The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-23
APRIL FOOLS
 DAY LAST FOR
 TAX PAYMENTS
Readings Representatives Favor
 a Public Utilities Bill

of taxes accrulng on grand lists prev ious to that of 1908. Out of the total of these long overdue taxes Collector Duncan has collected some $2,000 or about two-thirds of the entire amount on the books turned over to him and 1 the program is to bring suits for what still remains unpaid at the end of next week. As bills were some time ago sent to all the delinquents none of them can plead a lack of notice. Despite the considerable decrease of the original amount by abatements, 1t is believed that many of the bills
 still outstanding will be found un- collectable. In some instances no involved has changed hands, and the impression prevails that in other cases the nominal debtors will be able to show receipts although the select men have endeavored to have all Of this latter class come forward and disclose their protected position.
 Upon the request of eX-Collector B. I. Gotham the selectmen held a spec ia1 session recently to give him 2n opportunity to substantiate his claim that the findings of Expert Account ant Soule were in some respects er- roneous. The former collector and his relatives had, as they expressed it, been burning the midnight oil for several weeks in reviewing the eX- pert'S work and therefrom had reach ed conclusions tending to place MT. Gorham's financial relations to the town in a light much more favorable to him. The conference at which they attempted to demonstrate their assertions lasted about half day and as far as it's results in convincing the in state fully as incOnclusive as be- fore. One of the claims advanced by the Gorhams was that MT. Soule was
 mistaken in finding that the credits on the former collectors rate books, when increased by the $1,141 which town last May, made a sum in excess of all that MT. GOrhamahad collected On the face of the returns this would be simply matter of addition of the | figures and comparison of the totals. Another element entered in the ques- | tion, however, as Mr., Soule decided i that several hundred dollars of cred its on the collectors books came from alterat ton of the figures after they had been set down by the treasurer. The Gorhams claimed that there had been no Justification of these figures. While MT. Soule disclaims skill as a
 handwriting expert he says that an inspection of the figures under a magnifying glass shows that they
 were changed. Consequently he ac-
 cepted the corresponding entries on the treasurers books as the true rec
  fully heard in a review of all the cir cumstances the se!ectmen promised to take their claims under considera- tion and there the matter so Tar
 rests. Should these claims be assent ed to it would place MT. Gorham in the position of owing the town noth ing whereas the selectmen now hold
 him as debtor to the amount of SITS.
 Contractor Sanford Osborn expects
 to begin construction work on the
 mile of State road south from the
 the first of April. He cannot start
 operations until the final layout nas been made and if Highway Commls-
 sioner Macdonald is no more expedi-
 tious in this than he has been in toher local projects a considerable further delay may be looked for. For use
 on the job MT. Osborn has bought from R. H. Nichols the stone fences on the lot opposite the Ridge school house. While the building of this
 new piece of highway is being, anx- iously awaited the drawing of heavy
 timber loads is making wreck and
 ruin of the Little Lark State road
 north from Library Corner. The case suggests the need of a regulation to
 restrict such destructive work during the soft season in the spring. Until
 now the Little Lark road has been one of the best in town.
 At this weeks meeting of the se- lectmen they will arrange for a meet ing with the committee appointed to act jointly with them in recommend ing some plan to meet the town house problem Harry Lounsbury suggests that instead of adding another story to the building it be left on it's present site and enlarged by an extension of about twenty feet at the front This would carry it over the road which a fn Q J0 ,oy the square below. Such an exten- sion would produce rather a sprawly structure and therefore be as objec- tionable to the nearby residents as
 would the proposed removal of the building.
 The recent considera ble addition 50
 the list of local telephone subscribers
 has further burdened wires which
 were already crowded beyond the capacity for efficient service. All Of
 which suggests the need of a Public
 Service Commission empowered 10
 remedy such conditions. We haven't yet and may not have such con- mission but the voters of the town
 possess the satisfaction of having sent to the Legislature men who will use their best efforts towards creating
 such a body.
 It was noticed that in the financial statement submitted to the last town meeting that the cost of the public
 schools for the current year was esti-
 mated at s4 500 which is $1,0O0 more than their cost last year. The in- crease comes partly from the fact that the town has more high school pupils going to Norwalk than former
 ly at higher expense for transporta- ton and tuition than attendance at
 Bethel or Danbury would involve The cost for attendance at the joint district school in Wilton will also be
 more. or about SIG per pupil as been added to the staff of this school. making four in all.
 Builder McCollom has about finish ed the carpenter work on the addi- tion to and reconstruction of the old Marcus Burr house and the plum biny has also been installed The Misses Blanchard and Waugh intend to oc-
 cupy the house about May 15. This week MT. McCollom completed the removal of Miss Belle Sanford's car riage barn prepar ratory to its conver- sion into a dwelling. A Asson was born to Mir. and Mrs. J.
 Henry Duncan on Saturday last
 Miss Della Carson of the west side
 has received an appointment as gov
 ernment teacher in the Panama Can
 al Zone. She is now teaching in Nor walk.
 A. L. Livermore is another of the progressive local farmers who is treating his land to a liberal applica- tion of lime to be supplanted by many tons of commercial fertilizers.
 The Center school resumed this week after being closed on account of
 the illness of Miss Senior, the teacher, rooo-+l,x -...-