Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-22


 4 mills tax $S, ,606.22
 School fund BLASTS
 Dog tax l50 %
 Rent of City hall OO00O
 Total resources s2O.675.44 Surplus $ 5,025.44
 The amounts allowed in the above fig ures show conclusively that the town can be run on 4 mills tax without any diff culty and without any assistance from the city, ard have quite a handsome balance for any other contingency that may arise. The $5. .OO0 I have allowed for roads will keep them in perfect condition for public convenience.
 The enormous appropriations made for this department for several years back has been voted almost exclusively by the city taxpayers. with some object of their own Tn view; for instance the $20, GOO appro- priated last year for the express purpose of keeping the citys unemployed from starvation. and there was probably spent on the Simonsville roads and three bridges another $30. .000 which would be to no advantage to the farmers whatever. 1 have an idea that not one half dozen of this class have occasion to use it in year and there was also expended for road and bridge to the new cemetery, in the eastern section of the town. $40, 900 more, which is of no benefit 10 the outside inhabitants. If the city was so anxious to make the ex- penditures equitable, why didn't they extend the improvement little farther on. The total expenditures on these four partieu- lar roads amounts to $120. 1000. Gentlemen these items count up pretty fast. and you ought to go trifle slower. before you ac- cuse the town of all this eXtravagance. hr Kho most ssnguine supporters of this arbitrary measure, advocate that the "suburban" taxpayer did not pay an equitable propor- ton of the taxes. as the improvements made in the city were as much benefit to them as to inhabitants in the city. These improvements certainly have not increased the value of their little farms. The farms | cannot be sold for one half the price to day these same farms were worth twenty years ago. But on the other hand take the Doctor Platt property on Bank street. for which he told me he paid 5000. Dr Platt and his heirs have already realized nearly | $200, ,000 and the heIrs have enough left to cancel the interest on the whole purchase | This is not an exceptional case. Nearly all the property in the city has advanced nearly in the same ratio. Again, take any | farm you please that was valued at $S, 900
 
 purchase. and it is not now worth $4,pQ1 Is it not common sense to suppose that pr | Platt could well afford to settle for his | share for the improvements made in the | city with the enormous increase in the valuation of his property better than the farmer whose property has decreased over | fifty per cent in the same length of time. Two pieces of property of equal value at | the same date of purchase. One piece not only hquidstes the entire interest and taxes. but makes the purchaser | wealthy, and the purchaser of the farm is compelled to use the greatest economy to pay his Il mills tax and save himself from bankruptcy. have talked with several citizens who insist that the inhabitants of the rural districts receive equal benefits from these improvements. and for that reason they should be compelled to pay their share of the expense. 1 do not deny | that they visit our city occasionally. So do the inhabitants of Naugatuck, Water | town, Cheshire and various other towns, l and actually derive the same benefits from these improvements
 1 mention these facts to show that the committee left the charter incomplete, and hope that they will make an effort to add another section to the consolidation clause. adding another district. Then the city could get their equitable share of taxes from Nsugatuck. Watertown. Chesh- ire and Middlebury. These towns do most of their trading with our merchants and leave their cash to the benefit of the city | taxpayer. At the same time they are util- izing our paved streets an1 sidewalks. drink our city water. and are not paying a cent for all these benefits. l say by all means add to this incomplete charter | nd int tho city. They ought to be compelled to pay their share of the tax.
 Allow me if you please to say a few words in regard to the provision in the proposed charter, that treats on the au- thority and duties of the mayor. We have been educated since childhood to love and respect republican government, and God knows our government Is the best on earth. And it would be very humiliating indeed to be ruled in the city of Water bury by a czar. The principal is wrong and never should be encouraged by good American citizens. The power of the mayor under the present system is cer- tainly great enough for political manipu- lation, without legislating him any further authority. A mayor elected under the present system holds office two years,
 which gives the taxpayers ample oppor- | Lunlty tO JuuRe OL uIS cAcCulNS huu HUI ministrative abilities. If his sdministra- ton should prove satisfactory to the tax payers, he would undoubtedly be reelected as the taxpayers generally appreciate an official who works for their welfare. But if he proves himself incompetent and ex- travagant, in all probability his services
 would be discontinued at the following election, On the other hand if the new charter is substituted in place of the old charter, the mayor will be clothed with all the power and authority of the czar of Russia. He will have authority to appoint all the subordinate officers of the different departments, and if they are not satis-
 factory to him they can be removed at his
 pleasure, in fact he will dictate the entire patronage of the municipal government. And in order to secure any safety to the taxpayers under such conditions. you must
 necessarily elect mayor with unapproach- able honesty and integrity. He must be
 entirely isolated from political influence.
 and in fact be perfection itself. Such in
 dividuals are very limited in this wicked
 city that would give the position any con.
 sideration whatever. Can you find one
 single person with all these qualifications
 that would be available for any such im-
 portAnt duties. It would k be some
 thing like looking for a needle ir "a hay stack, pretty hard to And