The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-13
EIGHTEEN MILL TAX IN VIEWPOINT. HVOTERS CHOICE Citizens In Town Meeting Defeat Plan to Bond Town
 to Float Debts.
Especial to The Farmer.)

Newtown, March 13-The ad-
 journed town meeting was held
 at the town hall Saturday a<
 ternoon at o'clock Owing to the
 death of the standing moderator, Aus
 tin B. B1akeman, the meeting made
 choice of Herman N Tremann, Sr., as
 chairman. Town Clerk Oscar Pitz-
 schIer recorded the 'doings. Upon the statement of First Selectman E. D. Briscoe that; barring something unexpected in the way of expendi- lures, the town could get along on IS mill tax for the current fiscal year, this rate was laid. The pres ent bonded indebtedness of the town is $56,50O upon which it pays in terest at the rate of 5 per cent per annum to the Newtown Savings bank [ the annual interest charge being $2S50 or approximately IA mills on the grand levy. Some contended it would be more economical for the town to fund it's standing debt and issue bonds to cover same, claiming that the cred it of the town is so substantial that this issue of bonds could be f1oated at par at 4 per cent. for term of 20 years. The difference of ] per cent in the interest rate would save about $500 annually, and that this saving would necessitate only the further addition of three quarters of Q, mill an : nual1y to the budget to pay the an nua1 interest on the bonds and pro vide a sinking fund for their Hquida- ton upon maturity.
 Former. Selectman w. c. Johnson advocated these views before the meeting and introduced a resolution to name a committee of four citizens two from each of the two leading political parties to act in conjunction with the selectmen, to investigate the propriety of bonding and. report to , @, town meeting to be held in May V. G. Hard endorsed MT. Johnson's con 1 tention and seconded the motion. Ar i thur T. Nettleton, treasurer of the [ Savings bank, spoke in opposition to ! the bonding plan, as not wise, inas- much the notes given to the bank | had to pass Inspection of it's 1oaning | committee, who were quick to note any e5travagance by the town, and
 act as a check to unnecessary borrow 1 ing. The discussion lasted for more 1 than an hours but the voters evidently were unprepared for action, the resolution, as the result showed. There were 30 voters present, but only 0 voted when the question was put to a standing vote. Of those voting eight [ were opposed to the resolution and 1 two in favor of it. Many, it seems, thought the passage of the reso1u- ton would mean immediate bonding of the town and so refused to com init themselves until they looked fur i ther into the matter The ex-select- i man pocIeted his resolution and will
 bring the matter up at the October | election Two other resolutions in troduced by MT. Johnson referring to 1 Endorsements in the town manual { issued by the town were adopted unanirno ouslY.-.The best of feeling pre- i vailed at the meeting and it looked as if NewtoWn was just beginnings a new era in it's civic life, and strife
 -o1o +od, ,+0
 l The taxpayers of Middle district are complaining to the tax board of re- missness in the official acts of these ! boards. The published reports of ] the district assessment show the onnis-
 sion of, the property of W. A. Leonard
 and wife and also the property of i D. c. Bacon, both amounting to $2O,- i 900. If it is an oversight, they look 1 for correction in justice to other tax payers.
 | The Ladies' Missionary society of | the Congregational church, will hold
 its March meeting, Thursday, March
 16, at the home of Mrs. w. H. Hub i bell. Mrs. John J. Northrop will read a paper on India A ''c11it-chat''
 will be given and ''India's Advocates''
 will be presented, telling of the mis- sionary needs of this field in the stress
 of the world war. All interested in
 the work are urged to attend the meeting.
 John Nicholson, employed in the Harris Wire Mills, rallied to the Eng aish call to arms, and departed for England last week.
 H. M Tiemann, ST., a member of the High school board, substituted for
 Miss Warren at the high school for
 a day last week while the latter was indisposed..
 Lenten services at Trinity church
 this week as arranged by the rector
 George lows:
 Tuesday evening: At 7:3O p. m, services at the Hawleyville chapel.
 Wednesday,: At 3:3O p. n1-, Iitany
 and devotional reading in the Guild
 room.
 Thursday: At 2:sO D. nn.. meeting
 of the W'et1an's. Auxiliary at the rec
 tory to- work for missions
 Friday, March IT: Evening pray er The preacher will be Rev. Chas
 A. Marks of St. Matthew's church
 Edgar F. Hawley, whose burial
 took place last Monday in the Lands End cemetery in Hawleyvi11e, was en-
 gagged in business in Newtown for
 more than 25 years. After an appren-
 ticeship, as clerk with the firm of Birdsey & Morgan of Bridgeport, he
 came to NewtOwn and entered the
 employ of Henry Sanford, one of the
 leading merchants in town Later
 he entered the reorganized firm of
 Sanford, Barnum & HawIey He
 was the junior partner until Eli Bar mum withdrew from the firm and went
 to New York. MT. Haw1ey contin-
 ued with MT. Sanford under the firm
 name of Sanford & Ha,wley. At the
 death of the senior partner" MT. flaw
 ley continued the business for several
 years alone, and finally meeting with
 financial reverses, sold out. Since
 leaving Newtown he has been in pusr-
 ness both in Derby and New Milford.
 Te died in the latter place. MT.
 Hawley is survived by his wife, a son
 and two daughters. He was 68 years
 old