Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-22
TIE BOND C0nnII|I|'H
Ssns af In Ahsl1 nsglhgs, 0hsIs Do Ha- -Nllt k Aeelel2

It ts lOubtf5M if the bond issue commission will hold another meeting although some of them think that tho mayor owes 1t to them to attend . session and have them do something or agree to disagree and be given an honorable discharge. It would appear from what was said in the informal talk Tuesday that the real source of the trouble in Waterbury 10 due to tho irregularity in the system of taxation and probably If the commission does make recommendations, one will Do that the city attorney be requested to present to the general assembly an amendment to the charter bringing sections that are ripe for public i'm. provements Into the full taxation dis trict. When the act of consolidation was passed nobody dreamed that wa ter mains extensions or other public improvements would be carried on in the outside districts until after the charter had been amended, 90 as t0 make the burden of taxation equal. Prior to this water consumers were charged 25 per cent moro than those on the inside, but owing to an over- sight this was knocked out by the act of consolidation, but later an amendment was passed authorizing the aldermen to charge ten per cent extra to outside consumers. This was considered rather small amount when 1t went through the board of aldermen, but insignificant as it Is no administration ever had the backbone to put it into effect, and as conae- quence consumers who pay none of the interest on the water bonds, con. tribute nothing towards the redemp- tion of bonds, the extension of water or maintainance of the system get water at the same rate as those who carry all these burdens. When one stops to consider this he ceases to wonder at the pressing demand for public improvements in districts where property is not taxed for that class of work. It Is trihe different with the schools. When town school district feels dissatlfled with the educational facilities 1t its dispO- sal 1t has the right to vote to como Into the full taxation district where by paying the regular school tax 1t will have all the advantages afforded by the city schools, but in tho other case the city has to take the initiative and petition the legislature to bring them in. This Is something that is not likely to happen very soon. for no man with political aspirations cares to run counter with those who would be affected by such chance, and people who are coercing their neighbCrs into giving them something for nothing are not apt to make . move towards adding to the size of their rate bids. With an equitable system of taxation in all the dlstricta the highest rate would not exceed ten mills on the dol- lar while under the present plan some are paying twice as much az others and to make things worse the ones who are paying the least are making the most noise about improvements. The first question put to pettboners for such improvements as the present charter did not contemplate they should have, Is, are you willing to be taken into the second district and pay on the same basis as those wno have city Improvements? If this Is answered in the afnrmaUve then steps should be taken to have the law changed, but not hand should be turned until the question of taxation Is adjusted. If man prefers to live In the country he has 10 right to ex- pect city improvements unless he makes them at his own expense. A pubGc spirited citizen who lives in the outside district told a reporter to-day that he longs for the time when the board of aldermen will eQualise the rate of taxation, but he declared that he has a notion that he VIII be dead and forgotten before that cones to pass, because there are v0ters on the outside as well as on the inside and public men are not cutting rods to whip themselves wnh.