The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-24
FAIRFIELD
The Special Town Meeting-Report by Selectman-Hiews of Judge Perry Condition and Theory by Judge Banks Money Appropriated.


 Saturday evening was a pretty bad one for special town meeting, and the oil lamps which serve to make the darkness visible in the town hall hard ly dispelled the gloom. But small fra ction of the legal voters of the town were present to listen to the proposi- tion to appropriate more money for the roads, The large delegation of 'kickers," from Greenfield Hill, which was talked of on the streets, failed to appear, and few if any voters came from Southport. Half a dozen gentle men were from the Brooklawn district and one of them, MT. Brothwell, was asked to be the presiding officer. First Selectman Fox was present with the facts and figures regarding the past expenditures of the selectmen. He read his report, which appeared to be satisfactory. At least no one disput- ed it. He said, in answer to an in quiry, that the present board of se- lectmen had not been called upon to pay bills left over by the old board of selectmen. They started out fresh been intimated about town that the present board could not be held res ponsible for all the expenditures, since the old board ran them into debt. This proves to have been an error.
 MT. Fox in his report said the town at the last annual meeting appropriat- ed for macadam roads the sum of $3,- 500. Of this the total spent up to
 
 $13s,09. Of this sum MT. Fox said he had spent $2, 366.2 20. For crushed stone he paid out $1,302.73; for labor the sum of s1,063.47 Selectman Rowe had paid out for the Stratfield and the state ma cadam roads, the sum of $995.71. For crushed stone the sum was $362.8 and for labor, $632. .S3. Extra money for the macadam roads had been expended as follows: for oil, $30S; to Patrick Car roll, for oiling, SIP, making a total of s336. The sum of SIP had been receiv- ed for oil sold, therefore the total cost fo rolling up to date is $321. MT. Fox then presented the following estimates for the rest of the current year: For oiling the main road. S350.0O. For care of the main road, $300.OO. For oil1ng the Stratfield-Tunxis hill roads, $3O0.OO. For repairs of the Tunxis hill road, SS00.00. To pay for the oil used last year and the labor of Patrick Carroll, the sum of $320.5O. Altogether the es- inmates amount to s1,420.50. Therefore the Selectmen ask for an apprOpria- tion of S1, 1,5OO.
 Judge Perry opened the discussion in modest way by asking the Town clerk to examine the records and as- certain whether a committee appoint ed by the town two or three years ago, to have the general supervision of the construction of roads, was still in pow CT. The resolution was read and it was concluded that the committee had no authority beyond the current year in which they were appointed. One man in the audience wished to know how the committee could look after he roads while they were in Europe? Judge Perry continued by saying he thought the question of appropriating more money was a matter of import ance to the whole town; it was also a matter of principle, and considering the small attendance of voters pres ent, he moved that the meeting ad- journ for one week. SeIectman Rowe rather objected to this and said he was anxious to repair the Tunxis hill hill road, and have it oiled. post ponement means delay. He had spent a lot of money on the Stratfield road. and it would be too bad to let the road go to ruin without oiling. So why not settle the question tonight? The motion to adjourn was voted down.
 Judge Perry said his object in nov ing an adjournment was to get rep resentative opinion of the town. This meeting was postponed for lack of fn- formation, and now we have. a meet ing with a very small representation of the citizens. MT. Brothwell, said that all know the macadam roads are being destroyed, by automobiles which come racing through town from the ends of the earth. It is generally conceded that oil will preserve them. It is not question of dollars and cents as up against the roads.
 pr. Donaldson asked what would be be gained by an adjournment?
 Judge Perry replied that there is an extremely small attendance; he wished to be fair to those who cannot get here advantages afforded by a trolley. These frequent special town meetings are getting to be a menace to the town. There was time when we could have an annual town meeting, with a pro- gram, and carry it out.
 A motion was then made that the town appropriate the sum of $1,500 as asked for by the selectmen. MT. Lob 6al Q from. The chair replied that the money will have to be borrowed MT. Lob dell was opposed to a call for a town meeting when a tax cannot be laid. He mentioned the fact that the town is getting. deeper and deeper into debt running behind it's appropriations, as based upon a 12 mill tax, thousands of dollars each year. He had yet to hear of the town. He would stop these special town meetings. Commissioner Pease thought bonds had been paid for the purpose of decreasing the debt. It may have been paid, but the debt con- stantly grows larger, there is no de- crease.
 Judge Banks thought an annual town meeting should be sufficient for all appropriations. He said I do know the town has steadily and persistently increased its debt. He hoped it was not increasing at as rapid a rate as MT. Lobdell intimated, but he had not looked into the matter. He said that as A matter of principle we should not appropriate money at special fown meetings and on this ground he felt inclined to vote against an appropria- tion. But how to bring about the desired condition of making only an annual appropriation, he did not konw Tonight we are confronted by con- dition and not theory. We have the macadam roads and the selectmen say they cannot get along without more money. We are confronted by this condition. We have the roads-we must face the alternative and save the roads or let them go to pieces.
 The question was asked if there was
 any money left over. unexpended4 purposes, which could be used to help out the selectmen. There was none.
 Judge Perry said there are worse y,,S,