New Britain herald., 1915-01-05

content with such an extremely small revenue as compared with the value of the product.
 Changes in Statutes.
 If the present system is to be con- tinued, however in our opinion sew eral of the statutes should be amended so as to allow the assess meat of the franchises to be made at time of the year when it is reason ably practicable to do the work. Un- der the present law the lists are sworn in during the month of Oc1o- Der and from Novem Der first to the first of the succeeding January the assessor does his work. From that date until the fourth Tuesday in Feb ruary, the board of relief is required compelled by law to do work of this it. Manifestly, no one ought to be compelled to do the work of this character during these months. It is not possible to go out in a boat and make investigations on many days during this season and at best it is uncomfortable and results in needless exposure. We strongly recommend changing the date for the swearing in of the lists to June and, for the board or relief hearings to September. and the completion Of it's duties the fourth Tuesday of October. Taxes stxul be due January 1st and payable. without interest, on or before March 1s st, under this plan. During the past two years it has been thought advisable to make physical examinations of certain grounds and this has resulted in q revision of the assessments that has brought Increased revenue into .he state treasury. If the changes sug- gested are made in the taxing stat utes, the making of such examinations will be facilitated; moreover they can be made at the time of the year when work on the grounds is at it's height and thus a better idea of their adaptability for culture gained.
 We also strongly urge 2. change in the phraseology of the section of the statutes which describes the ground, making distinction between
 cultivated and 'uncultivated. Such use of terms is misleading and un- fortunate. It is obvious that a tract may be actually uncultivated and at the same time perfectly adapted to culture. If, for any reason. the own CT sees fit not to cultivate it, or, if, as often happens, it is not being culti- vated at the precise time that the list is required to be sworn in, he is entitled to list it as uncultivated though as matter of fact it is cu1- tivatible and the state is thereby the loser. The statute, in order to meet the plain requirements of the situa- tion and, doubtless, the idea of the person who drafted it, should read cultivated within the last year or adapted to shell fish culture, and not adapted to shell fish culture instead of cultivated and 'uncultivated.'
 Reversion of Franchises. ]
 There is a provision in the gen. eral statutes of 1902, Section 3219 to the effect that if the grantee of a franchise or the holder of grounds does not use and occupy them in l good faith within five years after re- ceiving the grant, it shall be the duty | of the commissioners to take steps l to cause reversion. In 1907 this ] provision was repealed but such ac- tion was very evidently not in the ! interest of the state and, it seems to ] us, must have been taken by the law making body without thorough knowl- ! edge of the conditions. It cannot l fairly be presumed that the legisla- tors, would deliberately and know ingly repeal so salutary a provision. Tn 1913 the committee shell fish cries unanimously recommended that | the provision be re-enacted but ill 1 the end of-the- session rush the re- port was not acted upon There are large areas under franchise that are not under cultivation and it is not a desirable state of affairs. If the | holders of these grounds desire to make use of them for the purpose for which they were granted, they should be given reasonable opportun- ty; otherwise, in our opinion. they should be gotten back into the con- ;rol of the state to the end that they may be granted to some person who 1 will use them. We moN earnest y recommend the re-snactment of he provision referred to.
 According to the statement the re- ,eipts were as follows:
 1912-1913: Taxes collected s25.-l S54.62; new oyster ground franchises, 1 s29S.10; dredging licenses, s676.OO; grants and transfers s52; filing fees, $47; interest on balances. l S199.43. Total, $26,927.15
 She'll Fish Commission.
 1s13-1914: Taxes collected. s29- 971.05; new oyster ground franchises, l $28S.50 dredging licenses. sSO2.50; l recording grants and transfers SIP.