The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-15
FAIRFIELD
Large Town Meetiug-Tax of l2 Mills Automobile Racing How to Stop it School Fire Escapes - SeIectmen May Borrow Stealing an Apple Or. chard-BOxing Postponed.

1 4 large, interesting and important | town meeting was held Saturday even
 ing. The town hall was filled to over | hoWlng, and the meeting did not ad- Journ until nearly 10:45. Many gentle
 men were present from the Stratfield | and Southport districts, and all the | eminent lawyers of the town, includ- l ing Hon Speaker Banks, Judge Perry, MT Justice Wakeman, Grand Juror
 Siieus @ King and Attorney James Cum | m1ngs were in attendance. MT. King was called to the chair and presided over the meeting with his usual inn partiality turbanity. The people of the
 town appeared to be in very amiable and generous mood, sready to vote money for anything, reasonable, pro- l Vided they had sufficient data to act upon.
 Doubtless the most important action | by the town was the laying of a 12 mill tax for the ensuing year. It was conceded that II mills would not pro- duce the necessary revenue, and some gentlemen were in favor of a 13 mill | tax. Judge Banks said he would vote for 13 mills. MT. J. W. Perry point ed out that the town is annually pay ing $6,5O0 in interest. and he thought 13 mill tax would raise enough mon ey to have a few thousand dollars left
 ovef with which to reduce the indebt- edness of the town. It was estimat- ed that 12 mill tax would produce about $2,O00 surplus, provided all the
 taxes can be collected. But there
 may be a washout before morning." az some one Said and the surplus would be speedily wiped out for repairs. The appropriation asked for in 1908 to keep the town running, was s66, ,150.O0. For various reasons there is an increase
 this year of some s2,O00. A rising vote
 on the tax question was called for,
 and a good many citizens were in fla
 vor of a 1S mill tax the majority was
 for a tax of 12 mills.
 A very interesting discussion was
 precipitated by Dr. Donaldson, after
 the items in the call had been dispos-
 ed of, regarding. the racing of automo-
 piles through the streets of the town,
 and the injury done by them to the
 highways. He said he considered this
 the most important question before the
 community. as it concerned the preser-
 vation of the life and limbs of the in
 habitants. He spoke of the racing last
 Thursday. when MT. Wallace was kill
 ed from the library corner on to Ash
 Creek bridge, and said the autono-
 piles went three abreast, with their
 mufflers off, and taking up good
 share of the roadway. He also allud-
 ed to the fact that it now costs the
 town some $3.O0D a year to keep the
 roads in repair that the manufacturers
 of automobiles may test their ma
 chimes. and the millionaires of New
 He hoped some way would be devised
 to enforce the laws. Judge Banks
 agreed with Dr. Donaldson and said
 that he did not know what a town
 meeting cOulQ 0O III the mater. ne
 thought the present automobile law
 very good one and admitted that he
 had had much to do with it's passage
 at Hartford He said he held up the
 House for 2 hours in order to get the
 law passed. and it was the hardest job
 of his legislative experience. The en-
 forcement of the law is what is want
 ed. Judge Perry suggested that the
 best town meeting in which to con-
 sider this matter is the one held at the
 capitol in Hartford, and he moved that the representatives of Fairfield be in structed to amend the law so as to make it more effective. The motion not being seconded, was not adopted. A number of gentlemen gave voice to their opinions regarding the racing of
 autos. MT. J. W. Perry suggested clubs in New York and Bridgeport, to the effect that the laws will be en- forced in Fairfield. He said such l notice would be published in all the 1 papers in the United States and would | have a deterrant effect. He also said | that if some one stood at the boundry | lines of the town, on the great high | ways and gave out cards to the auto it would be found that 90 per cent of them are gentlemen. Judge | Perry said he would hereafter run his auto at a. slower speed One gentle man suggested that all autos be geared to run but 20 miles an hour. Another thought jail sentence was the only effective remedy. During this discus sion which was ultra vires to the call MT. w. O. Burr, moved that the meet-'l ing adjourn This motion was voted down, for it was plain the people are at last aroused over the racing question, whatever they may think of
 boxing bouts. It was said that | Bridgeport will not allow the testing of machines on its roads, and it was to prohibit them from doing so in Fairfield. The road which runs up Jennings hill. past the Jennings place, is being torn up terribly by these racing machines. Finally the selectmen were directed to see what measures can be adopted to prevent racing through the town.
 Another subject which attracted con- siderable attention was that of ire es- capes for the schools. Supt. Wheatley took the floor and presented the case as seen from the view point of the School Board. He said it was admit ted by all that the Southport school should have a fire escape and in his