The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-12
CITIES TO
 PAY HALF Burden of State Tax Falls Lightly on Small Towns
 of Connecticut BRIDGEPORT'S SHARE.
 BE SOME $so, 900 Believed that Bill Unani- mously Adopted by Senate
 Will Pass House
State Treasurer Patten In dicates that Tax May
 Become Permanent

Become PermanenI
 In order to meet state deficits Bridgeport in 1909 and 1910 will prob ably be obliged to make a direct con- tribution to the state. totalling more than $50 900. The bill to lay a state tax for. one half mill has passed the Senate with such unanimity as to warrant the belief that it will pass the House. The arguments in favor of the bill have been carefully made to show that the revenue derived will come almost entirely from the cities and larger towns. How this point is brought, forward to influence the small town vote. so strong in the House. will be perceived in the remarks of State Treasurer F. E. Patten, made before the Finance committee of the General Assembly. which are here in part giy- en. It is thought that the state tax once imposed will remain a fixture, al it for two years Treasurer Patten said:
 .As understand, from the reading there are two bills here. one for a mill tax and one for half a mill. |. 'T appear in favor of the one half mill tax because if I thought the one mill tax would .go through I would have something to say of that
 
 From the half mill tax we would get $516, ,76S. Of this tax Hartford would pay s45,390 and New Haven $5S,156. These two would pay the largest amount which would be 25 per cent of the total Those two towns together with Bridgeport, Waterbury, Stam- ford, New Britain and Norwich would pay 50 per cent of the whole tax.
 Bridgeport would pay $37, ,25Q
 Waterbury would pay $27,938.
 HSfanford would nav $15007.
 '-New Britain would pay s15,S46.
 Norwich would pay $10,955.
 "The last. 25 per cent of the tax would be met by the Al smaller towns. I will tell you what the four smallest towns would pay.
 Marlborough $69.00.
 Chaplin $7S60.
 Union $SS.50.
 Ashford $105.00.
 All these figures would be for one year."
 The last state tax was in 1889 for one mill.N
 Treasurer Patten continued: ."The General Assembly of 1907 made no provision to meet the bonds which become due next year. This bill was introduced to meet that $874,
 There is no denying the fact. that our, expenses are greatly in excess of our receipts and we want to be in a position to meet these expenses.
 According to the figures that I gave yon s41e.76s would be raised a year and both together for the two years would make some $S32, 900 and the list would be greatly increased, so that this E mill tax for the next two years would take care of the bonded indebt- edness.
 'sThe question might be asked, would it be a permanent matter? This is a bill simply for two years and after that it would be up to the General Assembly to decide.
 0ro " rin a. sons that might be. given why we should have a tax. I think you will agree with me that if we~are going to have a little tax from each town we would take a little more interest in them than we do. I've have grown and developed un- til we need more than we needed twenty-five years ago. It costs more to run the state than it did twenty five, years ago.
 "As. a state we have got to have more income to pay our bills. This state tax is not going to pay all of towards it. It is going to meet this obligation which we are obliged to meet"
 Senator Arnold inquired if in some instances would it not be likely that ksone ofs the towns would have to have a bond to meet that, such as Bridgeport?
 MT. Patten replied, "A city of the size of Bridgeport. could raise the money without a bond issue.'' He said,
 T claim the right to make every one of these towns pay the state tax. claim it as I claim there is every reason why we have to have it. Take | the matter of our schools. We are paying s2.25 for each scholar. We paid out within the last ten years over $500 900 to these towns for school purposes and that does not cover it all They are receiving from the | state a good deal of assistance and we are perfectly justified in asking them | to gay.
 .eThe estimated amount of running | expenses continued the treasurer, "is | a great deal more than our receipts We get out s4.0O0, 900 to meet our ex- penses and pay our bills. | ..The railroads pay of the ,0Ot approximately $1 ,5OO, 900. I don't want to say that they should not pay more but it is a pretty fair tax The banks give us s555,OOO and the insurance companies give us $366, ,O00 The last | inheritance tax revenue was S27S,OOO." Funeral services over the remains O.
 Ill.,