Republican farmer., 1920-04-23
BEDDING

Bedding, April 22-The towns out lay of $1 300 for removing snow from the roads during the past winter Is responsible for one mill of the IS 1-2 mills tax rate which was voted by the adjourned town meeting last Sat urday afternoon. The appropriations or s2SA052 made last fall allotted only $1C0 for snow tossing, leaving S1,- TOO deficiency to be provided for and this deficiency was met by the direct expedieTnt of increasing the tax rate required under the original estimates. Another way of meeting the deflency ! had been suggested, this being the re- scindang of the $2,O00 appropriation voted for improving the cross road between the hometown section and the Putnam Park road. That plan, however had no advocates at the meeting although the improvement project was rather left in the air early in the winter by the absence of any bids for the contract solicited in ac- cordance with the specifications and price limit. The problem thus creat- ed was met at Saturdays meeting by adoption of a resolution authorizing the seIectmsn to use any or all of the $2, 900 in carrying out the roads bet ter1aent by whatever methods they may deam advisable With the money at their disposal they will probably find it difficult if not impossible to get the job done as planned by the civil engineer who made the survey and consequently may either modify by the present plans to lessen the cost of their execution or attempt only their partial execution.
 While adhering to the road project the meeting showed itself less friendly to the proposition for providing a trained nurse to look after the physi- cal welfare of the children attending the public schools. The town school committee had registered it's approval of the project and although none of them spoke in it's support on Satur- day the benefits to be derived from the proposed service were Interestingly and specifically set forth by School Supervisor Sylvester and Miss Steven sor, the latter one of the nurses un- der engagement by the State Board of Education. It was announced that the yearly cost would be from $2o0 to $500. After a discussion which was practically all in favor of the propo sition some one offered a resolution expressing endorsement and giving the school committee power to act in the matter. WheE a motion made by W. A Lounsbury to table prevailed, thereby causing postponement of further action until the annual town meeting next fall. The reasons for theaadversa vote were doubtless finan- ciaI The fact that the state board has suggested to the town school committee the advfsablity of a 50 per cent. increase in the pay of local teachers may have been a contribut- ing cause. The tax rate fixed will nf from the present grand list $. c. Shaw was chairman of the meeting.
 An even dozen of fine Holstein cows in n1iTk were sold a few days ago by Albert Williams of hometown to Stepney man at an average price of about $50 MT. Williams parted with them because of the scarcity and high cost of farm help. He retains some 9 cows most of them miIkers, and about 20 head of young stock and feels that these, along with the other work connected with running farm of more than 300 acres is about all that he and his single helper can han die. For several weeks last winter he could get no assistance and during tfrb5 period did alone the milking of B .cows besides looking after the feed ing of as many more cattle in addi- ton to the care of horses pigs, ard
 
 is a tendency to a curtaiiment of planting and sowing ttds season ow- ing to the labor problem and the same condition exists far beyond this sec tion. The correspondence from a sin gle town qIp north in a recent issue of the Neswtuwn Bee contained six para graphs. all telling of the leaving of as many farms by renters for whom there appears to be no present srTc-
 
 af,nos,ncine closing out sales of live stock and farm implements were an o$Iler indication of the tendency re- ferre1f to- An this means decreased food production and being only the ssrrl.asd part of a, nationwide condition affords no ground for hopefulness od an eacly reduction in living costs in their relation to prices for food pro- ClIIActs.
 The early erection of the new building planned some time ago for Putnam Park seems to be assured by the tender of a bid from H. c. Mo ColI4m to perform the contract at Q figure within the sum now available The last legislature appropriated SfO,- 900 for tfae work but the bids receiv- cd by the Park Commission last sum mer were considerably above this amount. Subsequently the State Board made an additional allowance of S2,Oo9 for the project and as MT. McCoIIam's bid is less than $11,000 the commission voted to award him the contract upon condition of it's ap- provaI by the State Comptroller. That official has not yet been heard from but it is assumed that the decision will be favorable and in that event the building will be erected this sum- mer.
 Before the Mems club at their meeting with D. s. Sanford last Thursday evening MT TampelI, e1ec- trical engineer, gave an interesting account of the building of the Stew enson dam by means of which the waters of the Housatonic river are harnessed to furnish a vast supply of energy for power and lighting pur- poses. While some of this power is to pass near the northern boundary of Bedding the speaker said that there was small prospect of its diversion tn meet tho demands for an electric