The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume], October 29, 1913, Image 1

About The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917

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GET THE HABIT
THE WEATHER
Read the Want Ads. in The
Farmer classified columns
there's some good opportunities
In "For Sales" and "To Rents,"
Fair, colder tonight; unsettled
tomorrow
VOL. 49 NO. 256
BRIDGEPORT, CONN., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1913
PRICE TWO CENTS
1,000 VOTERS
CHEER MULLINS
IN THE NINTH
Rousinfi Welcome to Native
Son of East Bridgeport
And His Running
Mates.
"BUCKINGHAM AND
DONNELLY SPEAK
Enthusiasm Demonstrated by
Cheers and Applause As
Candidates Are Intro
ducecL With the Republican candidates "on
the run" -vainly striving to explain
twer hte irrefutable charges of reck,
less extravagance and misrule, Freder
ick C '.Mullins, the Democratic candi
date Cor mayor, wu acclaimed with
wild enthusiasm by more than- 1,000
men In the open air at Bast Main and
1 Shelten streets last night.
John M. Donnelly, Mr. Mulline" op
ponent at the recent primaries, made
another stirring address, appealing to
all loyal Democrats to support Mr.
.Mullins' candidacy and declaring that
he had made it his business to appear
at the Ninth district rally last night
to keep a pledge he made at a primary
rally there two weeks ago, to abide by
the choice of the primaries.
Former Mayor Buckingham aroused
his auditors to enthusiasm, and lent
to the merriment of the occasion by
squelching a would-be disturber on the
outskirts of the crowd. - He made a
vigorous declaration for Mr. Mullins.
The rally began a few minutes after
8 o'clock. Bed fire illumined the streets
and the crowd, gathering long in ad
' Tance of the arrival of toe speakers,
filled the streets so that several po
licemen had to keep busy to allow trol
ley cars to pass.
Thomas Toomey, district chairman
of the Ninth, presided. On the arrival
of the candidates, particularly of Mr.
Mullins and George M. CoughMn, resi
dents of the Ninth, there were many
cheers and shouts of greeting and erb
coaragement. Mr. Toomey introduced the various
candidates: Mr. Couughlin was the
first speaker. In the crowd were many
of his admirers, who had known him
from his early boyhood. He told his
hearers that having spent his life in
the district, they know whether he
could be depended on. William Thom
as, candidate for re-election for town
(Continued on Page .)
REILLY Oil TRIAL
FOR HIS LIFE FOR
SLAYING NEGRO
The trial of Christopher Rellly,
charred with killing Henry Lucas in
Westpost last August, was started this
morning before Judge Reed and
Jury la the criminal superior court.
Both were members of a gang that
was laying Warrenite pavement. On
Saturday, August 9, three of the gang
returned to the camp late at night.
. Tney began to argue about the qual
ity of the beans served at camp. Lu
ess, who was a negro, made some
remark which Reilly didn't like and a
dispute followed.
William Jones, who was cook at the
camp, testified that Liucas seized a
rasor and followed Reilly as he left
the camp. Reilly grabbed a club and
track XjUcss on the head until Jones
made htm desist. Reilly Is pleading
self defense.
The trial was stnl on at press hour.
TAXICAB MISSING;
CHAUFFEUR IS GONE
The mysterious disappearance of one
of the taxicabs owned by Edward
Prout of 97 Henry street and bearing
71L as the license number was re
ported to tne ponce today ana a re
quest be made that it be located.
George Ciesett of Wells street was the
chauffeur, according to the report and
he has not been located. It was re
ported that the machine was last seen
about S o'clock last night leaving the
vicinity of the railroad station. An-
ther report is that Cissett had appar
ently just secured a fare. Suspicion is
that he may have been the victim of
foul play and the automobile stolen
and used In the get-away. The ma
chine is described as being painted
dark green and having the factory
number 31.572.
AMBASSADOR GERARD
INSTATED IX BERLIN
Berlin. Oct. 29 The new United
states Ambassador to dermany, Jas.
W. Gerard, was received in audience
today by Emperor William and pre
sented his own credentials and the
farewell letters of his predecessor,
John G. A. Leishman. He also intro
duced the members of the Embassy
Staff and the Military and Naval at
taehea.
MORE COMPLA1VTS OF
UNCOLLECTED GARBAGE
"Uncollected garbage" complaints
Continue to pile in at the Department
of Health offices accompanied by un
complimentary remarks concerning
the service given. Three complaints
had been written in the complaint
book this morning and nine were reg
istered yesterday. These do not in
clude those made personally to the
various officials. One of yesterday's
pom plaints was to the effect that gar
bage has not been collected from 562
au1v. )J tor over a srals.
RED
FIRE AND BAND FOR
FIRST DISTRICT RALLY AT
BROAD
Plans for a great celebration - have
been completed by the Democracy of
the First district. A monster open air
rally will be held at Broad and Gil
bert streets this evening with the
principal candidates and others active
in the campaign included in the pro
gram of speechmaiers.
There will be a parade through the
principal streets of the district. The
band will move from State and Broad
streets promptly at 8 o'clock and it is
KING FAILS TO
CLEAR HIMSELF
Fact Remains That His Team
'Which Should Have Col
lected Garbage Were on
City Pay; Roll.
Speaking to" , electors last evening,
John T. King referred to an article
in the Farmer which stated that he
drew down J2.406.12 from the city
treasury for teams which he supplied
the city from April 1 to August 27.
Mr. King in seeking to Justify his
appearance on the pay roll of tne
city states the fact that Henry J.
Clampett and Michael H. Ford, whom
he described as well known Demo-
crate, also had teams upon the city.
Mr. King is decidedly ingenuous.
Neither Mr. Ford nor Mr. Clampett
has any contracts with the city of
Bridgeport to collect its garbage. They
are private contractors - whose teams
are available for employment by the
city, or by any,, private concern.
The point The Farmer made was
that Mr. King, -as the boss of Mayor
Wilson and his administration had
enough power to ignore the complaints
which poured in daily and are a matter
of record In the Board or ileal tn, on
the non-collection of city's garbage,
and used his teams which should have
been used for the collection of gar
bage to draw down money from the
city, which should have gone to oth
er teamsters many of whom applied
for work and were turned down.
Jobn-J-, Fitzgerald of .the Sixth dis
trict was right when he told Mayor
Wilson that he was only a proxy
mayor, that the real .mayor -was John
T. King -who controlled the city, whose
teams -were kept employed while the
teams of many other taxpayers, were
unable to secure employment.
B. H. S. DROPS
ITS FOOTBALL
Team Depleted to Nine Mem-
" bers by Inefficiency In
Studies.
None . To Be Found in School
Today to Fill Broken Ranks
of Athletes.
At a meeting held in Assembly bail
at the Bridgeport High school this
noon, it was unanimously decided that
owing to the general lack of interest
displayed by the school-boys in the
football contests, as well as the lack
of available materia,! owing- to the
faculty, rule (that t'hose not above
70 per cent, in twelve points of work
cannot participate in athletics, the
football schedule for the present sea
son be called off.
Owing to the restrictive rule It was
found that only nine men were -today
left upon the football squad, and when
volunteer were called for to remain
for the remainder of the season, that
the schedule might be carried out,
none responded. The - four games
scheduled to be played will be aban
doned. '
The abandoning of the football con
tests is today taken to indicate poor
efficiency in the studies of the ,1913
14 enrollment of scholars.
FELLS COMRADE
,VITH HAMMER
Disagreement over piece work result
ed in a near-murder at the plant of
the Salt's Textile company this noon,
James Abalan of 69 Burroughs street
being felled with a blow of a ham
mer in the hands of Daniel Boccila, a
fellow workman. In the excitement,
Boccila got a good start, prevented
interference by threatening to use the
hammer again and disappeared from
sight through a second story window.
The police have no clues to his where
abouts. Abalan had three stitches tak
en in his scalp by Dr. William H. Cur-
ley at the emergency hospital and is
under observation for a possibly frac
tured skull.
JURY MAY HAVE
MRS EATON'S CASE
BY THIS EVENING
Plymouth, Mass., Oct. 29 The closing
argument in behalf of Mrs. Jennie May
Eaton, charged with the murder of
her husband. Rear Admiral Joseph G.
Eaton, was made today by William
A. Morse. It was thought he would
conclude early enough to enable Chiei
Justice Aiken to charge the Jury and
give the case into their hands by to-
AND GILBERT STS.
expected that several hundred voters
will be in line.
The line of march has been so ar
ranged that the paraders will be able
to return to Broad and Gilbert streets
in ample time to allow the speech
making to begin at 8:30.
Fred C. Mullins, William Thomas,
George M. Coughlin, J. Fred Schempp
and Frederick W. Hall will speak, and
It is expected that John M. Donnelly
also will address the voters.
MYSTERY OF
BLOOD STAINED
BOAT IS SOLVED
Body of - Winfield Williams
Floats to the Shore At
Woodmonk
GAPING WOUND IN
BOY'S CEFT BREAST
Heavy Charges From Two Bar
rels of a Shot Gun Passed
Through the Heart of
the Victim and the
Lifeless Boy Fell
Into the Water.
(Special to the Farmer.)
Stratford, Oct. 29 The mystery sur
rounding the death of Winfield Wil
liams, IS years old, who disappeared
from a motor boat in the Housatonic
river on October 18th was solved as
far as it ever will be when the body
of the boy came ashore at Woodmont
yesterday. The body was discovered
Seating in the Sound soon after noon.
Medical Examiner Ives was called and
he auicklv identified the remains as
those of the boy who had lost his life
in, a hunting excursion on the river.
He e- permission for the -ataofJLt
of the body and it 'a.;' taken. --in
charge by Undertaker Frank Li. Curtis
of this town. ;--.-
The boy left Capt. John Bond's dock
early on the morning in which he met
his fate. - He- used a motor boat
called Viola M, - and had a skiff in
tow. In this skiff the boy had placed
a double barrelled shot gun, the gift
of his uncle Capt. John Bond. He left
the dock at 8:30. At 9:45 a double
report of a shot gun was heard which
attracted .attention on account of the
almost simultaneous reports. It gave
the impression that some gunner had
fallen in with an unusually large Sock
of ducks and was using all the pow
der possible. A few minutes later
the pilotless motor boat traveled across
the river and was boarded by fisher
men -who had watched its strange
antics from the Jetty. .
The stern of the motor boat was
drenched with blood and pieces of fle?i
and bones were distributed about in
grewsome profusion. It brought un
mistakable evidence of a tragedy, but
the particulars were lacking. For days
motor boats dragged the river to re
cover the remains or to solve the mys
tery. ' Every effort was unavailing
until the body came to the shore yes
terday.-
When recovered the body was in an
advanced stage 'of decomposition. The
left arm is shattered from the wrist
to the elbow. In the left breast there
is a. gaping wound three inches in di
ameter. These are the only marks
upon the body excepting those which
came through the long1 Immersion In
the water. It has' only partially solved
the mystery, but the process which led
to the death of the boy is now fairly
well established. '
' Leaving the dock at 8:30 on that fa
tal morning the boy chugged down the
east side of the river next to Knell's
Island. He had Dlaced" his shot erun.
a new one, presented to him by his tin
cle, t Capt. John Bond, in the skiff
which was tied behind the motor boat
The engine worked well and the boats
with their solitary pilot disappeared In
the dim foggy distances of the river.
The boats rounded the bend in the riv
er and disappeared from all human
eight. Realizing that the gun . might
be needed at any moment the boy left
the wheel of the motor' boat and
mounting the raised deck at the stern
drew in the skiff which was following
astern, hauling in the painter hand
over hand.
Holding the rope in his right hand
he reached with his left for the gun
which lay muzzle toward the boy in
the forward thwarts. He seized the
muzzle and drew the guns towards
him. The hammers caught on the
seat. There was a double explosion.
Both barrels were discharged and the
contents passed through, the boy's
body. The wound, three inches in
diameter, just missed the nipple of
the left breast. It tore through flesh
and bones completely destroying half
of the pulsating heart. On his knees
overhanging the water the boy met
his death for it must have been in
stantaneous. In a' second the body
had plunged over the stern into the
water leaving a blood stained record
mingled bits of flesh on the stern of
the boat.
The funeral took place this after
noon from the residence of Capt. John
Bond. There was a large attendance
for the hoy was one of the most popu
lar in the town. His tragic death had
caused' general ' sorrow. The inter
ment was at the Union cemetery.
The funeral of Joseph S. Pihkham,
who died at the home of his eon, Stew
art R. Pinkham, Pequot avenue, South-
port, on Monday last, was held at 2
o'clock this afternoon from the late
residence. Rev. G. W. Service of the
Southport M. E. church conducted the
service. Interment was in Oaklawn
cemetery. Fairfield. -
HOUSE JOURNAL
CONVICTS MAYOR
OF FALSEHOOD
Representative Wilson Charges
Mayor Wilson With Gross
Misstatement.
Former Led Fight Against State
Tax and Voted Against It
As Record Shows.
MAYOR WILSON'S STATEMENT
Do you realize, Mr. Mullins,
that the state tax was supported
vigorously by Representatives Mc
Mnrray and Wilson at Hartford?
REPRESENTATIVE WHSON'S
REPLY
I led the effort to prevent the
state tax being laid, and voted
against It.
WHAT THE HOTJSE JOURNAL
SAYS
i
An act imposing a state tax, rec
ommending the passage of the bill
was taken from tne table. Mr.
Wilson of Bridgeport, then moved
the bill he tabled for the foot of
Uie :it.it -xne motion old not
prevail. Mr. Wilson of Bridgeport,
rose to a question of personal priv
ilege and asked that he be record
ed as voting "No." By unanimous
consent the reqnest was granted.
Representative Lynn W. Wilson
charged Mayor Clifford B. Wilson with
gross misrepresentation, today, after
he had read the - statement of the
mayor, made yesterday, in which the
sfertax Mr' imteon-ha favored a
said Mr. wjison: "if aii of Mayor
Wilson's statements in this campaign
are of the same quality as his asser-
ticm that i favored the state tax, what
he says is scarcely to be relied up-
"it he will turn to page 1329 of the
lMhLii en that:-rh tir
posing State Tax' came up on mo-
tion of Mr. - Lewis, chairman of the
committee on finance, and his eye wiu
mer wik,! ,J
a question of personal privilege and He also alludes to the circumstance that the relations be
asBv nniZrL tween.the state of ; Connecticut and the Warrenite con-
was granted- -
tax but led the fight atinst "it" ar!
gumg that such a tax is unjust to
Bridgeport.
I wanted the same amount
of money to be raised by a franchise
tax on certain corporations. i :'
Governor Baldwin's advocacy of the
state tax was based "upon his belief
that the General Assembly would not
adopt the franchise tax. In this view 1
Governor Baldwin proved to be cor- I
rect. - The house refused to tax fran
chises.
Exoept as it throws light upon May
or Wilson's reckless statement meth
ods in debate, it is not material who
favored the state tax and who did not.
The fact is, the tax rate this year
would be one mill higher, were the
state tax included, and it will be
two mills higher next year, to meet
the state tax for two years.
Perhaps Mayor Wilson believed the
story his friends have so diligently
circulated, that I would not partici
pate in this election. If eo, he blun
dered. At any rate he will see, I
have no doubt, the wisdom of apolog
izing for his gross misrepresentation
of my position on the state tax legis
lation.
WARDEN BOYLE IN
GUN PLAY WITH
PARTY IN LAUNCH
fSnecial to The Farmer 1
Fairfield, Oct. 29. John Boyle, game
warden of Fairfield, has in his charge
a motor boat in which a party of hunt
ers were trying to shoot- ducks off. Pen-
field reef and from which they fired
shot gune at him While he returned
the fire from a Savage automatic pis
tol. Boyle saw the hunters shooting
the ducks and put out to warn them.
The men in the boat immediately
headed toward shore and at the same
time turned their fire on Mr. Boyle's
boat. The latter put in at Fairfield
beach and then telephoned to Game
Warden A. Joseph Williamson in
Bridgeport and to P. W. Sturdevant,
who is an assistant game warden.
These wardens with W. K. Mollan
went to the Bridgeport Yacht club and
found at the club anchorage there a
motor boat with the engine warm and
the rudder wet and other evidences
that the boat had been recently used.
The wardens are waiting to arrest the
owners of this boat.
FEDERAL PRISON
SENTENCE FOR PAL
OF HAIiS SCHMIDT
New York, Oct. 29 Ernest A.
Muret, bogus dentist and companion
of the Rev. Hans Schmidt, slayer of
Anna Aumuller, was sentenced today
to seven years and six months in the
Federal Prison in Atlanta for having
in his possession a complete outfit to
be used in counterfeiting $20 bills.
