The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-11-01
REDDING
Csnecial to The Times.)

resentative, is plainly not a repre-
sentative citizen as regards a willing
T.ess to give practical support to the |
war measures which have been the |
subjects of appeal TO the public. Were !
all Redding people of his disposition |
the glorious record made by this town |
as to Liberty Loans, Red Cross, Y. M. |
c, A, Thrift Stamps and other patri- |
otto movements would be non-exist-
ent, because as far as can be learned |
BOT one Of these objects has been
Ssded by the smallest contribution
from Mr., Holman despite urgent per-
sonal solicitation on the part OF can
vassers. II any of these causes have
been helped by him the help was ex-
tended by stealth and indirection.
His failure to contribute is not attrib-
uted to pro-German sympathies or to
scrupleS which influence the Con
scientious ob1ector," as aIr- Holman
has said or done nothing to indicate
either Of these propensities, He Is an
Industrious carpenter in good circum-
stances and while thriftily inclined
has not been regarded as penurious-
So that stinginess does not afford an
explanation any more than the other
possible reasons which have been
considered and dismissed as not ap-
plicable to the case To a George
town canvaSSer who laid siege to him
for more than an hour few days ago
in behalf of the last Liberty Loan his
refusal to subscribe was accompanied
by no explanation beyond the state
ment that he didn't care to, He was
fiE1n about 1t, but not at all excited
and the canvasser finally gave up the
Job, thoroughly mystified as well as
annoyed. Had the Republican caucus
realized Mr., Hohman's apparent lack
of patriotism 1t Is unlikely that his
name would have found a place on the
ticket
Contrary to expectation the adj
journed town meeting Saturday after
noon did not engage in any discussion
regarding the merits of the single
contract system of providing for high
way repairs as compared with other
methods, 1t seemed to be taken for
granted that the former system, in
operation for the past three years,
would be continued. The estimates
contained in the report of the finance
committee made UP a total budget Of
900 of which $500 was allotted for
road repairs An attempt to reduce
the appropriation to $1,000 met with
failure. Under the expiring contract
the price paid for road upkeep was
5000 yearly, and the larger sum made
available on Saturday was determined
by the increase in labor costs First
Selectman Sanford expressed to the
meeting his opinion that while the
contract system had not brought any
thing like perfection he considered it
the best practicable plan in sight He
said that while there had been many
well-founded complaints of defective
conditions these had always received
prompt attention from Contractor
Banks when reported to him. If the
work was the second time sighted, as
sometimes happened, the fault was
apparently with the working crews.
The meeting then passed a resolu-
ton by which there was appointed a
road committee of six consisting of
the selectnen and Michael Connery,
H Sanford Osborn and r. A. Judd.
This committee Is empowered to en-
ter into a three-year contract for road
maintenance and also charged with
the supervision of the work In the
former road committee the selectmen
were not included. The terms of the
% new contract viii provide that gravel
be used on hills as far as practicable.
Appropriations were voted in accord
ance with the finance committees es-
Inmates
After the American Surety Co. had,
In 1915, paid the town $2,S75 to make
good the shortage of Henry Duncan as
tax collector it placed an attachment
on Duncan's real estate in a suit to
recover. The case was assigned for
trial in the Superior court at Dan
bury on Tuesday last, but went over
In May, 1915, following disclosure of
the shortage Duncan was committed
to the State hospital at AIiddletown
as an insane person, and Michael
Connery was appointed his conserva-
tor. The oDnseryatorship still holds
although Duncan received his liberty
after few months stay in the hos
pital. While he was there he made
an assignment in bankruptcy for the
benefit of his creditors other than the
surety company, one of the principal
of these creditors being Attorney
Tammany of NorwaIk- An effort to
establish the validity of the assign
ment on the ground that Duncan
made it In a lucid interval failed in
the courts, thereby giving precedence
to the surety company's claim. In
defending the pending suit Attorney
Tammany makes the claim that the
surety company insured only against
losses resulting from defalcatiou an6
not from those attributable to the for.
mer collectors insanity. Therefore, il
is maintained, the company Is not en-.
titled to judgment for the full aInounf
of the shortage. No sum is named a!
being chargeable to insane acts anC
how a court or jury can reach correc
conclusions is difficult of oomprehen
sion. However, any deduction base6
on the insanity claim would diver
just so much of the assets for division
among the general creditors. Becaus,
such deductions might possibly be col
lected from the total already paid tn
town by the surety company Attorne,
Taylor, the company's counsel, invited
the town to put in an appearance a
the trial. The town, believing it's in
terests to be in no particular danger
declined. The Duncan real estate in
volved in the suit is valued at abou
$4,000 and upon it there is a $7OO mort
gage and tax Mems for about $3.50.
Following the adjournment of Sat
Urday's town meeting but before tn
dispersal of the gathering First Sc
lectman Sanford introduced to the as
Bemblage Charles D. Lockwood. on
of the towns attorneys in the ia,
suits and Democratic candidate fo
lieutenant governor. Mr.. Lockwood
proceeded to make a brief politica
address based on President Wilson