The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-23


 Care of Poor .........!. cents Street. Lighting ......... 3& cents Macadam street repairs... 3H cents Street Pavement ........ 3 cents Health and Garbage ..... cents Parks ........ G1H cents Street Cleaning ....,.... cents Care of and repair \ of
 bridges cent Library ......... h cents Military Tax .~1A cents Salaries =. cent Street. SprinkliEg ........ 21a ccnts Assessors office and maps l cent .............. cent New Macadam cent Sewers .'...... 2 cents All other expenses ...... 5A cents Total A.... ..10O cents
 From this statement 1t can be seen that the largest items of expenses Debt, requiring respectively, as follows:
 Schools about one fourth; Fire De- partment abolA one eighth; and Debt about one eighth of the entire revenue of the City.
 State Tax.
 For each of the past two years the State has levied q tax of one half Q mill on each dollar of the respective grand lists of the cities and towns of the State, for State purposes. It is a little unfortunate that at this time we are unable to determine positive ly, whether or not such a tax will be levied this year.
 Ofscourse if such . tax is imposed we will have to make virtue of necessity and pay it.
 find that the City of New Haven, in preparing it's last estimates and a ho dnI for a State Tax, and it's officials inform me that they did not desire to antici- pate the imposition of such a tax, but that if it were levied they in- tended to raise the money to meet it by the levying of a special City would be a mbersome and unsatisfactory one, still it can be done if circumstances require it.
 Having reasoned it out and con- sidered the magnitude of the amount involved to this city, to wit, $44,50O.- sources of the State, from other sources, notably under the Personal Tax Bill. I deem it prudent not to burden our taxpayers with what l trust and reasonably hope will prove to be an uncalled for tax, and there fore omit the State Tax from my list of appropriations. The State will,
  Personal Tax Bill, of more than $300,- 900. Bridgeport. for instance, paid last year for Military Communication Taxes about $14,000 to the State, whereas, under the new law, we will pay to the State an estimated amount of $33, ,000. And of course all other cities and towns will pay in the same increased ratio, so that the income of the State under the new law will be more than doubled. I think We can safely assume that a State tax ought not to be necessary and will not be levied
 Education.
 In addition to the regular ordinary increase in expenses, the Board of for salaries to teachers, amounting to $25,700.00.
 I allow the entire salary requisi- tion, including such special increase.
 I have been of the opinion for years that the salaries of the teach CTS in our public schools were, and that they still are, inadequate for the services expected, and indeed requir- ed, of the instructors of our children, and that justice and fair play call for 8 substantial increase of compensa- ton.
 Now that the Board of Education has realized this fact and asked that
 
 will enable the Board to grant, in some measure, the just demands of the teachers it affords me pleasure to comply with such request and hereby grant the entire salary re- quisition.
 other items of the school requisit1on but leave the salary item intact. I also recommend the avails of one mill tax on the Grand List for new schools, and as said list will prob ably reach the sum of $89.00O, 100000 the tax recommended will realize $S0,- 000.00 which ought to be sufficient to adequately provide for all reason able needs.
 Police Department.
 I allow a. sum sufficient to add ten new men to the force, as in my judg- ment the proper protection of person and property justifies such an in- crease.
 It is better, as I view it, to afford proper prolice protection and thus prevent crime, rather than, after money in the detection and punish ment of the offenders.
 In relation to the new police sta- ton at the West End, I consider 1t 3 permanent improvement that ought to be met from the proceeds of a
 
 I ought to add that I do not con sider new station a necessity at the present time.
 Fire Department.
 This important arm of the public service has been we'll cared for dur ing recent years and has reached a nigh state of efficiency. It seems to be good business policy to maintain 1t there,
 The Commissioners now ask for m addition to the permanent force, of ten men, who, l assume, will be promoted from the call force, # prac- -ica ble.
 The engineers of the department, at least, ought to be permanent men, but, of course, all of the details of the increased force and it's assign nent are for the Commissioners to as they are the most com petent to deal with the matter.
 I provide, by special appropriation. for the addition of ten permanent men.
 The Commissioners also ask for new apparatus costing $26,5O0.
 It is not absolutely. essential, how ever desirable it may be, to provide Ill the new apparatus asked for at this time, in view ofsthe many other nore pressing demands in other quarters. I recommend for this pur- JOSc oI 91O,VOV Ln0 sum reappropriated.
 If, after thorough trial, the new apparatus proves satisfactory, we can the equipment next year.
 Care of Poor.
 As usual, the Commissioners in ,harge have exceeded their last years and the annual deficit ippears. It is useless to attempt to leep down the expenses of the Char ties department, by withholding any