The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-26
HEAR ARGU I ON PLAN TO lNCREA ASE
 WAFER 60. TAXES
Interests of Small Towns and Cities at Variance in Pro
 posed Measure


 Hartford, March 26-The conflicting interests of small towns and large cit les were the basis of a discussion be- fore the finance committee Wednesday afEernoon on a bill proposing heavier taxation or the property of municipal water companies by the towns fn which their reservoirs are located. The present law provides for tax on the land only of such properties. while the bill calls for the taxation of all it's property. including it's dams, filter beds and pumping stations.
 States Attorney Hugh M. Alcorm presented substitute for the bills which calls for an amendment to the Jaw resarding taxation of land owned E5e appeared as representative Of th@ State Grange. He said that a su- prene court decision made the land on1y of such a holding taxable in the town where it Is located. so that a vs.l- 9aaHle dam owned by the city of Hart ford. in Ldtchfeld county. is not tax able. The substitute provides for the 4axation Of dams. filter beds, pumping stations, etc, by thetoWns in which 9hev. are located He said that he did nok think there was water company m the state which. did not make pnoats.
 Tax Commissioner William H. Cor bin said he was in favor Of the prin- T. Ftreau1s and other resources had been taken away from the towns and the towns should have some return for these resources other than that based on he valuation Of the porperty as Improved farm land The water com panies would have to make very It- Gle increase in their meter rates to meet the proposed tax
 Represeutative Shaw of Bedding though the word dam ought to be in . s = plicatfcns later He thought dams ought to be taxed just as much as fac- Mortess He told of revenue lost to the 4c7u Of Easton by reservoirs Of the asEagsport Hydraulic company.
 Arthur Sherwood Of Esaston, nnsA- ter Of the State Grange, said that al though no action had been taken by the grange as state organization many or it's competent units had pass sed FesoIutions favortng the proposed flavor of it M
 Edward M Day, representing the Hartford water board, said that 1t was principle of law that the prop of one town could not be taxed in nother town. He cited recent op ion of the Connecticut supreme court in the case of West Hartford against the Hartford water board, in which the reason for this principla is said to De that the power or taxa tion ifs power involving sovereignty which does not exist betw cen towns Th@ United States does not tax the State of connectfcut Hartford does not fax the state or county buildings within it's borders They should recog- nize the sacredness of this principle in spite Of the appearance Of men who ask he passage of this bill for the benefIt Of some one town This qlles-. tiou Has been before legislative com mittees at many previous sessions. Al 17jaz 7C1 came crystalfzed into the idea that al land taken by water companies whether farm land or swamps. should be listed for tax purposes as Improved farm land. Tn 1913 this amendnent be- came law. The companies, as a result paying taxes on this land on "a ba- sis not of what they are worth but t5rs than tlley are worth