The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-01-21

SContfued from Page ID
Bonding.
Our total bonded debt at the pres
ent time Is 2.109.2O0.o0. We have
for interest and on account of prin-
cipal on our existing bonded debt,
the sum Of $150,700.00 or about one
tenth of the entire revenues Of the
city during the year. thus leaving
only ntne-tenths of such revenues fol-
ID wen to bear this fact in mind IN
discussing the question Of bonding. II
In now proposed to add, approximate
". about one million dollars to the
course. this win reduce still more
our available resources for operative
expenses-
This increase Of a million, IL car
ried into effect, Will mean that we
win have to pay in addition to the
tns<allments on principal of debt.
assuming that the new bonds will
be nifty year serial bonds) about $685.
10000 for the first year, the amount
gradually diminishing each successive
year az the volume Of bonds is re-
duced. We will. therefore. in case
such Increase Of debt is ordered. be
Obliged to divert from the revenues
Of the city next year, not less than
$115.ooo.00 to take care of the fund
"a QeOIr ana Lul8 VIII eQucl ASatiy
ons-etghth OF such entire revenue
thu leaving only seven-eighths Of our
estimated revenues available next
year for the operative expenses OF
Che city. My object in placing this
matter thus Is an endeavor to con-
purposes. to wft:-necessaEy perman
emit improvements-so that the avail
able resources of the city may not
be mortgaged to pay current expenses
The latter should be paid from the
proceeds Of taxation each year as We
20 along.
what improvements Are Not Proper
Subjects for Bonding.
I DO not consider street pavements
a. they cannot be called, In any
sense, Of the words, permanent i'm
provements.
The life Of such pavements, wheth-
er wood. brick, or asphalt Is only
about ten years. and the term OF my
ought not to exceed ten years.
I consider that 1t would be a mis-
take 70 bond for such term or Tor
such q purpose, nor do deem It al
all necessary
and reasonable amount of street pave
msnt-in fact all that could be ad-
vantageously done-and this was ef-
fected by commencing work as early
IN the season as possible. completing
the amounts collected for further
work, during the same season. and
this same process can be repeated
this year.
By providing q reasonable sum. say
$4,000 for paving and by commenc-
about April LIST next and prosecuting
II as rapidly as possible. the benefits
can be assessed, collected and easily
made available. as already stated. for
further work Immediately. And this
method can be repeated perhaps on
OF the paving appropriation recon-
mended by me, about $4,000 worth
of work can be done this season. If
bonds as proposed to the amount of
100000 were issued, 1t is extremely
doubtful If any greater sum than that
above stated could be advantageously
expended during the season of 1911,
and there might be a tendency to ex-
pend the ayails of bonds on streets
where pavement is not absolutely re-
owners But my main objection to
an issue Of bonds for street paving is
that it would establish a precedent
of bonding for what consider to be
current expenses
therefore recommend for street
paving a sum sufficient. together with
the assessments thus collected, to
pave the following streets:
State street, from Broad street to
Park avenue
Fairfield avenue. from Main street
TO Park avenue
Park avenue, from Fairfield avenue
to State street
Barnum avenue, from Noble ave-
Z nue. to Seaview avenue.
With q bare possibility Of paving
such other streets as:
East Washington avenue, from Will
liam street to Noble avenue.
Noble avenue, from East Washing
yon to Barnum avenue.
Objects OF City Expenditures.
It may not be out of place here
and may serve a good purpose to call
attention to the proportionate ex-
penses of the city, for various pur-
poses. as presented in the City Bud
get now before us. The total reve-
nue. of the City from all sources, as
shown therein, is about $500, 900. co.
And the principal objects of ex-
penditure computed in percentages
will be as follows:
That Il. of every dollar of revenue
there will be expended, in cents, for
the purposes specified, about the fol-
lowing amounts: