Litchfield enquirer., 1876-03-02
Town Taxes.

We print below two letters on this important subject. We do not hold ourselves responsible for the statements made in any of these communications. If there are official rings it is matter our Democratic friends should look to, for they are responsible for the infringement of our town affairs. We hope the time will soon come when the minority will be allowed 8 fair representation on town boards.-ED. ENQ.
 L1rcHF1ELD, Feb. 28th, 1876.
 MIR. EDrroR:-nWith the remaining items of our ordinary town expenses there seems to be general increase from year to year. The Expenses under the Reg istry Law" seem to us the most dispro- portioned to the amount of labor per: formed of any, but we are not acquainted with the provisions of the law in this re- spect. The item, Poor out of Town House" seems to be rapidly on the in- crease. But this We believe includes the Tramp nuisance, and that, we should judge. was rapidly abating the present winter under the regimen of the new law. The law should be still more. severe if necessary, and the evil stopped. With the ample provisions made for the poor by the different towns there is no need of this travelling scourge. Hotel accommo- .dations and other luxuries have been dis pensed to them too long. Our own de- serving poor should be we'll cared for, and we presume it is no easy matter always to discriminate. We believe there is no town in the county that has so large an expense for the poor as onrs, including our town farm. and probably there is none where they are better provided for
 The expenses of our School Visitors have about doubled, but if our schools are that much better it is a good invest. mant. The Printers Bill' has largely increased of late, but formerly our town reports were not printed and we certainly do not wish to dispense with this im- provement.
 But we need not particularize items As we have already said, there seems to be general increase. Individuals think it necessary in these times to curtail ex. penses-why should not towns as far as practicable? There are many expenses that must be paid, and are paid willingly. They are necessary and iudicious. But unnecessary expenses are never willingly paid. There are those, however, who seem to deride all ideas of economy in town affairs.-They seem to regard the town treasury as "Grab Bag," and the one that gets the most is the best fellow. Every one for himself and the devil take l the hindermost" seems to be their motto. But heavy taxes are burden to a town. They depress the sale of real estate. They depress manufacturing interest They depress the people. TAX PAYER. For few weeks back have seen some remarks in your paper upon our town expenditures. I think as that taxpayer does, ''Why do they keep on increasing from year to year?" In your last paper he said something in regard to roads and the manner in which they are worked and he also speaks of certain men who boast of getting fifty or a hundred dollars very easy. The fault think lies in the Select men who. to have everyone's good .opin- ion, will give them a certain section of road to work though they do not know the first principles of road-making. Then men will have some boys to put on the road to do mans work and perhaps the team a pair of half- broken three year old steers, and that section of road will cost the town double what it would if they could have had good men and good teams to work for them.
 As Tax-Payer says, road making is a trade and there are but few who can make I good road and make it fast; but we have such men in town if they were looked up ] and put upon the roads. I know one