The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-11
.REDD|NG'S REVENUE WITH 10 MILL RATE
 WILL BE DEFICIENT
CITIZENS IN ANNUAL MEETING COULD NOT MUSTER COURAGE
 TO LEVY TWELVE MILLS.
Sentiment Favorable to Road Super visor BIoOmer Develops During
 Long Discussion.


 town meeting to make a fight for a 12 mill tax which was the rate re- quired to raise enough to meet the towns expenditures for the current year. One estimabIe citizen looked at another as if to say, Why don't you make the break and try to turn the sentiment in the right direction?" But the water seemed to be rather chilly and no one made the plunge. The upShot was that the meeting unani- mous1y voted ten mill rate, doing this after First Selectman Sanford had presented estimates showing that it would raise only $16,4O0 whereas the expenditures were figured at $19,3OO. MT. Sanford rather laid stress on this prospective deficiency of over $3,OO0, the text for a strong protest against the unwisdom of departing from the pay as you go policy which the town adopted ten or twelve years ago and has ever since maintained up to the present time. In fact the town dur ing this period did rather better than providing sufficient income from tax ation to defray ordinary expenditures as the permanent debt was reduced from $36, ,000 to $24,000, it's present to- tai. Previously a yearly deficiency was quite the regular thing and now a return is being made to the old, un- desirable way which, regarded as a principle, no one defends. Among the items of MT. Sanford's budget was one of $2,250 as the towns share to- wards the cost of State road con struction- If Com. Bennett, however, pursues the do nothing policy of his predecessor Regarding Bedding ina- provements the disbursement of that sum may not be called for until an- other year or even later. There was another item of $500 as the towns es- timated share of the cost of repairing State roads. The other items consist ed of specific appropriatio made at the annual town meeting.
 Saturdays discussion furnished plenty of comedy but the large volume and wide range of talk left certain matters which came up as undecided as they were before. One of these disputed points was whether Road Supervisor Boomers salary of $SO0 was to come out of the $5,oOO appro-. priated for road repairs or should be a separate expenditure. Michael Con- nery. who was chairman of the meet ing and also acted on the special com nittee which appointed MT Bloomer' took the latter view.
 He said the October meeting first designated $5,o00 the sum. made available for road repairs and later authorized the appointment of su- pervisor as an entirely distinct pro position, leaving to the judgment of 
 pensa ton. He further said that the committee had told MT. Bloomer he would have $5,000 at his disposal. First Se1ectman Sanford expressed a like opinion on the question at is- sue and that was probably the sent1- ment of a majority of those present, although under the restricted terms of the warning for Saturdays meet ing no decisive action could be taken. Those intent on road betterment also expressed surprise and dissatisfaction that the 5000 had already been de pIeted by more than $1,00O through bills for fall road work, which the se- Iectmen approved at their final meet ing in September. It was explained that like bills, although usually of less amount, always came out of the new October appropriations.
 For the purpose Of simplifying mat ters for the popular understanding and making the fiscal year and the of fciaI year more nearly correspond Sen ator L. O. Peck subsequently, offered a resolution promoting that the new taxes paid in from Aug. 23 be not in cluded in the selectmen annual re- port part of the towns financial re- sources for that year but constitute an item to be carried forward to the credit of the succeeding official year which begins Oct. l. As matters now are the taxes become due Aug. 23, the S010CLIIl0A ClOSS II101T DOOhS anu hldtAS up their annual report as of Sept. 1 5, and a new board or se1ectmen takes office Oct. 1. This overlapping tends to confusion of ideas on the part of those unacquainted with the conp1exi- ties of the system and was one reason why the first selectman found it so difficult to convince some of those at Saturdays meeting that the $8,00O in the treasury on Oct. 1 was not a surplus justifying a low tax rate but part of the income already 'tbespoken'' for the needs of the coming year. A fixed amount was due from the tax payers and they had paid about half of it rather more promptly than usual.
 After some discussion of Senator Pecks resolution Dr. Smith said he thought the object sought would be better attained by making Sept. IS, the close of the fiscal year, the date on which taxes should become pay able. This amendment was adopted so that in future the selectmen can not use the tax proceeds from the new grand list.
 After the town meeting adourned most of those attending it remained for a conference on the road situation by invitation of Senator Peck and Secretary Plump of the Protective League. The senator, who was called to the chair, spoke of the prolonged and earnest efforts many citizens were making for better methods and condi- tions and deplored the sentimental hostility evinced towards Supervisor BIoomer. The new official should have the encouragement and moral support of the community, but in stead of this had met with obstruc- tive tactics and undeserved fault find ing.
 Evidently First Se1ectman Sanford felt that these strictures were directed at his board as he promptly took the floor and denied that they had tried to hamper the supervisor. we did mot refuse to pay him. said MT. Sanford, i've only delayed payment until we were officially informed as to the amount of salary he was to receive
 This brought from John H. Jen- nings secretary of the appointing committee, the assertion that immedi-