The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-03-15

atlon. The great natural law of gray
 itation will reduce the lake to it's level
 if it is allowed to do so, and the grea
 natural law of market values will re
 duce our assessments to a just anC
 equitable level, If we will remove thu
 artificial support and permit this grea
 natural law to assert itself This il
 just what we do in the chamber of com
 merce bill. We let this law of value ac
 in the most simple, direct and effective
 way.
 Thirteen of our representative busl'
 ness men and five of our best lawyers
 have been to Hartford to advocate this
 measure before the committee on judic-
 iary. No one appeared in opposition te | it, but much to our surprise, mem
 Der of the board of aldermen, who hao
 never read the bill, as he himself ad-
 mitted, arose at the meeting two weeks
 ago and moved that the corporation
 counsel be instructed to oppose the bill of the Chamber of Commerce. Without
 much knowledge or thought of the mat | ter, the aldermen so voted.
 | At the meeting of the aldermen last week several of the aldermen stated that they did not understand the meas
 ure upon which they had previously
 acted, and desired reconsideration,
 but they were unable to induce ma
 jority of the aldermen to admit that
 they had made mistake, and the mo-
 tion to reconsider was lost by a close vote. They did, however, refer a reso- lutlon directing the corporation counsel 4a io nnnnCffiOn tn any measure at Hartford, which was in- tended to relieve our citizens from the oppressive and unjust assessments un- der which they are suffering.
 Last Monday evening the board of councilmen considered the matter very thoroughly and carefully, and under the efficient advocacy of Councilmen Minor, Hewitt, Dawson, Foote, Mansfield and Wheeler, voted by an overwhelming majority, 22 to 8, to instruct the corpo- ration counsel to advocate the bill of the Chamber of Commerce before the general assembly. As the matter now stands therefore, the aldermen have directed the corporation counsel to op- pose this measure, and the councilmen have voted by large majority to di- rect him to faVor 1t.
 We were assured year ago that the ate of taxation would be fixed so low that the taxes would be no greater on the assessment, which was nearly doubled, than it has been heretofore
 In view of passing events, many be- lieve that this assurance will not be made good. Many citizens believe that there is a certain influence in this city which wants more money to spend, and while they may be content with thir teen mill tax this year, it will not be many years before the tax will creep up step by step until it amounts to eighteen or nineteen mills, then they will have fine lot of money to spend, and the property owners of New Haven will many of them find their land vir- tually confiscated, because at double valuation the tax would amount to say 3 S-10 per cent, and many investments are made by New Haven men at a no better rate than this. Which of us could afford to keep real estate that was tax ed at 31s or per cent?
 We would like manufacturers to To- cate here. We would like the empty houses rented. We wish the real estate market improved and our property in- creased in value.
 Our committee on new enterprises strive faithfully, but how many new have they secured? New will inquire-"How is your assessed? What is the rate of taxes? Are your taxes laid justly, col lected efficiently and expended wisely? Do you get value received for your money? Is your city government run by the best men, Or sometimes by ward politicians and bosses?"
 When these questions can be answer ad favorably, then new enterprises will come here, then the empty houses will De occupied real estate will sell at higher prices. and the city will be pros- porous. The lower freights resulting rom our improved harbor facilities, md from our fine railroad system, will have chance to be appreciated, | md instead of being surpassed by our leighbor Bridgeport as we now are | threatened with, we may hope to rival which has not as good nat Iral facilities as we have.
 The resolution which was finally pass- d by the chamber by large majority, | eads as follows
 Whereas, the chamber of commerce t it's December meeting invited all members and citizens to suggest plans or relief from the oppressive over-as- essments under which so many of our itizens are suffering, and among the T lans suggested one was unanimously pproved by the committee on legisla- ion of this chamber and recommended 0 the chamber for approval, and,
 Whereas, the chamber of commerce t largely attended meeting, after areful consideration unanimously vot- d to approve the same, and directed $ committee on legislation to present to the general assembly for passage, nd,
 Whereas, the bill was so presented nd large number of the members of ne chamber have been to Hartford and dvocated the measure before the gen. ral assembly, and the board of council len of this city have by 0 vote of 22 to directed the corporation counsel to ad- ocate this bill before the committee on ldiciary of the general assembly, now 
 Resolved, by the chamber of conl- lerce that tlis meeting, being the most rgely attended that has occurred in lany years, earnestly requests the )mmttee on judiciary to favorably re-