New Britain herald., 1915-04-10

it contracts an additional indebtedness
 for a new lighting plant or purchas-
 ing the one already ip existence. the cost of which would be very large.
 New Britain has done a gread deal in
 the line of education, it has built and
 IS still building new schools and they
 cost money. People are complaining
 about the taxes and yet it does not
 seem as if the rata is any too high, all
 things considered. To add to all this
 the state is seeking its pound of flesh
 and there does not appear to be any
 way by which it can be successfully
 opposed. Some of the Connecticut
 papers and some of the statesmen in
 the same state have been preaching
 the doctrine that the state tax is d
 money saver and move in the inter
 est or economy and there are others
 who believe it. but when New Britain
 comes up with the seventy odd thou
 sand dollars which it is expected will
 be our share of the sum demanded
 by the state there may be reversal or
 opinion so far as this city is con
 coded. Then again, if it takes away some of the liquor license money, as 1t proposes to do. the taxpayers will
 have an opportunity to do some seri- C1'o IiiliIhIllS uS lO expenses ana -Lnc question of taxation.
 The board of public works has been considering the matter of street sprlnkling with automobiles and it proves to be a most perplexing one. mere appears to be some doubt IS to whether auto sprinklinc is inst what is wanted but the board pro poses to investigate the question and If 1t is found feasible it will recolt- mend that two machines be purchased Tn preference to making a contract for their use. In the meantime the H. R. Walker company will continue to do the cart sprinkling for another year. That sounds like a sensible course to take because in the first place the matter of street sprinkling is a very important one and in ar ranging to have it done the greatest care should be exercised. The board seems to have the right idea of hay ing the city do the work if it is found desirable to make a change. There is no doubt but that the city will event ually do it's own sprinkling and if there are to be any new steps taken 1t Is very desirable that the direction be noted with care because as the years pass and new sections are opened up it will be necessary to ex- tend the work and the task that is big now will be much larger then and so will be the expense. It can be easily figured out that with the apparatus on hand the city can do this work than by letting it out by con- tract. The great difficulty heretofore has been that sufficient time was not had to look into the matter, but now the board has gone at it early enough and can have all the necessary infor- mation and data by next year and can go into the business if it chooses to do so. There is no doubt but that to a street properly it is neces- Sary to go up one side of the street ! and down on the other side because 1 no cart, can throw the water far | enough to cover the entire width of | the street on one trip. This has been l determined by trial and observation and there is no one who knows it as well as the members of the board of public works. They are going at the problem the right way this time.