New Britain herald., 1919-05-22
MAYOR QTIGLE1'S MESSAGE.

x ALI eFSlllhS could De devoted no Fore beneficially than to a study of Be annual message presented to the
 bmmon Council last evening by #ayor George A. Quglcy. Whether Ne citizens will agree or disagree with Hs recommendations they should N least give the subjects treated seri-
 $ attention and offer their theories @ @simprovement if they have any. \ Mayor Quigley covers a wide field. Mis message is one of the most ex- @nsive offered in recent years and @e best he has written since assum- office. It points the way to bet @r community and if half his recom- 8 8endations are followed, New Brit &n will advance apprecably.
 N Most important of all is his discus 8on of assessment and taxation. He Mas repeatedly suggested reforms in method of arriving at property &1h1ues and now it appears that action "a to supplant debate. Assessme ent is of M tai interest to every man, whether Ne owns property and pays taxes di- Abct or contributes toward the income M a landlord and pays indirect taxes. 8he subject has been a live issue since ##ae recent city meeting and it is no
 ggeration to say that it is the up- Y ermost question of the day. New Britain is growing and will continue b grow. It must have money to pay
 "a s running expenses. This money
 Mhould be obtained on an equitable Basis. All should pay their propor- 8onate share. Until new system of
 Assessment is adopted this will be inn
 Possible.
 8 There will be some disagreement
 With Mayor Quigley on his proposal transfer the direction of medical #gnspection in the schools from the
 Board of Education to the Board of #Iealth Commissioners. The Board 8f Education enjoys personal in- Mimacv with the schools and with the
 Rhildren. The boys and girls in the 8E schools are in their charge. Under 8heir guidance medical inspection has
 brogressed satisfactorily and the gain a9bf interrupting the program is of N 8loubtful value.
 # Another paragraph concerning &aealth deals with the laying of water 8nains and the installation of d sew
 hge system in the northwest section of Mhe city. In many cases families are 8now dependent on wells for their wa
 ker supply, a situation that should not 8oe allowed to continue. The wells be- Mrome contaminated and arc a continu- @a1 source of epidemics. The project &wouId require a large outlay of Mrnoney but it would be a good invest &ment. Property would increase in Svalue and a partial return would be Mgained. Even if this would not oc- Mcur, the health of the city would be 88safeguarded and a city that does not @take steps to protect the bodies as
 &well as minds of it's men, women and #children is so reactionary in it's ideas
 #fhat it does not deserve to flourish. MBy pushing this matter aside, the #community shirks 8 responsibility of z the first importance. It is a duty that #ehou1d not be longer avoided. 8 Extension of "blind" streets in the &heart of the city should be prosecut- Fed. It will work hardships to some people but it will be of benefit to the #majority The time for such work is we'll chosen. The cost in future years would be enormous.
 < Mayor Quigley will find genera support of his recommendation that a memorial building containing an auditorium be erected, but opinion 8 will not be unified on his plan of pro- cedure. It would he glorious achievement if the building could be tion but the propriety of such an ar a rangement is questionable. The bur. den would rest on a few whose finan, cial strength is a matter of common H knowledge and not equally on all cit izens as would be the case if publi, N money were used. Suitable measures x should be taken to perpetuate the # names of the New Britain soldiers anc 8 sailors who fought the fight of De mocracy and no monument could b. so enduring, so impressive and of sucl utilitarian value as a memorial build Ing.
 a Aside from material affairs, Mayo Quigley strikes a note that will fint ready response when he calls for ri nf X y~i ii La