The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-03-06
fspecia1 to rhe Farmer.l


Hartford, March 6.-Mayor Clifford
b. Wilson and small delegation from
Bridgeport lined up solid against four
OF five members of the Bridgeport
delegation in the General Assembly.
yesterday afternoon, and the commit
tee was treated to some fireworks as
Rep. Lynn W. Wilson and Mayer Cliff
ford B. Wilson exchanged views on
bonding.
The mayor wanted the committee to
report a bill authorizing the city of
Bridgeport to issue $500 900 in serial
notes. which was his designation for
bonds running ten and hfteen years
He said that $4,000 was desired for
school houses, and the balance for
sewers and permanent pavements.
He said that the tax board of
bridgeport and the aldermen favored
the measures unanimously, excepting
one vote in the board of aldermen.
He asserted that Senator Mcneil,
who was not then in the room, favor
ed bonds without a referendum, and
this precipitated a mild sensation, as
Senator McNeiI entered the room and
TO the committee what the Senator'S
views wpon the referendum might be.
The Senator said that he didn't be-
1ievs IA bonds except with referendum
attached.
Senator Whitcorno appeared against
the measures, saying, however that he.
would not object to the bonds, or SER
ia1 notes for school purposes if the
referendum was attached.
Rep. Wilson said: These bonds are
the tail end Of some $6,O00.O0o worth
of debt which the present administra-
ton has tried to create. The debt has
been prevented at the ballot box by
the voters. Now they have more than
q million dollars worth of proposed
debt, which they want the General
kT@z - le
OF the people of Bridgeport, by Iegis
lative mandate and without referen-
dunn"
Rep. wilson then read from certi-
f1ed copy of a report Of election re-.
turns in Bridgeport, showing that on
Sept "a, last, more than 1000 persons
had voted on bonding measures. and
that some of those measures had been
beaten by majority of more than A.
00o while most Of them had been beat
en- by majorities above 1000.
He said that the tax board had ask
ed for the identical power to issue
serial notes, and that the people had
refused IL by a majority of $500 He
said that the tax board, and the, board
of aldermen had become a mutual ad-
miration society, afflicted with a COM
mon itch to spend, without the tax
payers permission, millions Of dollars
of the taxpayers money.
Mayor Wilson: "Are not these things
necessary
Rep. Wilson: Some OF them are. but
they should have been raised on the
paw as you go plan. You could have
had everything you NEEDED in the an
nual budget if you had not desired to
add fifty policemen, and nine or ten
lIeutentants to the police for purely
political purposes"
Rep. Wilson concluded by saying:
There are two groups of citizens in
Bridgeport, one small and one large
There are two policies with respect to
financial methods, one new and one
old The old way was to run the city
on the pay as you go plan. p. T. Bar
mum, Nathaniel Wheeler, W.D. Bishop
and many of Bridgeport's leading men
favored that plan. Most of the people
favor that plan
'"The new way is to go in debt. Few
citizens, favor that pIan.''
Mayor Wilson accused Rep. Wilson
of displaying less enthusiasm for the
referendum it applied to the con-
solidation of certain districts.
Rep. Wilson replied, that the refer
endunn in this case was the effort of
one community with certain corporate
and equitable rights to exercise COM
puIsion against another community
with different corporate and equitable
rights. The city of Bridgeport, he said
might as reasonably attempt to vote
Stratford into Bridgeport without
StratrordS consent he aISo remark
ed with some indication of sarcasm,
Mayor Wilson believes the people ex-
hausted their wisdom when they elect
ed him to office"
Former Congressman Robert E. De-
Forest, of Bridgeport, laid before the
committee a bill to acquire a site for
mark in the North End, by bonding.
The measure was received without OBJ
lection. 1t calls for 100000
Senator Weed, chairman of the COM
rnfttee. seemed to be of the opinion
that a general bill giving cities per-
mission to bond at the option of their
own citizens would be better than
special bonding bills