New Britain herald., 1919-02-24
MINISTERS TALK ON
 TAX RATE IN CITY
Rev. WIZ. Cook and Rev. 6. N. C.
 Hill Urge Flocks to Attend Meeting
FAVOR EDUCATIONAL FUNDS


 ton Has Selfish Motivcs-Iiefcrs to
 McNlahon's Supposed Grievance. Both Rev. Warren F. Cook and Rev. pr. G. w C. Hill, ia speaking from their respective pulpits yester- day. took occasion to call their par lSntoncrs' attention to the coming titS tleCting. the need of up-tO-the-mlhu'o educational facilities in this cltE "''', tho so-calIcd New Britain TaAPaN0,o association Both clergNmcn HPO'r0 rather disparagingly of thls aS9oCi'' tion, seemingly being of the opliilo' that the members, to il great extent .<were actuated by a selfish mo'lN0 %more than anything else
 Rev. Warren F. Cook at the MeIho- dist church, took occasion to say 'o his people that he thought theE' "S Wgood citizens. ought to go to the Cl amman school hall on "Wednesday night of this week, when the 4ueS'lo'i of the tax rate is to be settled.
 Interested In school Matters.
 Mir. Cook said that ne was chleny interested il the question regarding the public schools of the city ana that certain statements appearing m tue x public press were misleading Il not false. '"The comparison of the h. crease of expense in the school budget of New Britain and Hartford coulo not be used as an argument or eA- travagance against our school aulhof- itics as the two systems are upon all entirely different basis. Ihe HaFtlo'u u schools are upon the old district SS S- tenn, and each district has It's Scho0l wommittee which has the power to lay
 +IoD schools of that district so that the general school expenses of Hartford do not appear in their estimates TOT the town government, but the New Britain schools are not upon this old district system and the school eH- penses do appear as part ol tie town or city estimates.
 Hartford Spcnd>, More.
 R The facts are that Hartford IS eH- pending considerably more for her schools, per capita, than the city or . New Britain. While we are spending S38 Hartford is spending $oS per capita for the education of her schooi children. New Britain is spending less for the education of her children in proportion to her size than any other city of the state.
 A Must Pay Teachers Better.
 
 ford to neglect, no matter how much it costs We will go a long way to get a moro efficient head for our . schools than our present superintand- cnt. The same can bC said or the N principal of our high school These men are not only efficient but men oi she very highest character. They are endeavoring to gather around then teachers of the same kind. This can not be done for nothing. Teacher! V. are not going to come to New BrltAlr and teach for from $200 to $500 year less than they can get in neigh boring cit'\1 just for the love of New Britain. We have got to pay salarie: ~ equivalent to those paid in other cities P we expect to get similar results.
 Outlines Civic Improvements.
 'Everything has been going. up in price during the past four years, l don't see how we can expect to run the city government upon progress sive basis and keep to the old figures of four years ago. We have de- A yeIoped during the last four or five Years a most efficient health depart ment; we have added this year a de- partment who is also principal of z of the utmost importance to our city and the superintendent of that de- partment, who is also principle of the evening schools, has already dem onstrated that he knows his business and that he is going to develop for us a work among our foreign neigh Rbors which will be incalculable.
 Slams Taxpayers Association.
 We must look ahead in these mat ters and certainly must not decide simply upon the basis of persona financial interest. AS far as l have been able to follow the argume ents of the so-called Taxpayers associa ton they are not asking Us to thinl much ia arther than this. I may bt wrong. If I am I am willing to bt convinced I intend to go to the meeting on Wednesday night and hea what each side has to say. I thinl ii is the duty of all good citizens tC go to that meeting and vote no simply for the tax rate that will sui the pocketbook but for that rate O tax which is necessary to maintain tand advance the highest welfare 0 all the interests of our city. It would be a pity after the unseltisn way il which we have backed up the higl interests of humanity in the Worlt battle for justice and righteousn es if we should now begin to slip bacl into the old "Its of Self-1ntereSt dn( self-suficiency.
 About Property Valuation.
 Tt may be that we need a nev property valuation in our city tha will be equitable 1 do not know It does seem, however, that sucl might be the case when propert which has been valued at $45,000 l raised to $6O,000, against the urgen nrotnSt of the nMner who sells wit h