The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-07-07
TO INVESTIGATE
 BOARO's WORK
Seek to Find Out About Agreements With
 Contractors
Especial to The Times

N
 As a result of the special town meeting held last evening for the purpose of protesting the high cost of the sewer construction a committee was appointed following a vote of the meeting, to make an investigatisn of the work of the board of sewer commissioners, as regards their con tracts with the sewer contractors, the price of the contracts and the meth eds used in laying the sewer assess p,ents. The committee which, after a vote of the meeting was appointed py George w. Carey, who presided, Includes Frank E. Conine Robert Brandt. Syvert Nelson, Thomas c. Coughlin and Richard stanton.
 Burton c. Warner, chairman of the board of sewer commissioners, was the center of attack for the large crowd of taxpayers who filled the town ha1I~tas its@a capa oityaand who hurled question after question at the Chairman relative to the price of laying the sewers per front foot and why 1t had cost s2.52 when some time ago it was stated that the cost would be about $1 per front foot. Mir. Warner had no hesitancy in answer Ing any and all of the questions pro- pounded to him, explaining fully how the contract had been let and the
 
 by the sewer comm issioners-
 The question of paying for the sewers in so short a time was also discussed at length, several protest ing against having a lien placed on their property because they were unable to pay the ssessment in SO days as prescribed by a special act Of the state legislature. Many claimed that if this was to be en- fhAxr H. t~1 T owing to their limited incomes and protested having a lien placed on their property because of their ina bi1ity to pay within the 60 day limit
 Mp. Warner told the taxpayers he 7 was of the opinion that there was a general misunderstanding as regards the price which 1t was claimed the sewers could have been-laid for and that the taxpayers were not being assessed $3 for an eight inch pipe as was stated by one of the protesting taxpayers. He also stated that be- fore awarding the last contract the members of his board had held a Joint meeting with the board of finance and the board of finance ap- propriated the money for them to go ahead with the work of laying the sewers.
 Mir Warner also stated that he was very W1ll1nS that a Spec1al COm1n1IIee be appointed to investigate the do- ings of the commissioners and receiv- cd a hearty laugh when he seconded the motion that such a committee be appointed Elliott w. Peck, who was chairman of the committee who made an investigation as to the needs of the sewers in Stratford sonae years ago and who assisted in starting the pro- tect, was called upon for his views in tile matter He stated that since the time the work was first started that the cost of laying the sewers had nearly doubled, fully explaining 'how the matter had been presented to the state legislature. who would not allow the town to issue long term bonds owing to its indeb tedness but that permission was granted the town to issue short time notes for the sewer work This he said was in his opinion most advisable MT Peck asked -he gathering to take into consideration the great needs for schools and the unfairneSs to the people living in the outlying districts who would receive no benefit from the sewers if the town paid for their being laid by taxation He also said that if the money for the sewer construction was raised by issuing long time bonds that at the present time when the rate of interest was sc high 1t .wo1lsd cost great dea1 more to complete the work although it would give the taxpayer more time to pay
 Thomas c, Coughlin expressed him. self as being in favor of having the matter investigated by a special com mittee and advised the property own- CTS not to pay the assessment within the 6o-day limit He said he did not think that there was anything wrong with the commissioners but that i a special committee was appointed some means might be arrived a making the terms for paying for in staNinE the sewers more easy.
 Charles Bassett spoke in favor O the long--term bones, giving nor time to pay for the sewers and criti sized the action of officials for allow