New Britain herald., 1920-02-09
SIMONS' NEW PLAN
 FOR LOWERING TAX Association Spokesman Would
 Cut Down Police Force TAKES CRACK AT FACTORIES
Makes Claim That Burden of Assess ment Should Be Upon Industries, Of Relief Board.

of Relief Board.
 In an effort to ascertain just
 how much effect the 2I mill tax
 rate had upon rents in the city,
 particularly those owned by Si-
 mons and prominent members of
 the Taxpayers association made
 today, the Herald met with nothing but rcbuffs. No tenants
 would state that rents had not
 gone up. although one of the un-
 derstandiESs at the time of the
 21 mill discussion a year ago was
 that lowered taxes would keep
 down the costs of rents. Neither would they say that rents had
 been reduced.
 It is safe to assume that there
 has been an increase in rents,
 even though the association was
 able to keep down the tax rate,
 one of the largest costs of buSi-
 ness" for the property owner and landlord. The lowered rate,
 combined with an increased rent
 al, is money in the pocket of the
 landlord.
 Louis Raphael, who is a tenant
 of SimonS and also a landlord
 owning property on Main street,
 refused to discuss increases in
 Main street store rentals. One
 Main street tenant was asked
 how increases had come from his
 landlord but he merely shook his
 head and replied:
 "The story is by far too long to
 tell just now."
 He told of increases from one of the city's most prominent
 landlords amounting to 175 per
 cent. within two years, but could
 not Substantiate the claims. An
 other prominent landlord, he
 clains.- partitioned a store and
 after taking a considerable por-
 ton, from the tenant continued
 the rent at the same high figure.
 Adhering to his statement that q tax rate of 19 mills would comfort ably carry the city in spite of the fact that the pruning committee of the finance and taxation board could see nothing less than 2s mills when they discussed the matter at {. special ses- sion vest erday, Treasurer Isadore Si- mons of the New Britain Taxpayers association, today showed another card which his association proposes to play in it's fight for economy. He an- nounced that the New Britain police force must be cut. Twelve men at least, and probably fifteen could be dropped, he said.
 Prohibition, with the attendant closing of saloons and greatly reduced number of arrests, is responsible for the proposition to reduce the mum Der of policemen on the city's payroll the associations spokesman explained This motion of the Taxpayers will un- doubtedly be fought by the board of police commissioners as the mem bers filed, in their estimates to the finance and taxation board, their intention of appointing six new patrolmen next year and adding to the department by one additional motorcycle policeman
 Due to the high cost of tabor and materials, the common councils meas ure relative to the establishment of a new fire house in the northeastern section of the city will meet with op- position. The association, according to Simons, is not opposed to erecting a station in the Belvidere section oi the city within a few years, but until the reconstruction period is fairly well passed, labpor will be too high to even think of such Q project. he claims.
 Hearing Asked.
 This afternoon the board of relief will be asked to grant Q hearing tc the executive committee Of the New Britain Taxpayers association anC during the course of that hearing . request will be made for a reassess- ment of all factory properties about the city Instead of the S6.0O0,0Of assessment, now standing. they vii recommend $13,o00,0oo This assess ment, SimonS says. is not an abnor. nal one and will be more than 5( per cent. lower than the proportion ate assessment of each individua real estate holder i'll the city. Then instead of paying anything from 10 tc 20 per cent on inveStm ent, the fac tories will be forced to cut down, bu still will be giving a reasonable re turn, the association believes, ant paying proportionately for the city expenses.
 Cites Specific Case.
 Simons cited the case of the Brad, Electric company, assessed for S10, 900 last year and s20.O0O this year an increase of 100 per cent. He ask e why Landers. Frary and Clark. di rectiy opposite was not increased 10t per cent, instead of about 5.
 Regarding the 2S mill tax rate an, Its enect upon rentals should 1t b. adopted, the taxpayer replied that h. was so certain it would be crushed a a city meeting that he would no waste time enough to explain what it effect would be. He said, however that rents could not possibly go high CT than they stood at present withou forcing tenants to the street. Asked ii it was not promised that. in tn, event of the 21 mill rate being ac cepted in lieu Of the 25 rate. rental would not be increa sed. Simons sait it was He explained that propcrt,
 (Coatinued on Eleventh Pagel