The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-05
MAYOR WILSON'S
 MESSAGE

Mayor wilson's message is good as ;ar as 1t goes. and less mendable ,n what it omits. The subject of mu- 1tslpsl ownersiiip. wfiicB iss Of D1fH- aoane impo9ss1css ir,s Effdsepert q u most otheF xneseac kcities. is en- t1zxly Isfs oat. This ls necessity 0ow1ng out of the mayors election oa s platform opposed to public own ershsP of pablic utilities, and his sup ncrt by interests which ind in such v platform the best hope for nf1air- eainine the private status of the pub lio services.
 Notably the mayor seems to have changed his attitude toward bonding. EIg says in this connection:
 Our net debt, exclusive of cash in chA txE41ury fD 41,e62, ,1S2 and the pro 6orfG6n Of city debt to tho city grand ont n . trifle under IT per cent, all n which is a most creo1tAble Snow1ng 1nd placee Bridgeport'g credit in the front fAAk Of municipalities.
 TRfD ufter1nce is- diametricaliy cp- nspoa sS sns mayors sAriier sulosiss af wh0asu1s buadfne for 'a1l pefma- fsnt fniprovements.''
 oome c tAo pfeposftions advanced n1v. coniaeued from the recornn1e1ida- r. urns of his predecessor. This is. TO 6o1ection to them- A eood measure Gnould be supported. regardless of it's 0p1kin anA without consideration of r6ntical 11Aes.
 Among recommendations which will rnrpt VII favor are these in dsnrn- 61Ition of self- f-pefretuatins boards, Hrr tDe establishmsnt of . dental 1olnia, for the popu1ar submiasion of - merit system. for increased man. ur6 training in the schools and for the 616nfnnttsa of the garbase stench - tne DnSe gl1s.
 n fo0omnaon11aG q new aims ,hSuSo aA6 . now bridge at East Wash lnetdn avenue tho message paaseS to da1oe6bls ground.
 Yec 1t is fair to say that the refer o11on upon both of these proposi- '(11nD was to the manner in which 1t W1D proposed to pay for them, rather tl1nn Q the improvements themselves.
 4no fifty year bond is not q g00d annoGial proposition. Yet not all i1n- ppogonents can be paid for out of cuIfont revenues 1t might be that ponn to create . debt for a limited tern after the plan upon. which the sp@Uv notes are issued ouid meet th< Approval of tno tax paysrs.
 EDo message is defective because 1t d6oD hot define the attitude of the adn6nfstration toward proposed bon1- in& md toward amendments to tlls orDnn5c law.
 4Do attitude of this newspaper, W111G6 1t maintains alike for Republi- ca& ahd Democratic administrations, 1s thax legislation creating much debt, or &nsportant changes in the organ- 1c 1eW. ought not to be forced upon tho citizens without their consent.
 Upon every such measure there ouGnf to be a refersndam, available up6n a sufficiently large petition to estOD merely frivolous opposition. A ten psr cent. petition for this purpose is An ample requirement..
 1t will be noted that the executive proposition regarding the merit low # ~ to submit it. Tho submission is provided for in the statute. It marks the true ideal There is little use in )hposins from the outside rules upon clfi1enship which they are not pre- pAred to accept.
 In some few cases a referendum may mean delay. More frequently fhe voters viii accept propositions that appear upon proof to be wise, md at the first offer.
 Let the administration propose such eAeaeurss n 1t desms for the well btIae of the city, but let 1t consult tho citis4nsnir.