The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-21
GOVERNOR BALDWIN
TALKS ON TAXATION

HGsNO Wv 11Nr IEOAs
In his address to the business men
of Hartford, this week, Governor S. E.
Baldwin said:
The business men of Connecticut
are carrying Connecticut. Our far
| mers make their farms support their
families, and generally have a little
left over to sell. But our agricul-
ture does not support state that is
spending four or five millions a year.
Our business men are it's main sup
| port.
I have gone into a new business,
! myself, this year, and quite an eX-
| tensive one. It is the business of
trying to keep the expense Of the state
| within it's income. 1t is pretty
good income, and solid one. Most
of those who are taxed statewise
| can't move away or hide their pos
| sessions. They are mainly our rail-
roads and banks and insurance COM
panies and towns. They all seem to
think that they are taxed as high as
they ought to be.
L could tell you of one interest in
the state that is not paying the tax
! es it ought to pay. 1t is the bond
| holder and money lender How many
! g you think of the taxable bonds.
and notes, owned by individuals in
|
In the state tax list, where 81 a year
is the tax on each $1,000 of such prop
| erty, some thlrty-Seven million Of them
appear In the town tax lists where
1 if they catch them-the tax is gen.
orally much higher the returns show
that taxes are paid on something like
| $3,000,000 The two together sum up
| $40,0O0,0 900. I believe that $40,000.0O0
| more bonds and notes escape taxation
altogether. Some of our investment
I h lxy I'll hi
| They often advertise bonds for sale
| as non-taxable, which are taxable;
and those who buy them on this as
! surance never returns them for tax
| alton. Look over the inventories Of
| estates in the probate offices and then
of the man who has died, and many
| is the case where he will be found
| to have owned bonds when he died,
which ought to have gone into the tax
| lists and never did.
| This Is the reason why our laws al
| low men who are honest enough to
| list their bonds for taxation, or have
| got other peoples bonds in their
| hands, to list them statewise at four
| tenths of mill. 1t may be doubted
| if so many would be listed there If the
| tax were as high as the average town
| tax.
On the whole, I am inclined to think
| that we have got all the state taxes
except oyster grounds, about as high
| as Is worth while. But the revenue
received does not at present equal
the money spent, or imperatively de-
| manded. Some of this Is spent for
permanent mprovements-new build
| ings and new land purchases. But
| with these out it is still true that we
| are running things on a very narrow
margin-too narrow a margin for safe
| ty.
The remedy is simple. Reduce the
Consolidate some of these offices.
Abolish some more Of them. Strike
| off some Of these men from the state
| payroll who are not earning their
| wages. Buy state supplies in the
| cheapest market. Have g. state pur-
veyor who buys them in large quanti-
ties, and gets US the benefit of the
low prices that go with large purchas-
| es.
The corner grocery, nearest to the
| state institution. Or nearest to the
heart of it's local officer in charge of
purchases, will not be in favor of
| such change. But is it not good
| business sense? I want to have the
business of the state of Connecticut
managed as we'll as any private bus
inspected by competent man with a
| competent staff, acting without fear
| or favor. You can find such men,
| and find them without going out of
Connecticut. Gentlemen, I wish you
business men, in your thirty-seven
mems associations would take up this
business of state economies with the
same spirit and earnestness with
| which you have taken up the public
| utilities bill.
And let me add one word more.
| How much of the time Of our Gener-
| al Assembly is taken up with special
legislation? Half of it, at least Why
do so, many states get through their
legislative sessions in half the time
Jersey Legislature closing up this
week? And the New Hampshire Leg
islature? Most of our states have
constitutional provisions that forbid
special legislation, where general laws
can be drawn to cover the ground for
the benefit of all.
A measure to put such provision in
to our Constitution is now before the
House committee on constitutional
That means (for this Year, only that
the House should propose it for the
consideration of the next General AS
sembly. Unless the House does so
propose it, it cannot be considered by
the next General Assembly at all. If
you think well Of such a constitutions
al amendment see some member Of
the committee I have named, and tell
him SO. Give the state you live in
the benefit of your business judg-
ent in all these matters. The bust
ness which our General Assembly is
now engaged in is your business.
| ask you to help, and to help actively
by your advice and counsel, in seeing
that it is done right.
THE SOUND SLEEP