The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-01-27

c f19O9 during the closing days of the Session, and the tax for 1909 was made payable on November 10th,
 1909. AS we had months before made up our annual budget for the fiscal year 1909-1910, we found ourselves of course unprepared to meet such State tax.
 It therefore becomes necessary now,
 in preparing our annual budget for 1910-1911, to make provision for the State tax of both years. And as the State Board of Equalization has deemed proper to add $6,00O,00O to
 the last grand list for State and County purposes, we are obliged to pay to the State on grand list that 1 is much larger then the grand list we are collecting taxes on. We will also, I presume, be obliged to pay interest on the sum due November 10, 1909, from the date when due until time of payment-abOut six months. The amounts required for this tax will be as follows:
 Principal of State Tax due in 1909, S42,69454 Interest on same for six
 mos. to date of pay ment, 1,2s0s3 $4a,s75.s7 Amount of State Tax to bee Ome due in Nov, 1910, (estimated) 43,000.0O Total, ss6,s75.s7 Congress Street Widening I trust that no argument will be allowed to prevail to prevent the wid- ening of Congress street, from Main street easterly to the new bridge. This widening ought to have been made on the south side at the same time that land was condemned for the widening of the bridge itself, but it was not then done, and the inevit- able result has occurred,-the land has been improved by the erection of good buildings and more creations are planned which, in my judgment, rem der a widening of Congress street on the south side, too costly to be prac- ticable.
 It therefore follows that the widen ing of Congress street, if made at all, must be made on the north side and such widening I grant will not be as : beneficial as if made on the south side. But I suppose that the main thing required is wider street for an approach to the bridge, and a street about 62 feet in width, even though not exactly in direct line with the bridge itself, will prove to be of great public convenience. It is well to bear in mind that the Railroad work on Housatonic avenue, from Congress street nOrtherly, is but temporary in it's construction and the railroad com pany is required by a contract en- tered into with the city, to replace it any time subsequent to September IS, 1913, when required by said city. When this permanent work is going on, perhaps arrangements can be made with the railroad company to improve conditions at the Congress street northerly approach to the new bridge.
 Garbage Reduction The requisition of the Board of Health calls for the following special amounts:
 For purchase of present re- duction plant, $40,000 % For refitting same for use 10000 % Total, $6O,0O0 % realize that in the near future we will have to deal with the problem of garbage disposal. I am not prepared to say now what method is the best for such disposal-whether reduction or incineration. A subject of so much importance to the health of the com munity and calling for such a large expenditure of money needs thorough Investigation by a special commission of capable men appointed for that purpose, before the city is committed to any more experimental policies and recommend that course. If the city must erect a garbage plant to dispose of it's own garbage and waste, the sooner the matter is so understood, the better for all concerned. It may be found necessary in that case to provide the means by bond issue, and thus an early determina- tion of the problem becomes import ant.
 In the meantime, pending such in- vestigation, I cannot, and do not, rec garbage reduction plant at the figures quoted or at any other figure for that matter.
 Permanent Pavement
 favor and provide for the follow ing permanent pavement work:
 The completion of Main street wooden pavement, from Golden Hill street southerly to Gilbert street.
 Stratford avenue new pavement from the easterly terminus of the wooden block pavement on the Lower bridge easterly to Yellow Mill bridge
 Elm street, from Main to Broad street.
 Broad street, from Fairfield to Elm street.
 Congress street, when widened, from Main street to the new bridge.
 I recommend the re-appropriation of the money for paving with wood block the draw of Yellow Mill bridge
 The foregoing list of paving im- provements will take all the money we can afford to spend this year from the proceeds of taxes
 Macadam Pavement
 As to new macadam pavement I do not favor it's extension except where required for speciaI places, such as Bishop avenue, for instance.
 It is my firm conviction that we ought not to expend any more money than is absolutely necessary for new macadam roads on our main lines of travel The every day experience of that kind of roadway is, that it will not withstand the heavy wear and tear of the modern automob or mo- tor car, and it would be folly, in my judgment, to defy the warnings and lessons of experience both at home and abroad. Let us confine our at- tentions this year at least to placing the macadam roads we have in fair passable condition.
 Fire Department
 This important branch of the city government must be maintained up to its present efficient standard. It should not be allowed to deteriorate. But I inly if iS O11Y, dtrfu tn ooll I,olt