The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-23
THE REFERENDUM.
(Standard.)

If there is no call for referendum on any one of the five improvements upon which the legislature has allow ed Bridgeport the privilege of issuing bonds, then the bond issue will be possible without it: but fifteen per cent. of the registered voters can re- qu1re a referendum by signing a peti- tion calling for one on either or all of the measures. In that case the vote on the referendum will occur ''at the next city election" In voting by the machines, as we do in Bridgeport, if the referendum is a separate vote from the other matters up for con- sideration, it would be likely to be passed over by many, who having voted their regular ticket would not take the trouble to vote again on a separate matter. When the vote was by ballot and it was only necessary to pick up a separate box, when there wa9 referendum or license, or some amendment, it is notorious that the vote on that separate matter was usually light. People forget, Or do not care, or refuse to be compelled to vote, or for some other reason refrain, but there is, we understand, a dev.se that can be attached to a voting machine, that will call the attention of the voter to the referendum or separate vote, would in many eases secure 1t where otherwise he would not stop to consider the business at all The five matters for which the city can issue bonds, with the permission of the people, are the new High School building, a new Aims House, a bridge at East Washington avenue, new police station and fire house on the Eost Side. No one of these projects can be acted upon without Peferen
 dunn if the people see fit to call for 0f hn lJIt through to adoption if the people vote it down. It will be seen, thus, that in each and all Of these cases the matter is in hands of the voters. The bills permitting the bond issues become operative within sixty days after signing of them by the gov ernor, unless within that rer:od action is taken, IS above outlined, to secure a referendum. The requirement of the registered vote will be about 3,GO0 signers to a petition and it would not usually be difficult to secure such a number. The chief trouble will be in securing an adequate expression of opinion at the polls. It is not the opposers of the proposed measures who are urging tsa referendum, but the friends of many if not all of the issues, feel that the voters of the city have a right to be heard on matter that effects not only the prperty of the city but of every taxpayer in it. and that even the most popular and necessary of these measures should have behind it the weight of public approval. That principle is cor rect one, and it was intended by the movers of the matter, to make the referendum automatic, and that it should follow as a matter of course the presentation of each of these propositions. Then there would be no call for the petitions now being made up. The city, through it's constituted authorities, would order the issue and then it would go to the people. We underYtand that such was the purpose of Senator McNeil in the matter and his views upon it, as given in an in terview in The Standard of Friday, are clear and well put. There is no doubt, we think, that the petitions vii be prepared in the required time. Then the voters can say ''Yes," or No" as they please when the time to vote comes, in November. There vii be a separate vote on each one of the propositions named and the voter who registers his opinion on these matters will be called upon to throw a pointer to Yes or NO five times after he has voted the rest of his ticket