The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-10-27

GApIOLAlS 11llO LIE Cll0bSoo NAAeAAA - |
promises made by Mayor. Clifford B. !
Wilson and other members of the city |
administration to keep the tax rate
down, William P. Kirk, Democratic
candidate for mayor, addressed
crowd of 500 persons in Wood park
last night. 1t was the candidate |
opening rally of the campaign and he
was enthusiastically received. George !
Es Crawford. chairman of the advisory
committee of the campaign, and who
opposed Kirk ter the nomination, pre-
sided and introduced the speakers.
Kirk frankly stated that graft ex-
listed in the awarding of warrenite
pavement and denied any credit to
the administration for park develop
ment, schools. sanitary sewers and H.
braries, because all those improve
ments are paid for from bond issues.
Despite that fact, Kirk pointed out
that the tax rate had increased 33 per
cent. in six years and in addition the
grand list was raised higher and
higher.
Mayor Wilson repudiated his pledge
that all work should be advertised for
and awarded to the lowest responsible
bidder and that the waiver of the
mayor should not be requested only in
urgent emergency cases "Neverthe-
less Kirk declared, "he has spent
thousands and thousands of dollars for
street pavement and not a, single bid
has been asked for"
New Haven has pavement just
as good and with a five year guaran-
| tee, which costs them "a cents
square yard, while ours costs s1.6o."
said Kirk, who bases his statements on
an interview with former Governor
Rollin S. woodruff, who said New
Haven would not use q patented pave
ment. He declared the same ingredi-
ents were used in New Ravens pave
ment and including the foundation 1t
| Kirk also repudiates the statement
| of John T. King that there is no graft
| in JWarrenite. "I will contrast this
with the statement of former alder
man who served the city seven or
| eight years ago when the Warren
| Brothers were first trying to get into
| this city. He was approached" Kirk
continued, "by a representative of
| the firm suggested that the alderman
might get 20 per cent. commission on
all contracts the Warren Brothers OBJ
/ tanned"
The speaker then described the
transformation of the Republican
| party into what is now called "the
machine at City Hail. He described
the workings of the invisible govern
ment. which, is power above all. and
of which Mayor Wilson is only tool
! of the so-called "Tamluanyized po-
litical autocracy." It was the "invisi-
BILE government" that defeated the
commission government charters, as
serted Kirk, who believed Wilson was
/ sincere in his statements
THE Democratic platform will give
the commission government charter
honest treatment" said the candi-
date. ~
Lynn w. Wilson, Democratic can.
! dfdate for Congress, delivered 8. force
full speech, laying stress on the fact
4 that a Democratic Congressman is
needed to help the Democratic Presi-
dent, Woodrow Wilson. Other can
didates William J. Moran, tax coll
j lector; Geoge NJ. Coughlin, city
clerk; Joseph Weller, town clerk, and
John W. Grant. city treasurer, spoke
briefly. The rally adjourned to the
Y Twelfth district where another en-
thusiastic crowd received the speak
ers.
Kinks speech in full follows:
lGentlernen of the Fifth District:
/ ~ - q 81 cat pICdlo0IC " d0dl CSS LLC
voters Of this district on the issues OF
this campaign, especially RI view OF
, the independence shown by the votes
LOT this district in the last municipal
lcampaign.
i If my memory serves me right this
, district rolled up the largest inde-
pendent vote protesting against the
I,Wilson administration, in proportion
I to the number of voters, of army dis
I trict in the city.
1t is the home of the commission
: government movement, as represented
l.by its solid support when this issue
: was presented to the people, and be-
hheve the feeling in this district car
: lbe truthfully stated as being indie
3 pendent in thought and action beyont
s compare.
81 In view of these facts it is specia
: pleasure to state that 4 believe thu
issues of this campaign are thorough
Il ly understood by you gentlemen and
: I will therefore confne myself to Civ
ing you a. few facts and figures t,
leonflrm your feelings of disapprova
! of the present administration.
I believe the independent voters o
this city are the ones to whom w
, must look for relief, and believe |
I is a principle that all good citizen
must subscriber to, that in CHOOSING
public servants they must be con
z WINGED first Of all of the sincerity o
I those soaking their support.
We are engaged in campaign tina
I'VE shall endeavor to keep as cleal
8 and free from personalities as tn
8 facts in our possession will allow u
: Ito do I do not charge Mayor Wilso
: with insincerity but will allow you t
judge from his pledged word and hi
r subsequent actions.
It LIS well known that Mayor VIII
son pledged the citizeps of Bridge
= port a permanent Is mill tax rate
= AS a member of the board of appor
: tionment in the first year of his ad
- ministration, I remember his ez
= planning to me that the increase c
n the grand list would supply suf11cier
# revenue to take care Of the needs {
the growing city and that a fixed ia
r rate would be a benefit to the ta1
81 payers in that they would alway
r. know the amount of their taxes. -
lie AT the first meeting of the board {
n, apportioIment that year .he particl
e larly charged the members that
r was a duty they owed the citizens an
taxpayers of Bridgeport to keep tt
,e ter rate down to 15 mill rate. AS
RI IL.