The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-16

fore the coming election, the admin
istration is making strenuous efforts
to remedy the inefficiency which ex-
lists in the town clerks Office and in
the Office of the tax assessors. While
the assessors have sat snugly in their
homes or places other than their Of
flee in the city hall, unmindful of the
complaints of property owners and
the town clerk has blandly gone his
way with the records of his office
weeks BEND in compilation, those in
control of the administration realizing
that such condition of affairs will
react upon them next fall, have
stepped in and proposed most sweep
ing and radical changes.
In his message to the common
council last night, Mayor Wilson said
that at his suggestion the city attor-
ney had drafted certain changes in
our city charter looking to greater eff
ficiency, and other minor changes
which will facilitate the handling of
city affairs and obviate delays"
The proposed abolition of the board
of tax assessors did not come as a
complete surprise but the proposal
to take the registration of vital statis-
tics from the town clerks Office and
place it with the health department,
and a resolution OF the council giving
the town clerk two additional copy
lists after April 1, was complete sur
prise. This arrangement, it is be-
lieved, will enable Joseph Schultz,
the present town clerk, to get the
records of his office nearly up to date.
despite the antiquated system in
vogue in the Office and which he has
made no effort to improve.
On the recommendation of. the
mayor the proposed charter changes
will go at once to the Bridgeport rep
resentatives to be presented to the
General Assembly before Jan. rs, the
date set as the time limit for the
introduction of new business. Alder
men Onkey and Ford, the two Demo-
cratic members of the council. OPP
posed the immediate consideration OF
the charter changes. They present
ed a resolution calling for public
hearing In council chamber before the
proposed changes are submitted to
the legislature.
Mayor Wilson said that the changes
would have hearing before a legfsla-
tive committee at Hartford and that
was the proper place for objection, il
any was to be made. The Democratic
aldermen thought the citizens OF
Bridgeport would like to have some
thing to say before the changes were
submitted to the legislature but the
mayor and Republican aldermen
overruled them. f8
u The proposal to- take the vital
statistics from the office of Town
Clerk Schultz reads as follows:
Under the general laws Of the
state the town &lerk is the registrar
OF vital statistics.t believe that these
statistics should be kept by the board
of health. This would enable said
board to obtain first hand informa-
tion relative to births and deaths and
thus place them in a position to cope
with exigencies as they arise"
In justice it should be said that the
record of vital statistics is kept much
better than any other records In the
town clerks Office. This work is in
charge Of Miss Cora Freyler and is up
to date at all times. The move; to
take the work from the supervision
OF the town clerk is to give Mr..
Schultz opportunity to straighten out
his real estate and property records
which are supposed to be In his care
and which are in sadly jumbled
state and far from complete compila-
ton. Miss Freyler will be given
other work in the office il the change
goes through. Mr.. Schultz will be
given two more copyists who will be-
gin work April that the records of
the. office may be in presentable form
by election, time In the fall.
Two years ago when it was propos-
ed to take the recording Of vital stat
istics from the town clerks Office, the
administration opposed the plan and
the charter amendment proposed then
was not granted by the legislature.
Last summer DR.. Abraham Sophian
the expert engaged by the health
board, asked Town Clerk Schultz to
furnish him and the health depart
ment with daily reports on communi-
cable disease reported. Mr.. Schultz
point blank, declaring that
he would furnish such reports once
each month as had been his custom.
DR.. Sophian's efforts to have the sta
tistics filed with the health depart
ment instead of at the town clerks
office was opposed by the town clerk.
DR.. Sophian pointed out that speedy
on the subject would aid
him and his associates in the work
Of endeavoring to check the spread
Of the infantile plague and Mr..
Schultz then grudgingly agreed to
furnish the information once each
week. It is said pressure was
brought to bear on him.
In order to carry out the admins
tration plan for single head tax
commissioner it is also necessary that
the town clerks records be brought
up to date as the suggestion OF the
GIRI &! HAVE RFAII