Muret was convicted yesterday.
In sentencing Muret the court de
nied his request to be. permitted to
return to Germany and remain there.
MULLIN
COST OF WAR
WILSON SP
Democratic Candidate
Or Not There Was Graft And Corrup
tion In Warrenite Contracts But
Exhibits Strangely Sus
picious
Bonds Mayor Issued Trifling Compared With $4,400,000
He Tried to Create, and Would Have Issued Had He
Been Given Power "No Man Who Is Heavily In
terested In Control of City. Government Contribut
ing Thousands to My Campaign, " Says Democratic
Candidate.
Frederick C. Mullins,
or, responded today to Mayor Clifford B." Wilson's invita
tion, to corroborate in detail the charges that the present
administration has been extravagant,that it paid too much
for Warrenite pavement, and that it has been otherwise
reckless, or defective. j
Regarding the charge of
shows by figures that may be verified: from the public rec
ords, that the total expenses of the Wilson administration
are $504,214.62 in excess of
He shows by conclusive
Warrenite type can be laid
l He disclaims responsibility for. charges of graft and
corruption, saying tnat Jviavor
4-ki iwsiipd intn fh narrmnitm " f
InOSC.. ISSUes mtO tne Campaign. '
Mr. Mullins further says he does not know whether
woo noff . t-t-, t,H A-r, V. r,anifo
deal, but he does know that
i dinary safeguards . were, thrown., down, that there was, no
I (inTrmpti'tihii tTmf. th KiiTip'rvis'in'rf nf" --Hia wrrrlr who tnVon
r , , w , -r .
from the Permanent Paving
whole matter was conducted
tracts were the subject of
committee, and refers Mayor
to errait and coriniTytion develooerf nunnc this lnvAsbofn
I ,.
tion.
Mr. Mullins' reply to
I Mayor Wilson, in a communication
I printed in large headlines; in the
journal reputed to be owned by his
master, Warner, challenges me to
prove the statement made by mo, that
a large "sum of money has been spent
during his administration in excess of
the sum spent during the last preced
ing Democratic administration.
While I thought that I fully-cover
ed this matter, in my previous com
munication and in my speeches, I ac
cept his challenge, even at the cost of
repetition. Here are my figures in de
tail:
We will take the last year of Demo
cratic administration, that of 1911
1912, for it will be conceded, I am
sure, that the last Democratic admin
istration is responsible for the appro
priations made and taxes levied and
expenditures incurred during that
year, the taxes Demg leviea in reo-
ruary, 1911 for the year beginning on
April 1st, 1911, and ending in March,
1912.
By turning to the municipal regis
ter for 1912, we find that the total
expenditures of every description for
that year were as follows:
In the First district, $966,730.72
In the Second district, 936,880.02
$1,903,610.74
Remember these are the actual ex-
pendltures for that entire year. .Now,
there can be no question that the
present Republican administration is
fully responsible for the appropria
tions made, the taxes levied and. ex
penditures and liabilities incurred for
the year 1913-1914, our present muni.
cipal year, such appropriations being
made and taxes levied in February,
1913.
By turning to the report of the
Board of Apportionment and Taxation
for February, 1913, a copy of which
I have before 'me, I find that the to
tal appropriations made, for the pres
ent year, were as follows:
In First district, $ 997,407.83
In Second district, 1,085,417.53
Total appropriations, $2,082,825.36
Now I find, on a careful perusal of
this report, that the appropriations
made by the Board of Apportionment
do not include any proposed expendi
tures from the proceeds of bonds or
notes to be issued. - Now it cannot be
denied that there have been issued
and sold notes for paving and sewers,
aggregating $220,000.00 and the mon
ey expended.
Adding this sum to the foregoing
appropriation, it makes the actual ex
penditures for the year $2,302,825.36.
As contrasted with the foregoing to
tal expenditures for the year 1911
1912 .of $1,903,610.74, or an excess of
expenditures for the present year,
1913-1914 over those for the year
1911-1912 of $395,214.62.
And the information has come to
me, from a member of the Board of
Apportionment and Taxation, that the
appropriations made for the present
year are, in some cases, insufficient
and that the Common Council is al
ready supplying deficiencies and that
there will be many more at the end of
the fiscal year, for which no provision
can be made. I make no note of
those now. .
