The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-01

nam, AoA mayor. made a statement. this morning as follows:
 1. When you stated in your speech accepting the nomination. and in your speech in the Second district on October 27. that you were absolutely unpledged to any person or persons in this city, dl9 you know that if you announceo anything else you would be naple to s1,oo0 fine and one years impris- onment under the Corrupt Prac- ticeS act7
 ?. If you did know this. whyg Was 1t for political effect or was it merely ironical?
 have been asked to answer cer- tain questions I will do so with special regard to questions l and . I doubt if the gentlemen who framed these questions quite un- derstood that they were virtually accusing me. without proof. Of os-- ing a criminal. That they may now understand the truly dastard- ly quality of these interrogations let me frame a similar question. which I will assume to be address ed to Mayor Lee. thus:
 arWhen you changed your mind about the car barn surrender were you influenced by corrupt meansg You say you were not influenced by corrupt means Do you say that you were not influenced by cor rupt means because the statutes punish corruption? You said that you would leave town Did you
 
 afraid if you ran away you would be deemed a fugitive from jus tice2"
 I do not charge that Mayor Lee was influenced by corrup. motives when he signed the Harbor Grab and Car Barn Surrender. The only charge I make is that those acts were not good public policy But the uuestion that have framed is just as fair. and just as decent as the question that has been address ed to me with l~ss excuse
 must now insist that these gentlemen either prove the charges they attempt to make
 Or that they state their charges directly that may proceed
 
 Or. if they are unable to do the first. and unwilling to do the sec ond. that they publiciv retract and make honest reparation for the wrong they have sought to do- been increased s3, TOO 900?
 4. The Democratic city attorney, Thomas M Cullinan. advised the Mayor that the New York; New Haven & Hartford Railroad Com many was certain to recover sub afantfaI damages if the harbor line advocated by you should be adopt ed. In view of this advice, would won still insist upon the adoption of such a harbor line2
 5- If so. would you raise the Arnoney to pay the damages by 6. Did you advocate the renom- fnafion of the three Democratic Aldermen who voted for the adop- ton of the line which you call the T. Are you fin favor Of their election2
 The charter as it stood in 1906 required damages to be paid The charter as it was amended in 1907 relieved the city of the duty of having damages. The opinion of the city attorney was given under the old charter. The proof of this is the passage of the Little Joker" which put back into the charter the clause compelling damages to be paid
 Supposing the city had to pay s175.OO0 to protect the harbor would it not have been a wise expendi- ture and an exceedingly profitable investment, in that the TAXABLE vAIuE of such RIPARIAN RIGHTS would be established at a VERY HIGH RATE
 Such a judgment would fix the average value of the riparian rights in each acre of the flats given to the railroad at s15,9ao. In the whole harbor is about 500 acres in which such rights exist Assuming the average value of the rights in each acre, as the value would be established by such judgment, as only $1O.O00. then the total value, which could be taxed by the city would be 5000. 900. which at the ex-
  a tax revenue of s79.oO0 a year. This would meet short term notes bearing date of one, two or thEee years to pay damages to the rail- road. and leave the city in the en- joyment of a net revenue of 900 per year forever.
 had nothing to do with the nomination of any aldermen of any party. Who shall and who shall not be elected to any office it is the sovereign function of the electors to determine
 3. How do you explain the fact that during the four years of the last Democratic administrations the assessments on the manufac- turing corporations were reduced over $10e 900. these being years of prosperity in business, while dur ing the last four years of Repub- lican administration. the assess Ments on these corporations have
 had nothing to do with tax values four years ago. I do k-~~