The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-10-31

1 Continuing his attacks upon the financial management of the city TOT
 the past cen years. Fred Atwater last
 night spoke at the United Congrega- l tionaI and the Uniyersalist church
 from the same platform. with Mayor l Wilson and Jasper McLevy, Socialist
 tackled both the major parties impar- tially, saying that a vo<er might Just
 as well vote blind folded for one or
 the other as there was so little Io
 more went over the improvements
 brought about during his ten years in | office. ending each talk with oe- | fense of the Burns vice raids.
 Following the talks at the United church the forum was thrown open
 for discussion rom the floor when
 the magyar was asked Aoout the l $500,o 900 unemployment relief fund he stated that zhis was controlled by a
 mnMttee specially appointed to han dle it of which he claimed George Republican Voters League. was the
 controlling factor. He appealed to
 Dr. Day, a member of the commit tee.
 to corroborate this statement, but the excellently handled by MT. Thorne
 and that he bought the Mayor did not understand the situation fully.
 tha a1wa noi1aE that ,a M the % xayor might M point
 to the development of the city during
 the last ten years, but that all these | Improvements meant nothing as the ! city had not paid for them.
 Atwaters talk m it'll was as fol- | lows:
 MT. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen. Fellow-Citizens:
 As this campaign proceeds, I am becoming more convinced that the overshadowing question is and must remain that of whether the present city administration Is tc receive at the hands of our citizenship its en- doxsement On election, day. or whether the decree shall issue that our city af- fairs must hereafter be governed on a different basis.
 This necessarily involves an exam ination of the performances of our present city officials, and If upon scrutiny their acts commend them selves to our voters, It follows that the action of the electorate should be gov erned accordingly. On the other hand, with an equal sense of Justice, if the stewardship of the city's af- fairs reveals incompetency, dIshon- esty, lack of fidelity to trust, or any | other of the qualities which every
 citizen has right to demand of those whom he entrusts with the charge or i his communtty's interests, 1t be-
 hooves our peopte then to insist that such conditions be changed.
 1 In determining these questions, ] there are certain facts which stand i out so clearly that their significance | cannot be questioned. For, after ali, l the administration of the city's af- l 1a1rS ShOuld prevent a pldlI1 DuSIlISSS i proposition. AS such. the success or | failure of the present administration must be tested by the same stand | ards as should be applied to every :. business enterprise. In fact, the H.
 nancial hazards in the conduct of d l municipality are far less and the un- l expected contingencies less likely. all of which results in comparative stabilization of factors which with or dinary common sense. sane perception and the application of reasonable pru- dence and honesty, should afford no
 great impeachment to accomplishing a successful financial and fiscal policy. | Ordinarily, as I understand 1t, the Board of Apportionment and Taxa tion upon reviewing the anticipated
 requirements of the several depart 1 makes due allotments to cover the same for the fiscal year next ensuing.
 and upon a review of the grand list
 as prepared by the tax office, pro- vides the ways and means to obtain
 the moneys requested to satisfy s''
 requirements, making due alloy Ance
 for unpaid taxes, etc. Very largely,
 the requirements of a given depart
 Inent are with reasonable certainty
 measurable and with approximate ac-
 curacy obtainable in advance.
 So settled has been this policy that
 there is pro--ision of the City Char
 ter makin. at illegal for any depart ment to contract debts and thereby
 ob1igate the city in excess of the a'p-
 prorriations made to 1t, a provision
 founded upon sane common sense
 and good judgment.
 Right here is presented one of the
 most striking examples of maladn1n-
 istration that it is possible to obtain
 Not only has this provision of the
 charter been ignored and houted; not
 only has it been treated with con-
 tume1y and contempt but the prac-
 tice of defying its provisions has
 reached such bounds that during the
 last session of the legislature 1t was . necessary for an act to be passed val
 idating the huge obligations which
 had been incurred by violation of Its l provisions.
 In the report of the Board of Alp } l portionment and Taxation for the 2 fiscal year commencing April l, 1921 is found an item of s5OO,o0o entitled l Proficiency Notes which means that the city was compelled to borrow that huge sum of money to take care of deficiencies incurred prior to the making of this budget. And under.
 enath 1t one finds an item marked Grand Street Bridge Bonds $780, 900, which reminds us that this was the approximate amount of a judg. ment obtained against the city anc upheld by the Supreme court because 5 of another foolish act for which the administration was responsible.
 And it is of vital importance te - note that the habit formed by oul present administration of running our cty upon deficits is one winch ha:
 been growing apace. For we notice
 that in the year 1919 another deficit had to be taken care of. For there is an item in the report of the Board of Apportionment and Taxation fol
 the fiscal year commencing April 1st
 1919. marked Temporary Notes fol Deficits S106, ,356.17."
 Attention is called to the rapidity with which these deficits are occur. , ring, for in the short space of two years the deficit has been raised from the sum ,356.17, to 6 sum as indicated by the item of de l iciensy' notes in the last budget namely, $500,0o0.
 [ The Mayor may call our attention ? to the improvements which he has si given us, for which we have not paid )1 (Since they were accomp1iSheo eo
 through borrowed money the greater portion of which the city still owes) lie may endeavor to impress witf
 the fact that Seaside Park is great financial asset of the city, and tell u: that 1t has grown in value during tht past few years (which he could not lDreyent if he wished and which is