The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-02-15
DISTRICT
ON PROPOSED
CONSOLIDATION

Editor of The Farmer. Sir.-
The periodical recrudescence of the
move to wipe out the First District of
the City is once more upon us. Every
big bonding scheme of recent years,
to pile up city Indebtedness and rivet
upon the city the chains of the bond
holder has had as an accompanying
salve, this project of loading the out
lying real estate, outside of and be-
yond the reach of benefit from NUM-
cipal improvene nts, with the onerous
burden of the municipal tax. "A sop
to Cerberus,' and "chucking another
Christian to the lions" are hardly in
it, with this much played card of the
bonders.
AS Mr.. Breul remarked in an arti-
Gle at the time of the referendum,
Zone would imagine that the outlying
districterS were a set of bloated mill
lionaires from the eagerness with
away with the existing district lines
are urging the matter a veritabIe
pabacea for a limitleGs expenditure :"
In reality this Injustice in the mat
ter of taxing for municipal improve
ments the outlying district, wholly I'M
supplied with such improvements.
the more than 100000 of city
valuation and would be less than a
third of mill on the tax rate of the
city.
Is the game really worth the can
die? Can the city afford to perpetrate
a gross injustice on limited section
This tail end of the big bonding
projects which were sat down upon SO
last fall, on the official count-as
| made-was approved by a majority Of
204 on a total vote Of Nearly 5000.
When we consider that the people
| were refused the use of the voting
| machines, which might be relied on
for accuracy, at the referendum; that
| the Mayors henchmen were, for the
/ most in charge of the voting. and
that a big pile of scratch ballots were
conveniently near the ballot box, the
| wonder grows that this pet scheme of
the figure head Mayor was reported
4 to be carried by SO small a majority
as that of 204 votes.
High finance, which, through its
| banking and speculative connections,
has it's Aernissaries everywhere, has OF
| late years. been pushing this matter
ever opportunity has offered. They
are very wise as well as very ener-
getic gentlemen Just before the ses-
sion of the state Legislature of 1911,
when a land tax movement of this
| sort was on foot in this and other
cities, the Hon. Leslie M. Shaw, for
merly U. S. treasurer, and now at the
| head Of big Wall street corporation,
| gave two lectures here; Mr. Harry
Dawson of J. P. Morgan, gave a talk
before one of our clubs, as I recall.
C1ews also gave lecture.
These gentlemen are INCREASINGLY
pull all the strings The highest
priced legal talent of the country is
in their employ. Under their skillful
steering. the big department. stores
com bine OF New York City, with their
scores OF millions of assets, pay no
| taxes and are rapidly eating up the
small dealers who have. the full rate
to pay. Stock issues of corporations
are Offset by bonded Indebtedness.
Who holds the bonds? That Is for
you, Mr.. Tax-coilector to find out
| If you can.
The state of Connecticut puts a
premium on honesty by offering to
| let off the reporting bondho1der with
| a four mill tax Not more than a
quarter of the bonds actually held.
however, it is calculated, even under
| this incentive, are reported for taxa
| ton. Wall street cunning and chican-
cry has thoroughly permeated the
monetary life of the. nation. The
move In every direction of recent
years, by these astute gentlemen has
| been to dodge corporate tax, while
throwing the burden of taxation upon
the realty of the country.
This works both ways to their adj
vantage. It marks up the price of
stocks and bonds through their nom