The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-28
ANNEXATION
 OF STAMFORD

Editor Farmer. Sir:--In reply to an article appearing in the Bridge port Telegram of Dec. 26th, 1910. as "A Thought Provoking Document" beg leave to submit the following:
 A few antiquated residents of Strat- ford were always provoked whenever her residents asked for anything in the line of improvements they were provoked when the legislature gave a charter to run trolley cars through their streets, they are provoked be- cause her residents asked and have been asking for a few street lights the last five years and they have not given them any yet. They are not voked because there is a new trolley line running in to the old town that forth and will prove to be one of the best things that has ever happened for the benefit of all her residents in the near future. It was never in- tended that one of Connecticut's pret- tiest towns should be isolated for the benefit of few selfish pol .ticians who want to rule even though it be ruin to her residents. I will admit that Nature has done much for Strat- ford but her Government thinks Ma needs to have done./ The writer of the article says its.a selfish move on the part of a few nonresident land owners for the purpose of booming the land values of their large farms so they can cut them up into build ing lots and get a better price for them in Bridgeport than they could in stratford. Well I can say three of those large property owners at tended the Board of Trade meet ng last Wednesday night. A small per- centage of the list of taxpayers that was handed in in favor of annexation over one hundred and twenty-five in
 oil hof naU " nv1 ct a house and lot. Truly some of them are of recent date in this country. I will now call the attention of the writer of the Provoking Document to Vol. 1, Chapter XIV. Page 37O, of the History of stratford. Kings and mated too lightly the power of the common people. They pretended un- til it was too late to govern at all. The result was the American Inde- pendence. In those days Stratford- ties were as new in this country as vor of the annexation but that made no difference Stratford did her share to right the wrongs that faced her and made history for herself along side of the foreigners. They were valuable asset and their names are inscribed on many grave stones all over the American continent as we'll as in Stratford. Well for the ben eft of those few that have no roots in the town I can say for some of those that have roots they must have been growing weeds for stratfords unprogressiveness has been the cause of her being sliced off several times. She once was bounded by Ash Creek.
 It's true StratfOrd don't want to spend public money but she collects more taxes prorata than her speed thrift neighbor, and owes as much prorata as her extravagant sister. Who gets the rake off? It's well to economize and keep out of debt but the residents of the old town have risen up in their might and voted for Improvements at recent town meet ing, and demanded an outlay of mon ey for a few improvements that they know they can get quicker and cheap CT by annexation; but must have them any way. We'll that's going some. but the people want the inn provementS and they know they can get more of them and cheaper Tn Bridgeport than they can in the slow old town. I admit taxes are high enough in Stratford for what is giv- en in, return for them. The true Stratfordite never intended to let the people have much any way. l Will go back now to needed convenience years ago when new bridge was wanted to span the PequOnnock river when that was the dividing line be- tween Stratford and the borough of Bridgeport; after a long fight Bridge port won out and the town refused to contribute it's part of the cost and they asked the Legislature to alloy them to run Lottery to "a SC mon ey enough to pay their part of the ex- pense; and they were given the right to run a lottery; and they did and got the required amount of money to pay their part The westerly boundary of the bridge touched Bridgeport about where Wall street commences at the water edge Then it was discovered it would cost money to maintain the bridge and Stratford placed toll gate ope its side of the bridge and made the people pay that expense: so you can see how much you can ever expect to get from a town that never won any medals for her generosity in the The of public convenience. If she did she might be where Bridge port is now, the 2nd city in Connecti- cut, because Stratford was here first Now in conclusion allow me to say it's not the intention of the annexers to rob Stratford of the name the few old-timers love so much. Let it be Stratford District, Bridgeport, Conn.,, which is bound to come in the near fu- ture.
 SHREVEPORT TAX PAYER