The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-18
HISTORY OF THE
 CITY CONSOLlDA ION
The Legislature Rushed It Through On Last Day
 Without Hearing

It will be recalled up to the year 1889. the town and the city of. Bridge port existed as partially separate po- liticall bodies the town covering the entire territory, and the city confined within it's Boundaries, or as might be better stated. overlying a portion of the town.
 In 1889, for administrative purposes and to simplify the government the city was made co-extensive with the town, but for taxing purposes, 1t was reaIized that the outlying districts did not receive the Improvement or ser vice that the city enjoyed and for that reason the entities of the. old town and the city were most carefully pre- served.
 The enlarged city, then created, was divided into two taxing distd1cts, the one being co-extensive with the whole town and the other with the city It was carefully provided that the first district should be burdened with the old town taxes for roads. school houses etc. only, with q slight addi- ton to It's share of the expense of the health off1cer and city court expenses and for the maintenance of the public library and reading room
 The second district, on the other hand, was charged with the entire city burden plus it's proportion Of the
 
 that none of it's moneys should be spent for the benefit of the inst dis tr1ct.
 This enactment remained in force unchanged until June. 1913 and so ap- peared in sections and of the pres ent city charter Of 1907
 Section defines the boundaries of the first district most accurately. These may be roughly stated as com prising all that territory west of Eils- worth and iOrland street in the Black Rock district to the Brooklawn dis- trict, all that land lying beyond line 800 fet west of North avenue 200 feet west Of Madison avenue to lincoln avenue and thence northwest to the center Of Main street; north from Main street to salem street to a line 300 feet beyond North avenue to Glen4 wood avenue and to the center of Crown street; thence to Noble avenue and Noble avenue extension to Boston avenue; thence to Barnuu1 avenue and the Stratford line.
 The last legislature abolished the disttnetion between the two districts Bridgeport. While a rearing was held upon the project it will be re- menbered that substitute bill was brought before the legislature at the last moment which did not have a hearing as to form. in consequence of which the aInenament to che charter, relating to the taxation, was passed in this language:
 '.ssec. 3. Section of said acts' Chat granting the city charter9 lis hereby amended to read as foIlovs. All the Iinhabftants and property within the limits of said city shall be liable to taxation to defray the burdens aald expenses imposed upon said city by 1 this act to the same extent as they would be liable if said burdens and expenses had not been transferred from said town to said city, and in addition thereto for the expense of maintaining the public library and reading room of said city,
 This amendment is held by the su- preme court not to have accomplished the purpose intended. It is pointed out that it was bungled and Simply re-enacted what was in the charter previously.