The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-21
Baked at Every Turn By Fact That Some Other Of ficial Body Has Taken Power Out of Their Hands, Prominent Citi- zens on Apportionment Board Protest.
 ssWhat the Use of This?" Asks William E. Burn ham Acquisitions of Board of Health and Board of Charities Slash ed Preliminary Rate 21.2 Mills.

Aftsr the permanent tax rate Is fixed at the meeting of the board or apportionment and taxation next Tuesday, several of it's members may tender their resfEnations in disgust. The board met yesterday and fixed a preliminary rate of 21-2 mills but be- fore the session was half finished, a number of those present denounced the system which permits the health. the common council and other bodies to create offices and increase salaries at will and compels the board to ind the cash with which to meet tncreas- ed expense.
 The recommendations of Dr. Abra- ham Sophian, which have increased by many thousands of dollars the cost of maintenance of the health depart ment, were torn to tatters. The ma iority were of the opinion that be- cause >of the extraordinary powers vested in the board of health by the laws of the state. the items would have to be allowed. Dr. Sophian is the expert called here last summer by the board of health to battle the infantile paralysis scourge.
 The board will provide for an in- crease of 25 men in the police and 18 men in the fire department.
 Several members of the board came to the meeting with plans to reduce appropriations in various depart ments only to find that the health board or the common council has in- creased offices and expenses in these departments and there was nothing to do but provide the money for the | increases.
 ssWhat do we amount to 2" demand ed William E. Burnham in disgust He tossed his papers on the table aft CT being informed that Messrs Buechler and Green of the committee on town clerks expenses had planned 2 to allow the town clerk 1SI copyists at $7O0 per year, while the common council had the night before voted an increase in salaries to $900 and some time prior had voted to allow the clerk 13 copyists.
 Whats the use of this board ?'' incurred MT. Burnham, i've don't amount. to anything"
 The same situation arose when MT Burnham, chairman of the committee on health board appropriations was informed that the health board has very broad powers and can place as many officials on salary as it deems necessary for the health of the com munity.
 seWe haven't anything to say,'' des clared Carl F.. Siemon. "The state gives the health board broad powers in all these matters and this board can do nothing but arrange to raise the money. It's all wrong, but what x,1 ,v<., eyoiv,O fn dn h01If if 2'
 ..It's the same with other depart ments," he continued. This board should meet every month and should have power to check up on officials and the appropriations given them. The affairs of the city could be con- ducted like busfn6ss is conducted. If a man made good on the job with his appropriations, keep him there. If he didn't, remove him and get some one who would, just as you would in prf- vate business. We shouldn't have de- hciencies in city accounts"
 In the matter of the health accounts at least efforts will be made to reduce by many thousands the appropriations asked for and some of the members of the board may decide to make test cases as to whether or not heads of various city departments can exceed the amounts of their appropriations.
 Messrs. Burnham, Clark and Buech- Ter, the subcommittee on health mat ters, slashed to $500 an account of \ S44S,600, listed as "health department specfal'' Tn making this enormous reduction 1t was expalined however, that items of $15O,O0O for a welfare building ard $2oo, GOO for an isolation hospital were to be provided for by bonds. The health board has already obtained $75 1000 for the welfare build ing and the additional amount, if granted, will give them SIPS, GOO for the structure.
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