S FURNISHES PROOF
REMTRIMF
' i
ENT HALF M
Doesn't Know Vhether
Facts
Democratic candidate for may
extravagance, the statement
any earlier budget. ?
figures that pavement of the
for 62 cents per yard. 1 1
Wilson nas mmseii dragged
in lettiner these contracts or-
. . -, ,-i
Commission, and ' that the.
m a most unbusinesslike way,
an investigation bV a Senate
Wilson to the facts relating
-"-.
PR
Mayor Wilson folkrws:
' It Is conceded by Mayor Wilson that
no provision has been made for the
State tax, which is already due and
payable amounting to about $109,-
000,000. It is simply begging the
question to state, as he does, that this
tax could not be provided for in the
February, 1913 tax budget. Xt is an
obligation of the present year, which
must be treated as a deficiency of the
year, and provided for next year.
Adding this amount, $199,090.00 to
the above excess of expenditures of
the current year, of $395,214.62, it
makes a total of $504,214.62, as the
total excess of liabilities for the year
1913-1914, over those for the year
19-11-1912. nd these figures do not
include the notes for new school
buildings, amounting to $200,000.00,
a portion- of which has already sign
ed and issued by the Board of Educa
tion and constitutes an obligation of
the city.
Now I challenge my friend Mayor
Wilson, or any of his henchmen, to
disprove those facts, if they can, or if
not to stand convicted before their
fellow citizens of deceit and falsiflca
tion in endeavoring to bolster up his
insufficient and extravagant adminis
tration, the most extravagat and in
efficient in the history of our city, by
mere bluff. The fact is undisputed
that if Mayor Wilson had made pro
vision for the payment of the State
tax, a legal obligation of his admin
istration, as "he -ought to have done,
the tax rate of the present year would
be 17.5 mills, the highest tax rate
ever imposed.
I may have more to say on this sub
ject later. If I deem it necessary. I
assure my fellow citizens that I feel
fully qualified, from my many years
experience as a city officer, to discuss
the financial affairs of the city In a
full intelligent and impartial manner.
Mayor Clifford B. Wilson asks me
to substantiate my assertion that War
renite pavement, by which we both
mean pavements of that identical type.
can be laid for 75 cents a square yard,
or for 45 cents less per square yard
than he paid for the pavement laid in
Bridgeport.
He also asks me if I. am either inti
mating or charging that there has
been graft or corruption in connection
with Warrenite pavement.
My authority for my statement that
pavement of this type, better than the
so called Warrenite, can be laid for
75 cents per yard, is my knowledge
that this is the fact, supplemented by
the knowledge of competent engineers
and practical road builders with whom
I have consulted, plus the great body
of written facts upon this subject,
which are open to all who desire the
knowledge.
I have before me an article entitled
The Pavement of Lincoln Park, Chi
cago, it is pnniea in uooa Roads,"
famous and most reliable . Journal
f road and street engineering and
contracting.
The article was printed April 6, 1912,
as it appeared from the pen of Arthur
S. Ijewis, associate member, American
Association Civil Engineers, and secre
tary and superintendent of the Lin
coln Park Commission.
The article relates tt the construe-,
ti" of roads in Lincoln Park, the
OF EXCESSIV
OVES
.1.1
LLI0N MORE
park commission having in mind that
"nothing brat the beat and most dur
able pavement would -stand on nndcr
the Intense and constantly increasing:
traffic"
Says -Mr.-Lewie, after presenting th
facts connected with the wor-ft:
"The cost of preparing the old
macadam -roadway aa above de
scribed, including a conirtderabie
expense for teaming', new stone,
etc., approximates' ten cent? per
square yard. The cost of putting
in two Inch asphalt concrete
vearing- surface on over 100,000
square yards averages 52 oenta per
square yard, a total of 62 cents.
These figures lndnde plant charge
(representing depreciation on
tools and equipment of $1 ft per
day, and Include as well, all en
gineering necessary to the wortt
itself."
I select this instance from many,
because of the unbiased and high au-j
thority, which presents the facts. :
Abundance of similar evtdenoe extets, ,
which Mayor Wilson may see forThlm-
self, if he desires to do so.
