The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-06
CITY MUST
 OWN ELECTRIC
 LIGHT PLANT
(Continued from Page 51

|
 nothing novel or unusual in it's intro- | auction into municipal affairs. Many | cities have adopted such a system and
 indeed nearly all large business con-
 cerns, manufacturing and mercantile,
 nave found both necessary and profit
 able to adopt up-to-date modern l methods in conducting their business 1 and in their system of accounting. in
 order that business may be carried | on in the most successful and econ
 omical manner.
 What has been successfully done by
 other cities and by large business l concerns can be adopted with safety l by the city of Bridgeport and brought | to a successful conclusion. It is not 1 intended as a reflection on any off, l cer or department of the city govern
 ment.
 Wherever there is efficiency in con- | ducting city business that efficiency 1 can be maintained and perhaps inn proved upon. Bridgeport has now become a city of over 100000 popu- 1 lation and should be in that class in l every respect in it's methods of con- ducting city business. The fact hith- erto has been that no one considered 1t his special duty to take the initi-
 ative or felt authorized so to do. That 1 authority is vested, perhaps, in the
 common council and it will require legislative action by that body in the shape of new ordinances or amend ments to existing ordinances in order
 to make such 8 system effective. The
 duties of officers should be more clear ly defined. But that can be attended
 to later. Now that the initiative has
 been taken by the common council and that body authorized the appoint
 ment of a committee to devise ways
 and means and method for system
 aff fzir h. fc nF o1I o{f 1
 partments on a uniform basis. It can and will be done as soon as the means and method can be provided.
 It is a little unfortunate, perhaps, that the matter was not before the
 board of apportionment and taxation for action last February, so that ade- quate means could be provided. But a beginning can certainly be made now. One or two departments can be taken up and modern methods ap- piled to them and from the results thus obtained, I feel confident that the wisdom of uniformity and of modern up-to-date methods in every department of the cityywill be appar- ent and that the means will be pro- vided. I will do everything in my power to bring this about as speedily as practicable and I know that I will have the hearty cooperation, espe- cially of the two principal accounting officers of the city, the city treasurer and city auditor, in carrying this pro- position into effect. I also think that 1t will meet the approval of all our citizens who favor a business admin istration of city affairs along progress sive lines. I do not think that the adoption of such safe and sane sys- tenn as above outlined will call for a large expenditure of money. The appropriation of a reasonable sum will, I am confident, be justified by the effective and beneficial results operation. I will feel free to call to my aid in this matter those of our citizens, who by education and experi- | ence, are best fitted to render valu able assistance in this important work of systematiZing the city's accounts | and affairs.
 Publicity in City Affairs.
 I am in favor of more publicity in the conduct of city affairs. I would recommend that a city exhibit be held at different times during the year that will show what each department is doing, what they are planning for the future; what contracts are being ad- vertised, with plans and specif1ca- tions; the cost of improvements. In fact the establishing of a method that will give any citizen the opportunity of knowing how the money that he contributes is being spent and what the results. This has been established d with much success in other cities and it is time that Bridgeport took this forward step.
 The census report of the United | States government, forthcoming early | in the year, gave to Bridgeport a pop ulation of 102, 043, which was an in- crease of more than 43 per cent. over the population as shown by the census of 1900.
 This was a growth sufficient to l make Bridgeport the second city in the state, and to make it notable for growth among the cities of the United States.
 It is the duty of the federal gov ernment to take census of malu- factures at five year intervals. The i figures for Bridgeport have just been made public by the census bureau. l They indicate that the capital invest | ed in manufactures here has in- creased from s4s;sS1,O 900, as shown for the year ending December 31, 1904, to 62,000,oOO for the year end ing December 31, 1909. In 1904, the value of the product for one year was $44, ,5S6, 1000, or slightly less than s1 of product for every dollar of invest ment. But during 1909, the value of the product was s65, 5,609,000, or more lIdu d uoIldE III piOuUCI IOI CdCh dollar of investment.
 Tax Rate.
 But our surpassing prosperity is ac- companied by attendant responsibili- ties. Our rapid growth has occa- stoned a severe strain upon the public treasury, which has been marked for a number of years by constant in crease in the tax rate, and which will compel a liberal policy with respect to taxation as long as the growth of the city shall continue at it's present pace.
 Other factors than that of enorm- ous growth have combined to make necessary the present tax rate of 17.2 mills. Important among these has been the increase in the cost of living, which during my own term and that of my predecessor has occaSioned just demand for increased pay, by large groups of city employees, includ- ing the police, the firemen and the teachers in our public schools.
 The needs of our manufactures and great business esta bliShmentS have within the same period made neces sary sweeping changes in the consti tuition of the fire department, so that in five years the fixed expense of con- ducting the department has greatly increased.
 The pnarOiaS Of io ina 1itiec