New Britain herald., 1917-09-29
T0u,n Topics

4 ODH L WICS
If protests are unavailing and the
six cent trolley fare becomes effective
1t will not be the first time that New
Britain people have had to pay odd
cents for trolley rides. Within COM
paratively few years the car fare to
Plainville was eight cents. That was
before the Connecticut company took
over the line. The fare was five cents
to Cooks, which allowed the passen-
ger to ride as far as Shapes house
at Electric field. If the passenger
went further it cost five cents more,
but II on boarding the car in New
Britain with the intention of going
through to Plainville was announced,
the fare was but eight cents.
Although the matter of one addi-
tional cent seems a small affair, new
theless those having occasion to use
the trolley cars frequently will find
that it amounts to considerable in the
course of a year. There are hundreds
of New Britain people who work in
Hartford who so to their business and
return on the trolley. There are
scores who live either in Plainville,
Newington, Maple Hill or Berlin who
also have to patronize the trolley
every day. For those who work in
Hartford it will mean four cents ad-
ditional each day. For the purposes
of estimation it would thus appear
that it will cost these people "a cents
a week. Sc cents month or spas
per year more than under the five
cent fare system. Those living within
the five cent zones such as Berlin,
P19invi11e and 1,,{11 ho,,o
pay about 1924 per year more for the
service which, it is said, has not i'm
proved materially in number of
years. ~-~
This Is a great nfe," say our
friends In the army and the navy
mo matter how poor we do our work
they won't fire u.s."
When Mayor Quigley, in his annual
message. called attention to the asses
sors' report and declared that there
are hundreds of families in the city
who have valuable household furnish
ings and jewelry that they did not de-
| clare and did not pay taxes on the
general public agreed that this should
be rem edied; that the assessors should
be more searching in their work and
should insist that valuable furniture
| and jewelry be declared and taxed.
Now is the time for the people to
practise what their mayor preached
and what they themselves echoed.
Soon property owners and others
must be filing their property lists with
the assessors and if the city's income
| is to be increased as expected 1t is up
to the public to declare their proper
fv foi1 r. ID a{, kJ,4
| sors should make out a separate list
for them and then add the 10 per cent
| fine allowed by law. In this manner
! they would be brought to a realization
| Of the fact that they must pay. For
| the purposes of information it might
be explained that all jewelry valued in
excess of $25 is taxable, and so Is
household furniture in excess of $500
valuation. Even farm tools used are
taxable If they total more than 5000
in value and private bank accounts in
excess OF $500 are likewise taxable.
The Hartford assessors tell story of
! a Hartford man who never declared
his wealth so they listed it at $4,000,
| put on the 10 per cent lne, and he
paid without a murJhur. The next
year 1t was boosted to $4,000 and the
| third year, when the man did not de-
clare his wealth, it was raised to $751;
900 and still he paid without\ COM
| ment When on the fourth year 1t
was fixed at 100000 the man visited
the board with blood in his eye. Gee
Whizz," he said, 1--WE got SIS, 900 all
right, but 1 haven't got 100000 and
don't propose to pay a tax on it," In
this way they got him to declare his
| taxable wealth. Another thing in
/
everybody does not know Is that If the
estate of a deceased party shows it to
be over $4,000 and it has not been
previously declared fine of q per
cent. for the past five years may be
collected.
People, particularly those about
the center of the city, should remem-
Der that there is an ordinance prohib-
iting the building of bon-fres before
the hour of A. M. or after P. M.
Likewise there is an ordinance prohib-
iting storekeepers from sweeping any
refuse from their stores across the
sidewalk and into the street.
The much mooted question Of Am
I My Brothers Keeper is answered
and refreshingly too, in these days of
every man for himself, by the action
of the local Hebrew in rallying to the
defense of one of their race who Is
charged with a hideous crime. Total
strangers of the accused man are con-
tributing generously to a fund for his
defense and all of his faith stanchly
continue in their belief that he is In
nocent until proved guilty. The man
ner in which those of the Jewish
faith stick together in time o6/trouble
is proverbial, but was never better IL
Illustrated than by this example right
here at home. To this contrast the
adaf In 11Ihioh q lY11naf q