I have no hesitation in waving that j
the pavement laid in Lincoln park is j
superior in every way to that laid in
Bridgeport. ' In Bridgeport a lanra '
part of the -engineering worJc is done i
oy tne city. Materials are cheaper
here. The work is not so wll dan i
here. The Chicago work included 1
matters that in this part of the conn- j
try are charged as "extras."
The allusions to graft and.oorrnn-'
tion are advanced by Mayor Wiisrm. '
and not by me.
He has paid $-1.20 per yard for i
pavement that I know could be put
down for 75 cents a yard. I dont;
know why he did It. That I for trim -
to say. I -don't know whether he was
careless, or whether he got Kraft, or ,
aided others to get graft, or whether 1
the transaction was corrupt. M&mr t
Wilson raises those onestions.
There are some facts, which In com- i
mon with other citizens, I see. It i !
usual to let contracts to bid. The ;
Warrenite contracts were not let to I
bid. It is usual. In Bridgeport, to-:
confide .permanent .pavements, and..'
their construction to the snjervlslon
of the Commission on Permanent Pav
ing. Mayor Wilson admits that the pat
ented bituminous concrete sold as
Warrenite Js a permanent pavement,
but he does not explain why he made
such tremendous effort to take the
work out of the hands of the com
mission. It is also true that the former
highway commissioner, Mr. Macdon
ald, made contracts with the Warren-,
ite company, above $400,000 and that
these contracts became a rcandal, so
that there- was an investigation, fol
lowing which Mr. Macdonald resigned.
As to the methods by which those
contracts were procured, and as to
whether or not there was graft and
corruption connected with them, I '
leave Mayor Wilson to the report of
the Senate commute which conducted
the investigation.
Mayor Wilson Is mistaken, however, (
in assuming that these contracts were 1
made by Commissioner Bennett. They J
were made by Macdonald. The pave- j
ment on Connecticut avenue Is done
under a, Macdonald contract,and rep- ,
resents merely a transfer from one
place to another.
I do not charge graft and corrnp- '
tion. I do not know whether there
was graft or not, or Whether there .
was corruption or not. I do know. ,
and I do charge that pavement ha
been laid by Mayor Wilson at an ex-
pense of $1.20 per yard, when better'
pavement 'could have been laid of the
same type, for 75 cents per yard. I
do know, and I do charge; that in let
ting these contracts there was no com- '
petition, that all usual safeguards
were' thrown down, and that from the
time' the paving legislation was in
itiated until the deal with the Warren
ite people' was closed.that nothing was ,
done in a business like way, and that
the city , and -the taxpayers suffered ta ;
their pockets and in their pride. TQey
didn't get good value for their money
and they were additionally humiliated
by the circumstance that their own
government relieved a powerful cor
poration from its duty to lay the
same Warrenite, which Mayor Wilson ,
conceived so useful to the other tax
payers, that he put it down without
competition, at $1.20 per square yard f
and to the exclusion of the Perman
ent Paving Commission. This may
not have been, graft, and it may not
have been corruption, but It is cer
tainly not business, and it does need
explanation.
I shall later present In great detail
the flgnres , to show that the present ,
administration has expended and wast
ed more money than any that precedes
dt, and will undertake to satisfy the
most exacting on this point.
For the- moment I will content my
self with the observation that Mayor
Wilson seems to me to be most
unwise in making any reference to the
bonding question at all.
He has to answer, not only for the
bonds that he succeeded in isuSr;jr,
but for the millions that he tried to
iseue. and could not, because of Dem
ocratic opposition in the General As
sembly. The question in his case is not alona
what the tax rate is. and what sums
he has expended, but what the tax rate
will be.-and the debt will be, if he i:t
kept in power and permitted to tssuo
the S4.000.000 which he tried to rai-e.
and the additional millions which h
would have burdened the city with 't
he had been successful in his earlier
attempts.
As for the state tax, the fact remains
that this year's levy is not included in
his tax rate.
Who was for the state tax, and who
was against it ia immaterial. I am in
formed, however, that In chat-Kin
Representatives Wilson and llclviurray
with favoring this tax. Mayor Wilson
is guilty of the grossest misstatement.
and that his assertiorf is erfproved by
the official records of the General As
sembly. But I will leave that matter
(Continued on Page Two)
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