New Britain herald., 1916-05-20
Town Topics

Quigley's annual message to the
 council was a satisfactory, moderate
 and carefully prepared article, show
 ing him to be cognizant of the needs
 of the city and having a desire to
 improve on certain conditions prin-
 cipally the trolley and telephone ser
 vice, the sewage disposal and property
 taxation. Regarding the trolley ser
 vice, it is a fact that in the south
 eastern section of the city there is
 considerable property that needs
 only trolley extension to develop it into thriving community. Many
 new houses have sprung up within
 the past year or two in this section,
 particularly in the vicinity of Ellis
 street and the district south from
 there to South street which a few years ago was open fields. Trolley extension in the northwest has been secured and it is right to direct efforts for similar improvements in pro-
 perty just as valuable to the south for the citys expansion, especially since the erection of the factory near the Ellis street bridge.
 Property taxation is another salient point, and one well taken, in His Honor's message. Property assess ment is by far the most important cog in the municipal wheels as it is by this means that revenue is received to make the wheels turn round. No method of taxation calling for tho expenditure of money by property owners will ever be popular, but as it is necessary evil is it not better to evolve a system that will be en1in- ently fair to all, rather than go along in the same old rut whereby some who are reaping greater profits, do not have to pay for them in corl- menSurate manner and other little fellows, who are not profiting, pay just as high? The solution is to have a board of assessors to devote it's entire time to this end. Property should be assessed at it's real value at date, rather than otherwise. As communities develop the property be- comes more valuable, owners can demand higher prices, and according ly they should be compelled to pay a higher tax. Wisdom of this last has been seen by the council which authorized the mayor to name a com ittee of six to go deeply into the mat ter
 When Mayor Quigley inserted in his message that the present sewage system is a "confessed failure" he was not exaggerating a particle. Not only is the present system confessed failure but it is also an expensive failure for the city, although to some of the farmers of Kensington, Berlin and Cromwell it has been a some what lucrative issue inasmuch as they have derived thousands of dol lars revenue in damage suits A sat isfactOry solution of this problem cannot be made too quickly and the mayor suggests an experimental sta- ton for year at cost of S15,000 to try and solve it. It would be a good plan were committee appoint ed from the council members to act immediately, in conjunction with two or three competent engineers, in bringing to public attention prices and possibilities of many plans. By process of elimination a satisfactory solution of the problem might be reached. Full powers in the matter should not, however. be given until it is exhaustively investigated.
 But although the mayors message was generally acceptable there are some items which should be closely questioned; chiefly his suggestion to have the city retain the Burritt school property which is to be given up as soon as the new Burritt school on the Farrell property is built and remodel It into new police head quarters and court house. At present headquarters are deplorably inade- quate., With the present force there is not sufficient quarters for the men and when the ten new appointments are Ia +o them. The cellroom too, is rapidly growing congested, especially on Sat urday nights and holidays. The court room has become a joke. Tn the first place it is small, as is the prison CTS pen which is oftimes crowded. The spectators gallery is usually crowded and when an interesting case is on many have to be turned away But the most serious fault with the court is the noise. A court room should be -onducted in digni- fled manner, but with the puffing locomotives continually switching nearby and heavy trucks rattling through this street it is oftimes ne- cessary to suspend business until the nolse subsidies. It does not seem practical to utilize the Burritt school and property for a police station. It IS a far too valuable corner and from both a civic and economical point of view it would seem that the best policy would be to sell the property for business purposes. It is easily worth $150,000. To remodel the old building into police station and court might cost $50,O0O more thus bringing the total value to the city up to $200, 100000 from which no ap- preciable income would be derived. Opinion seems to be that for the bet torment of the business district as