, | introduced by somebody as a plan for a bill. to the General Assembly, is not l regarded with much favor by the thoughtful voters of Bridgeport. among whom are numbered prominent busi-
 ness men and manufacturers open fin
 their hostility to the measure There are two main objections to the
 proposed bill. It is in the first place, a blanket permit to issue an unknown quantity of bonds. The statement that $250.OO0 is the amount desired by the Board of Education is unofficial. No limitation is contained in the measure itself
 The second objection is that the city
 ooes not need a high school either
 larger or better arranged than the ex-
 lstlng high school. If increased quart
 CTS cannot be had without a bond is-
 sue. then there is thought to be plenty
 or room if the school is conducted by
 Bridgeporters for Bridgeporters.
 At this time the school provides faci-
 iltles Tor many pupils from surround
 ing towns. These pupils make a nomi-
 nal payment for tuition. but it is not a
 payment large enough in the aggregate
 to warrant new school at the price
 or a large increase in the city's in-
 debtedness.
 As H. R. Parrott indicated, in his re-
 marks before the Board of Trade. only
 a small per cent. of the children of
 Bridgeport reach the high school
 Many persons are inclined to share his view. that if money must be raised up- on a mortgaging of the city's revenues, the sums would much better be devot- ed to improving the grammar schools.
 The bonding project is also weak be- cause it has not the support of the Board of Education It is well known that there is a serious division among the members upon the wisdom of the project. One group. who are more adequately described as the political" group. favors bonding. The other group. which is decidedly opposed to the bonding scheme is much more rep resentative of the small tax payer, and his interests
 The fact that there is a division in the Board itself is not generally known, but it is nevertheless true, and the high school bonding scheme therefore stands upon no better basis than it has as the idea of some few gentlemen whose names for the most part are mot even known to the public.
 That these gentlemen may have sources of strength in the General As sembly which will enable them to pro- cure legislation binding the people of no matter what the people l think of it. may be true. But the plan | will have to be forced upon the city l by political intrigue. No substantial | interest favOrS it.
 Indeed. one of the principal sources of opposition to the scheme is the un- certainty of it's origin. A number of | such propositions have appeared out of | a mysterious source. recently, such as the sewer bonding scheme. These ap- pearances of proposals to plunge the city into debt have usually been pre- ceded by speeches the general tone of 1 which is. that no city can amount to much, unless it goes into debt for un enterprises.
 Another curious fact is that the gen, .lemen who have been making such speeches have been uniformly recog 1ived as very close to one or another of the public utility corporations.
 There is a good reason it is pointed put why such citizens would advocate program of unlimited expenditure and bottomless debt for improvements 1ot much needed, or which might be out of yearly revenues.
 Such persons would have vital self interest in seeing the city submerged n a slough of indebtedness for enter orises not yielding a revenue. They would then be able to meet all proposi- ions designed to enable the city to ake on productive enterprises, those hat would be self supporting and that would yield revenue. with the claim.
 ''See how much the city owes"
 Having themselves been dominant in lunging the municipality into costly uxuries and huge bond issues carry ng enormous interest charges. they would cry out when the plan was for he city to engage in the sale of water, lectricity or gas. as the case might 'e,
 See how much the city owes"
 All facts showing that unproductive nterprises are in the nature of liabili- ] ies, while self supporting. revenue reducing enterprises are in the nature f assets. would be of mo weight with uch men. Having caused the pro- urement of luxuries until the tax pay IFS staggered beneath the burden. they would be loudest in the howl that e venue producing necessities must be oregone until generations yet to be S orn have finished paying for things hat this generation does not need, and which the next generation will be able 9 pay for out of yearly income.