The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-21
TAX PAYERS LEAGUE CHARTER AMENDMENTS
 EXPLAINED TO ALDERMEN

way that it can be done under present conditions"
 | Alderman Robert G. DeForest said | if a man was holding any other office except that of Alderman, he would | undoubtedly want to go back in case | he was recalled.
 "I am of the opinion that if he was very active in his own behalf that he would be able to be returned to office | through the inactivity of the people at large.''
 l MT. Phelan said if there were an error it would be that of the people. | and not that of the few who petitioned
 For the recall.
 What would be the situation in Democratic district. and had the same constituency supporting him at l the recall election as at the general election. What chance would the re- call have then?" asked Alderman Ma l honey.
 "I never suspected that the Demo- cratic party ever elected grafters to ofice," replied MT. Phelan. City Clerk Stephen Boucher said in the past MT. Phelan had been a prac-
 tical politician. and he ought to know how expensive it was to run for of be possible for enemies of an office
 holder to be continually petitioning for his recall. and that in order to
 maintain his position his finances | would be constantly taxed T don't think Is per cent. of the people would work up charge against our Mayor and have any
 chance of carrying it out,' was the 1 reply.
 1 MT. Phelan said the recall worked | ways right. Alderman Jackson said | in reply to that: T would like to ask
 you what you thought of the results 1 in the Blaine campaign"
 | MT. Phelan said: "In answering
 that question. MT. Jackson. I would
 like to ask you what you think of the results in the Tilden campaign" | Alderman Guy P. Miller asked MT.
 Phelan if he thought that the city could get men to accept the office of
 Mayor for $s.ooo knowing they had no chance of being reelected under the proposed system. "They would get
 their pay in honor." replied Mr. Phe-
 Ian.
 "In short" said City Clerk Boucher,
 don't you mean that it would be im-
 position?' MT. Phelan said he meant nothing of the kind. Further Mr. Boucher asked if it is not possible for | defeated political party to endeavor
 to bring about g party election every six months in order to regain control. (
 but he didn't think the people would do such a thing.
 MT. Boucher said the special inter- ests were always active and back of political movements when the people
 were not really aware of what was going on and that one set of special ! interests might have a very strong desire to upset an administration that was not kindly disposed to it and | would not have much trouble in en- rrfx, nrx>fv, l pecially If it had the assistance, of a | hostile press.
 The other amendments proposed by the league dealing with the reduction ! in salaries of the board of appraisal | and the members of the fire depart
 commanding officers of the police | force including the superintendent of | police and the chief of the fire de- l partment. and increasing their pow CTS of the board of apportionment, were discussed at length. In the case of the f1remen Mir. | Phelan said: Tt was the increase in | the pay of the hremen that brought
 the league into being. We propose
 to decrease the pay of the f1remen
 erned by the rule of supply and de-
 mand. We can get plenty of heroic | fremen for $1.100 a year. We are
 now paying s1,2oo which is more
 than any of the cities in the country
 are paying with five exceptions"
 said MT. Phelan. City Clerk Boucher wanted to know if it was the spirit of the league that low wages made a prosperous nation.
 Tt is just a question of those who pay the bills and those who receive
 them" said vMr. Phelan. Tt does not benefit the carpenter or the bricl layer if the firemen are
 cut down." said MT. Boucher who
 said that or e kind of labor tried to
 aSar kaep its He aed es on par E asr wth to other
 bunch of taxpayers together to cut | down wages than to do anything else. Why didn't the league take up the case of other employes?" Because the league members were outraged bucauSe we were paving | more than any other place in the | United Sta:es," replied Mr. Phelan | who added:
 "I know the league is sneered at. 1 But there ought to be someone who
 dare to get up and let his voice he from the Taxpayers League contin- gent.)
 Alderman King said he did not be- lieve that the law of supply and de-
 mand governed the case at all. He said he had worked with the most
 
 l that he had seen men blown to pieces one day and a dozen men looking for every job made vacant the next day. He continued, 'I believe the 1remen earn every cent they get. There is no better fire department in the United States than ours and is 1t not better to stand before the world with a competent force than a makeshift one. You people come here to ex. ploit the ideas of few. You can hardly get quorum at your meet
 fngs: You are not expressing the sentiments of the people" Jasper McLevy stated that he rep
 resented the Central Labor Union, of
 which he is president, and the Work fngmens Conference Committee. He | the Taxpayers league had picked out the firemen and policemen to bring about changes in their salaries and not the school teachers and the em- ployes of the public work department. Atty. Phelan in answer said that the flremen and policemen represented a
 more influential body of men who were high salaried, while the teach CTS and public works employees were not. It was the intention of the league to get at the big fish. John Blackwell of the Ninth dis trict wanted to know if the Taxpay- CTS league was not created because the fremen had been given a raise in salary. Attorney Phelan admitted that the league objected to the pay
 ing of $1,200 to $1,100 men and for that reason banded together. He al-
 so plead guilty of being a member
 of the league. Would it not be bet fnV fow h T0