The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-07
OUR VIEWPOINT
 NEWS LETTER
Special to The Times

 Newtown, Sept. 5-The selectmen have paid off $7OOO of the town debt this year. This was made possible by the forced economy in expenditures for roads. The utter impossibility of hiring teams or adequate labor for this purpose explains why the roads were neglected this year. Only the state road work was done this year, Doubtless during September some con- tracts for roadwork will be given to the farmers, but the expense for these will not appear in this years annual report. The fiscal year closed Sep tember 1st and the books wlI be turn ed over to the auditors September 6. The auditors w. w. Finch and Frank Ives will be assisted by Frank Soule, an expert accountant of New Milford. A gratifying exhibit will be made by Rodney Shepard, taX-collector who will be able to show some S4,0O0 in taxes collected, which includes about $2S00 of personal taxes for the past five years. Some prosecutions of de- linquents were instituted for non- payment of personal taxes, but in the main the ta,X-Collector met with com pliance. In all cases of prosecutions the costs were taxed against the de- fendants. The selectmen Loyalty stood back of the collector in every instance after abating all personal taxes which were legally exempt. The stand taken by the selectmen has greatly assisted the taX-collector in performing his du- ties, and will surely be pleasing to the great body of taxpayers of the town. A. s. Newburn of Hawleyville as sisted by two volunteers are procuring signatures for a petition to be present. ed to the selectmen asking for the submission of the license question to the voters on town election day this year. It Is understood that these gentlemen are not representing the w. c. T. U., the prohibitionists, nor any other civic or religious body Ii takes temper cent. of the registered voters about SS to sign the petition to bring the matter up, but already the circuiators of these petitions claim to have nearly 200 signers. With ma tional prohibition eminent, the object and aim of this movement seem: olouded or obscure to the average cit. AAtu Ol lllb LONlls llE ItFtllu6 u lIlt town from the six licenses is consid. erable, but this will be cut out if thG voters make the town dry. To make up the deficit, the town budget should call for two mills extra on the assess n.ent list. That would make the ta1 rate 2 per cent annually, an exhorbi tant tax.
 Miss Clarissa Leonard was tendere( a party in her honor Saturday night by her mother, Mrs. w. A. Leonard Miss Leonard leaves shortly for tn, Northfleld Seminary, and this gather ing of her young friends was in recog milton of the esteem in which thei schoolmate is held. The reception wa held at the Newtown Inn. All the in vited guests enjoyed refreshments and dancing.
 The Newtown platoon, Hom Guards, under their new leader, Lieut. Waddell. of Danbury, attended the K of c. demonstration in Bridgeport Two new members joined since.
 Mir. and Mrs. T. J. Corbett Marti A, Corbett and John Fl. Keane, O Newtown. attended the funeral, Tues day, of Mrs. James F. Corbett, c Brooklyn. Among other relatives wh accompanied the party from New town were Mrs. William Costello, c