The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-09
Leading Manufacturer Says that Extra Pay Fire Fighters Ask Would Meet Interest on $500, 900 Addi- tional Municipal Indebted ness.
Or People on Fairfield Ave, nue Could Have Their Streets Fixed Up-An Tax Payers Will Be Ad- mitted, But Organization Will Be First Perfected

Will Be First PerfecteQ
 As exclusively announced in the Farmer. Saturday, this city is to have a taxpayers league growing out of the agitation over the increase of the wages of the permanent firemen by a lump sum of s23.650- The origina- tors of the plan are the 22 members of the Business Mems Association, the Manufacturers Association. and the Board of Trade who presented Ex- Mayor Lee with a water pitcher Of vf1ver after he announced that he would veto the increase of the fire mems pay
 Chairman Thomas H. Macdonald of the committee of publicity of the committee of 23 outlined the repre- sentatives of the proposed policies of the new league to the representatives of the three evening newspapers to- day.
 He stated that the taxpayers ir general were going to be invited to take a hand in the affairs of the league and that the organization would be perfected on either Thurs day or Friday of this week Asked whether all of the taxpayers would be invited to take part in the cleo ton of officers and the organization he said that this matter was in the hands of the chairman, J erome Orcutt-
 Thomas H. Macdonald said: 91 have been appointed the chairman of the Publicity Committee by meeting or a number of members of the Board oi Trade and Manufacturers AsSociation and Business Mems Association. who held a little meeting at the Algonquin club the other evening The primary object of the meeting was to protest against the raise of the hremens pay which amounted to S23. $50 according to the figures Of MT. Bullard- There were g gentlemen present It was resolved by vote to make the attendance the nucleus of a tax payers league. This organization Is to be exactly what its name implies. without reference to politics. creed. or color. It is to be a league whose main interest will De to look after the welfare of the city of Bridgeport. Not that we don't want to pay taxes. but that we want to get those things the city needs for the taxes we pay. It is an echo perhaps dred in New York city. in Cleveland under Tom Johnson. and in a number of other important cities where such is essentially a& &ague to interest the tax payers in the Expenditure of their money.
 "Since the first meeting the organ ization has been going forward with all the energy that the committees ep- pointed can give it MT. Jerome Orcutt was elected chairman and he will call a meeting either Thursday. or Friday perfected All tax payers will be in- vited to join. whether they are Repub- Hcans. Democrats or Socialists"
 At this point MT. Macdonald was organization, whether it would be ac- cording to the amount of taxes paid. or whether each member would be en- titled to one vote He replied that this had not been settled as yet.
 He continued. '1t was the opinion oi the 22 men who were present. and a number Of insurance and real e<tate men that enough influence could be interest felt by the Common Council fin the passing of all measures where they were all interested It has beer the custom in the past. when hearings are held before the aldermen. that nc one appears against measures incur ring large expenditures of public funds such as in the case of the Harbor Line and also in the case in the raise of the Ffremen's pay It will be the duty of the officers of the league to see that some one Is there to represent them al all hearings where public monies arc to ba spent It will. be the duty also discuss them freely and openly There will be no executive sessions. And honest effort will be given to the solu- tfon of all public matters. The name Of the organization may be something different than the one suggested. bui Taxpayers league was the frs thought of at the preliminary meeting But no matter what the name the frs aim will be the good of Bridgeport
 A wear ago the Board of Education asked for d s30O.000 bond issue Int bonds would have sold readily and s12 GOO a wear would have been all that would have been necessary to pay the interest The money was vented f0l a high school It was not a log rollins scheme. but Bridgeport protested strongly against it and the Bridgepor members in the legislature would no hear it and they turned it down. Th Bridgeport High School building wa built to accommodate 500 pu-fIs- ih- are now over 7S0 crowded into tn building. Coat poOms in the atilc ar used for class room purposes and par of the school is on half time
 .-The annual interest cost or renev ing this condition, without regard t' half the amount of the increase in thu wages expense of the fire department under the new ordinance
 The sum appropriated by the firemer would provide the interest on nearly s6o0.00O in four per cent bonds. Thi: would build all the schools we need for some time to come. You will no lice at the meeting of the Board O. Education. last night Supt. Deant called the attention of the board tS Main street school and that convey ances had to be hired to convey chfl- dren from that section to schools i1 other districts
 condition. at the present. There i. about s25000 in the building fund and our obligatio amount to about s33. 900 So we cannot complete what we have to the crowded conditions of the schoo buIldinzs we are using 14 little tenpor-