Norwich bulletin., 1909-03-17
Especial to The Bulletin )

Hartford, March 16.-Once again the town of Preston is making it's bien- ral effort to get from the Norwich Compressed Air company the amount of taxes which it has always claimed since the fact that the concern was to pay taxes to Norwich on $100.000 be- came known. This time Representa- tive Shedd of Preston has introduced a petition in the house amending the charter of the concern so that Preston can get from it the amount of taxes which it has been trying to collect for several years, and the incorpora- tions committee held hearing on the matter this afternoon. Judge Harry B. Back of Danielson represented the town of Preston, Harrison B. Freeman, Jr., of Hartford, the company; Corporation Counsel Frank T. Brown the city of Norwich, and Attorney A. A. Brown ing the town of Norwich.
 In opening for the town of Preston. Judge Back told of the Compressed Air company being taxed on only $15, 900 worth of property in Preston, where it's plant and main was located, as against S100 900 in Norwich. The provision is that it shall not be faxed on a greater amount than one-quarter of its gross income in Preston, but the amount shall never fall below $15,00 With a grand list of only about half mill lion, Preston has S30,000 debt, mainly for bridges across the Quinebaug riv- CT, which this concern has damaged. Not long ago the state board of equal ;zation added from s100,000 to $15.0O0 to Preston's grand list. The town is poor and has a hard time to raise mon ey to pay it's running expenses. Here is this valuable plant, one end of the dam in Preston and the power house entirely in that town, and yet it pays no proper amount of taxes in that town.
 "This is unjust, unfair, unusual" said Judge Back. Tt puts a burden on the other taxpayers and shields the company in this town. I believe this law is Unconstitutional I'm aware that the courts have held that land may be exempted from taxation when held by a private individual or corporation. but this question has never been brought to the attention of the state courts In the particular form In which it arises in this case.
 Judge Back read from the constitu- ton to show that special privileges are prohibited, and claimed that this repeatedly held such limitations to be. is a special privilege of the simplest kind He showed that to have the gross income of the company go over $60, ,0o0 a year, to which point it would have to go to increase the taxable val uation in Preston under its charter, would require 1t to sell many times the amount of power which it can manu~ facture. '"This Is not only unjust to the town of Preston, but the charter Is unconstitutional" were the words in which he summed up his case.
 Gross Income of Company.
 Attorney Freeman asked Judge Back if it wouldn't be unconstitutional Co amend the charter without the consent of the stockholders, if it was ever done, and if such action would not impair the obligations in the contract between the state of Connecticut and the com- pany which the charter was the show ing of. He asked also if MT. Black knew that the gross income of the con- cern was below S10,00O, and Judge Back answered that he didn't and didn't care what 1t was.
 Would it surprise you to Know that if you get what you want the company will have to pay some $3,270 in taxes 2" asked the Hartford attorney.
 T don't care what 1t would have to pay" replied his Danielson opponent. Preston is not concerned at all in the total amount of it's taxes. If the company chooses to sit down under unjust taxation in Norwich. that is none of our business. We have noth- ing to say about Norwich, and are merely looking out for Preston's rights"
 MT. Freeman claimed that half of the dam and water privilege was in the town of Lisbon, and Judge Back re- piled that such a property was taxed in the town where the mill was locat- ed but that there was no Intent to gouge the town of Lisbon-"or the town of Norwich either"
 To MT. Freeman's statement. in be- ginning the presentation of his case, that the two attorneys had found it impossible to get together on the prop osition, Judge Back entered a denial and said that Mir. Freeman, on behalf Of the company, wanted Preston to