The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-20

The board of appOrtionment would be reduced to a body of bookkeepers. with nothing but clerical work to do. The board of aldermen, with its 21 members, undoubtedly will approve.
 Members of various city depart ments appeared before the advisory board yesterday and told of their de- partments' needs. For the Warren Bros.' intermittent services, it was suggested that 8, ,500, GOO for 1O6 miles of street would be the proper thing; for sewer extensions, $1,500,000 fwith
 $1,0O0,OO0 needed); street extensions, and widening. $1, 500 900: new schools, $1, 900 900; parks, $1,0O0,000; improve7 ments in police and fire buildings and othy departments $50O,000.
 'It would be possible to obtain money for a bond issue, say $5,00o,- 900 or more and then distribute it as the money was needed, wouldn't it, MT. Comley?''' asked John T. King. chairman. of the committee.
 "It might be possible" said the city attorney, "but then you would be getting into shoal water. The Home Rule act under which proposed bond issues be stipulated and the proceeds requires that the purpose of the bond issu be stiuleted and the proceeds can can be used for no other purpose"
 "Yes, but the city doesn't have to bind itself to the Home Rule act, does it? Can't we get a bond issue as suggested by permission of the leg islature?" questioned MT. King.
 City Attorney Comley said that with the permission of the legislature the present administration could have the handling of the proceeds of such a bond issue witout submitting the matter to the voters under the Home Rule act. Chairman King here made a dramatic pause in his questioning in order that this significant statement might sink deep in the minds of the committee.
 City Attorney Comley said that it was not necessary that bonds be sold before a contractor begins work on the project for which the bonds were He said the contractor might begin work at once knowing he was 70 be paid from the bond issue and might even take payment in the very ponds issued to defray the cost of his work He said if the bonds were net ,old, the contractor could not recov er payment from any other funds of he city, except the proceeds of the pond issue.
 Well, after all that is merely business chance the contractor takes, ;uch as he would in any other project n which he might engage" said MT. King. Then the city attorney was ex- used.
 He had been called into the session apparently to make it plain to the members of the committee that the egislature could give authority for he big bond issue. The committed vas in the midst of discussing sewer extensions when Judge Comley came nto the mayors, office where the meeting was held, but Chairman King lalted all other proceedings while he ut his questions. He opened up in- locently enough with a question as o whether or not a contractor might ,egin work before bonds were sold nd then launched into the subject which after all is the real excuse for he existence of the "committee to inance new projects"
 Some at city hall declare thhe com 11tLo0 IS taking the IunCClOn or the oard of apportionment and taxation, | eaving the members of that board 9 do the routine work of making up he appropriations and fixing the tax ate.
 DeVer H. Warner, head of the War CT Bros. company, who has been a lember of the committee two years, as much interested in this matter nd asked a number of questions.
 During the hearing. Chairman King reQuentlv addressed hi mas "DeVer," ut MT. Warner did not warm up any. [e addressed Mr. King very coolly s "Mr. Chairman whenever he had
 question.
 MT Warner thought that with arying prices and conditions of labor nd material it would be well to have
 flexible arrangement on all con- racts. He referred to the high ,hool, the almsl1ouse and the Strat- ,rd avenue bridge which cost more nan the amounts of the bond issue ovided for them. Chairman King sked City Engineer Terry if it was