The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-08
VOTERS DECIDE NOT TO FRAME
 CHARTER NOW
At Town Meeting Last Even
 ing Vote Is Unanimous On Matter
JUDGE COUGHLIN
 OPPOSES PROJECT
Also Vote to Establish a Street Line On Both Sides
 of Barnum Avenue
Special to The Times.)


 stratford, Jan. S.---By almost a unanimous vote the 300 voters of the town who attended the town meeting last evening voted to indefinitely 1 postpone the matter of appointing a committee of 12 to draft city charter for the town of Stratford. This ac- ton came on motion of Judge 1 Charles H. Peck after stirring ad- dress by Judge Thomas c. Coughlin, who criticised the plan and told how ! if adopted it would be a most expen- sive proposition to the taxpayers. He stated that the form of government known as q city government was the most expensive form of governm ent. and that he opposed the plan and would do so if he were the only one l to vote in the negative. Judge Cough 1 lin said that at the present the town had a board of selectmen who were giving the town a good business ad- rninistration, that they were holding meetings openly with no star cham Der sessions and any of the residents could be heard at any of their meet | ings. With mayor and board of al- dermen the speaker said you had no chance to state your wants, and in many cases he said with a mayor and board of dummy aldermen the peoples wants are all fixed by the mayor, and, says the Judge, T know, because l was an alderman in the city of Bridgeport once myself" As far as the people being better represented | by a city form of government, he said this representation was only in theory and in practice there was nothing to l it. He pictured the town all cut up in districts with district leaders, dep- uty registrars of voters and other of fees which would be created and all l of which would be added expense. He told how the voters would have control over the men in office and that they woul5 probaitiy be elected for two years. He cited the question Of the Port of Bridgeport which he said was killed by the people who fought it, and the Judge said had this inn iportant matter come up with a mayor and board of aldermen running the town the people would have had no voice in the matter and perhaps it would have passed this honorable board. Judge Coughlin said the whole matter of changing the present form of government to him was very objec- tionable and he would fight it to a finish.
 Mayor Abraham Wellington in giv- ing his views on the matter said that he could not see how the people could be better served by aldermen or coun- ci1men unless they had the money to supply the wants of the voters, and i the Mayor said if you will give your present board of selectmen the money nee.Ied all wants will be taken care of. The other question for which the meeting was called was the matter of establishing a street line on Barnum avenue from Main street westerly to West Broad street. This question took only a few minutes, it being voted to establish a street line on both sides of Barnum avenue, leaving a 66-foot roadway B feet from the center of the present street on both sides.
 James Mallett was the only objector to the plan and stated that if this was done in front of his property at the corner of Barnum avenue and Main
 street that the street line would come up to his house and in that case he
 would have a big bill for damages against the town. He suggested a 60-foot roadway at this point. This
 however, made no difference with the . feeling of the voters present who voted as above. Elliott w. Peck was 7 chairman of the meeting.
 The many Stratford friends of Mrs
 Letitia l.. Miller, widow of the late
 John B. Miller, were shocked to learn 1 of her sudden death which came while = she was visiting at the home of heI daughter at Egremont, Mass. Tuesday } evening. Mrs. Miller, who was one o1 the old Stratford residents, had made lher home in Stratford for a long mum f ber of years. She was the sister o1 7 ithe late Mrs. H. J. Lewis. also o1 , stratford. Mrs Miller was a prom
 nent member of the Ladies Aid SO
 ciety of the Congre gational churcf
 and for many years had been an ac tive worker of the church. She i| . survived by two daughters, two sisters . and one brother The funeral service! . will be held from her late home. 1-S2 , Main street, on Friday afternoon. Tn. !. Rev. R. c. Whitehead. pastor of thu : Congregational church, will conduc
 the services.
 MT. and Mrs. George Bennett re gently entertained number of thei 3 friends at their home, 1,196 Broat II street, when a. very pleasant evenfn'
 was passed, music and games bein1 = enjoyed, and a luncheon served dur ing the evening. The guests included The Misses Gertrude and Gladly
 Brooks, Miss Ella Bennett, Mss MI
 dred and Miss Marjorie Card, Mis Ruth Crane, Miss Marion Dave, Mis ' hTurie1 Foster, Miss J. Beryle, Mis- | Hilda Lane, Miss Marion Maguire
 Miss Florence Wright, Norman Brooks Clarence Bradley, Wilson WlthWorlf S Reginald Yoemans, MT. and Mrs. (
 W. Beers, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Brooks
 MT. and Mrs. H. $. Foster. MT. an Mrs Frederick Farnsworth. Mrs. k
 Fuller, Mrs. Arthur Griffin, Mrs. AT
 thur Kirk, MT. and Mrs. J. Lane, MT: ,- tC Mellor, Mrs. H. Mathews, Mrs.
 MeIlen. MT. and Mrs. W. S. Redfiel6 o Mrs. H. Severn and NIT. and Mrs. t H. Yoemans-
 u There is goose whose home is no . far from the Center which shout
 either te kept on chain or muzzlet e The spectacle of corpuient new e writer Going a Marathon throuS e B.; ros;ey's lane with tfe goose cling I j.,g to h.s coat tail may be amusin 1T to the spectators but not to the prin
 cipal actor.
 s. l FOR SALE room, 1-fan1ily houst