The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-28

that in the period between the grand list of 1914 and the grand list of 1917 the grand list of New Haven, (which is the city nearest comparison to Bridgeport in the state, and in which great ammunition industries have had the same influences as in Bridge port), was raised only 25,5s9, 336 against the raise of the grand list in Bridgeport during the same period of S56,135,26
 In the past eight years the grand list of Bridgeport has been raised 135 per cent.
 Small Owners Pay.
 The peculiar fact about this great increase is that more than 66 per cent. of it las been borne by the small home owner, the small store keeper, the owner of an automobile, and small merchandising establish ments.
 Only 33.2 per cent. was borne by the manufacturing interests. It is not intended to say that the manufactur- ing interests should have been more heavily taxed-in all probability perhaps they should not have been taxed as heavily as they have, but the point is tha, the proportion which the home owner, the small business men and storekeeper has borne of this arbitrary, unprecedented and purposeful raise has been 100 per cent. greater than that of the manu- facturers; and yet Mayor Wilson in his last annual message dated June 3, 1918, had the teremitly to say that ''equalization of the valuation of tax able property has been and is beins carried on by the tax commissioner. ''
 We have no doubt that Mayor Will sons idea of equalization as thus ex- emplihed has been carried out. and there is no small hope for the future if, as he says. it is to continue to be carried out
 Paying Double.
 As the result of the financial policy carried out by this administration We find that the city while having the largest grand list in the state peculi- al'Iy enough also has the greatest debt in the state. Not another penny of
 
 placed upon il. The admfnistra ion has to this date exhausted it's every borrowing possibility. and without referring to a further fictitious raise of the grand list not a penny can be obtained to keep the city running for the next two months. Unless our school teachers, fremen and police ment, etc., are willing to take ti-t notes of the city, and sit down and wait for eight weeks to pass for theil money. we shall have to close our schools
 All this is the logical result of the vast scheme of wildcat bonding ii which we have been embarked. Wha: has inspired this great scheme foI labelling the city with debt until il approaches the prospect of bank ruptcy we can only surmise.
 It is attempted to he explained by the fact that Improvements have been made. We all want improve ments-the city needs them, and we ought to have them. but are We will. ing to pay 31 per cent. more fol these Improvements? That is pre-. cisely what We have done. and wha we are asked to continue to do. But There's No Bridge. If we borrow money to build q school house or erect q bridge wt have to pay for the use of the money and what we pay for the use of the money for that particular thing is 8 part of the cost of it's erection. h,c paving of streets, the erection ot bridges and the construction of schoo houses, and Improvements in oul parking system. Have we ever con- sidered that the Stratford avenue bridge will cost us by this method just $360,e00 more than it's actual cost of erection? S40O0 in bonds have been issued to pay for this bridge but the interest that we shall have to pay on those bonds will be $36O, 16O ant when we get through doing # the bridge will cost us instead of $5S4, ,00I | just $744, ,160 and by the time we have paid this money the bridge will have reached a point when we shall have to consider putting another one in it! place.
 i let us also call attention to tn l fact that the Stratf0Td avenue bridg i bends were issued on July 1, 1915 and arc payable in instaIlments o 1 SS,0O0 yearly. the result of which l that out of the sum of S3Sf GOO pro ceeds from the sale of bonds we hay already had to pay back to bondhold l CTS in principal the sum Of S24 DO with the prospect Of S8,00O more fac ing us on July i, 1919. and "e hay | paid interest during inc same perio in the sum of S66.060, making a tota of principal and interest already pai back ont of the very money Dor