The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-30
.REDDINC'S TAX > RATE LIKELY TO
 REACH IA MILLS
Chemical Engine Caught Tn Barn Fire Is Adjudged
 Total Loss.

have decided that the special town
 meeting to fix the tax rate for>the cur 1 rent year shall be held April 1 5 at 2 D. They will present to the
 meeting a financial statement showing g
 the amount of revenues needed and
 the rate required to produce it. In a
 general discussion of the matter on 1 Saturday they tended to the opinion l that an increase of half a mill or ] perhaps a, full mill over last years 1 rate of 19 mills might be desirable.
 On this years grand list the old rate
 would raise about $1,100 more than 1 last year and the necessary expendi- lures for the two years will be about
 the same. For roads the contract arr rangement now in force will save about $1,OOO. but this has already been absorbed by the cost of snow
 removal whereas it was hoped to ap- ply the $1,00O to road betterment of
 a permanent kind. The meeting may decide to make provision to carry out that plan. Aside from this there would appear to be no occasion for increased revenue unless the additional
 sum be applied to 1essening the de-
 felt of about $6,500 which resulted from changing the time of starting tax collection from August to October 1.
 The effect of the old plan was to an ticipate the revenue directly appIica- ble to the fiscal year by between
 $6,0O0 and $7.OOO and under the pres
 ent system this deficiency has become
 obstrusively apparent although no more real than before. This floating debt should certainly be wiped out as
 speedily as possible as is expedient, but whether the citizens will favor a beginning the present year is a mat ter of some doubt. The members of Lenue1 Barrett's family in West Reding heard a com I ILI-
 urday night and going out to investi- gate discovered the cause in the form
 of a deer which was just then clear
 ing the fence into the adjacent field. Frank Barrett hastened to get his gun and started in pursuit The deer
 plunged into stream which flows through the meadow and after swim
 ming a short distance with the current landed on the opposite bank. As it did so young Barrett fired and the animal fell, fatally wounded. It prov ed to be year1ing doe and made ex- ce1lent eating.
 The Badger Go. of Boston have written to Chief Cunningham of No. 1 Fire Co. that they find the chemical engine which went through the recent fire at the Center so badly damaged@ that it cannot be repaired. In response to the request that they make re- duction in their bill on account of the departments loss they offer to supply another engine/for SITS, a, re- ,duction of $35. The department will try to obtain a further concession.
 The notable features of the dance which the co1ored people gave at the gym last Thursday evening were the cake. walk and a toothsome chicken supper, the latter gotten up by Mrs Mary Peterson. Those who partook of the supper, including about 40 from the Sanford school, pronounced it a gastronomic triumph. A Bethel couple were adjudged the winners of the walk although Fred <Demfng and lady of the Ridge were conceded to be a close second.
 Miss Susan Parker. of Midd1ebury, vt.I who was visiting Miss Clara Smith in hometown. fell on the ice last Wednesday while walking to John c. Reads letter box and suffered a frac- ture of the shoulder. An 1-ray ex- animation at the Danbury hospital disclosed the exact nature of the in- jury. Miss Parker was able to return to MT. Reads on Tuesday.
 Notices have been sent out by the Bedding Tree Conversation Associa- ton asking for responses from orchard owners in regard to spraying arrange ments. Spraying against the scale Is usually started in March, but opera tions were delayed this year on ac- count of the snow embargo. The pests which the association's spraying ma chimes worked against last year com prised the tent caterpillar in addition to the scale and the coddling moth.l A good deal of effective work was also done last year on roadside shade trees, the cost being met by popular sub
 The third annual Sanford school banquet will be held at Hotel Vest 1 minister, Cop1ey Square, Boston, to- ] morrow evening. The indications are that there will be a good number present. Four of the masters and l the head master will be there; also the | school quartet.
 The Evans boys of Hometown con- l tinue to have animal adventures. On | Monday they came upon their dog which was barking mildly while con- i fronting a Woodchuck and evidently | afraid to close with it. When the l boys appeared the woodchuck charg- | ed them savage1y with snapping jaws. l One of them happened to be carrying 1 a. stout stick and with it clubbed the | pugnacious beast to death.
 In the suit brought about three months ago by B. P. Sanford of West Bedding against John H. Jennings, now of California, judgment was rem dered by default on Monday for the plaintiff to recover $71-50 damages and $35.77 costs. MT. Sanford's claim was for taxes due on property he bought of the defendant who gave him a warranty deed for 1t.
 The mite box of the Center Method ist Sunday school was opened last Sunday after appropriate exercises and found to contain about $15 as years offering.
 Frank williams, lately returned from Pennsylvania, has hired out to D. R. Warner and will occupy Michael Floods tenement house.
 The Pennsylvania Electric Go. in creased it's capital stock from $3,O3O,- 900 to $4,7OO,O00.
 rrr,,s+eas of Purd11e University voted |