Connecticut western news., 1917-01-25
" UNITED WE STAND"
OVERTAXInG INDUSTRY.

Taxes are not alone the burden of the rich. They inevitably descend along the scale and are generally shared in some proportion by all. When excess sive burdens of taxation emphasize the competitive disadvantages of any com munity for any branch or class of busi- ness that community will invariably suffer a decrease in the industrial de- velCpment aud prosperity of all within its boundaries.
 In many sections of the country re- ports show that industry Is often sub- jccted to continuous and unreasonable burdens of taxes in one form or an- other. This coalition is due in part at least to mistaken public attitude to- ward industrial operations or a prcju- diced. ignorant or indifferent opinion on the part of public officers and politi- clans The history of industrial com munities where such burdens are i'm posed. however. is the best evidence of whether such policy pays anybody.
 Two manufacturers in similar lines uf business, one operating a plant in Massachusetts and the other located in connecticut. were recently comparing notes. They discovered that for every $100 in taxes which the Connecticut plant pays per annHm the MaSSaclIu. setts plant was paying Sl.000, or ten times aS much The answer to this sit nation is that Massachusetts has been falling behind ill the percentage of growth as an industrial state compared with some of her neighbeS'ing commu- nfties where industry is not so often aimed at by burdensOme unnecessary and unreasonable laws,
 The following open letter by J. W. Powell. president of the Fore River f1lass.D Shipbuilding Corporation. ad- dressed to the employees of that com pany in recent issue of their family magazine" The Fore Rfrcr Log, pre- scnts in fair way the average busi- ness mans view on excessive taxation If Industrial plants:
 What is good for Fore River is good for Qnincy. and what Is good for Quinr y is good for Fore kirer
 The oftirerS and employees of this company and their families make up more than a quarter of the population u< the city Their interests are the same as the interest 0. Quincy and of the Fore River Shipbuilding Corpora fi0n
 This company's business is building i ships. which brings us into competi- 1 ton with companies building ships in 1 other States Anything that Fore River must do in this community that other shipbuilding companies do not have to | do in their cities will. i'll the long run. hurt us.
 To-day there are more ships to be 1 huilt than there are yards to build { them. When the war is over there will be more shipyards than there are ships to build. Then the yard that builds the cheapest will take the con- tracts. and the yard whose Costs are highest will discharge its men.
 ''The other big shipyards do not pay big taxes. Some of them pay no taxes at all If you own q house and rent it you add your taxes into the rent. If you rent a house you pay the taxes
 when you pay your rent, so the com
 many must add its taxes when it sells ship.
 Such an assessmentaDd such taxes as have been levied against this company
 this year in Quincy. which is as much
 as the combined cost of its new hos
 pital and club, hurt 1t and will hur,
 you. It is not fair to increase this com
 rany's assessment % per cent and to
 increase it's taxes nearly 50 per cent lis year as against year ago.
 You know that q great part of the