New Britain herald., 1920-03-08
MAYOR EXPLAINS HIS
 (STAND ON TAXATION
lContinued from E'irSt Pase)

posed of six republicans and six dem- ocrats and approved as submitted to the city meeting unanimously by the common council. which body is com posed of both republicans and demo cratS.
 Yet we find that the tax rate is now being made a political carria @a of by d few who have opposed the present administra tion because they could not find favor in administra ion circles.
 As I have said before it behooves he citizens to consider and weigh the criticism of those who oppose the budget as presented by the board of finance and taxation and common council.
 The membership of the commits sion making up the budget is largely composed of successful business men and taxpayers and in d few instances very heaEy taxpayers, it is not un reasonable to suppose, that were 1t possible to conduct the government at a lower rate of taxation that they would have recommended the higher rate.
 "GoVernment expenses have in creased proportionatel with all other expenses during the past three years and they must be met; a government cannot cease to function because of this fact. rather these expenses must be met the same as other expenses. The increased salaries and wages of school teachers. policemen, tiremen. laborers and other enlployes for 1920 over 1919. has been estimated ap proximately at $246.000 or Q. fraction over mills on the present grand list
 ''IS there any taxpayer in the city who considers that these enployes of he city are overpaid?
 Materials of all kinds for the diff ferent departments have steadily in creased in cost. It is necessary to continue the repair of streets. $2O,- 000 was appropriated in the budget for macadam repairs-this has been cut to s1,S00 in the Taxpayers budget.
 Tt was felt by the board of public works that $40,000 would not be too much, but the board of finance and taxation allowed but $20,0O0. We have the macadam streets built What are we to do with them?
 After this severe winter many miles of macadam roadbed will of a,; necessity have to be repaired and in many instances rebuilt. What will the board of public works do with $1,S00? Permanent pavement repairs will cost several thousand dollars. This has been eliminated in the tax payers budget
 "The appropria tion of the charity department has been cut several thousand dollars. cuts are made from Town Home account. outside poor, and hospitals and asyiums. For the Ht-St iro,n in, I,a rt7n f.if pa rtment exceeded it's appropriation last year. Tn order to carry this de- partment through the year, it was found necessary to appropriate an $S, GOO all due to increased cost of foodstuffs for the poor
 "Last year s3,5OO was allowed for snow ana ice to the board of public works. The recent storms alone cost the city sS,o00.
 The text book account of school board was cut to s3,200 from $7,0oO. Over 12.0OO school children to buy text books for, the new budget will per pupil. What citizen desires to cut down on education and yet it is in this department where the bulk of the city's expense lies
 As I said before, politics has en- tered into the question of the tax rate. The administration has been accused of extravaganza. The net debt of the city has decreased $8o,- 6S9.49 during the past six years and the assets of the city have been in creased over $1,000,0oO during the past six years. The following is a partial list of the properties added to the wealth of the city during the past six years time. Prevocational C. I a m III ar
 school .. S16.O00.00 Vocational High School. 193 100000 Osgood Hill School 100000 Elm Street school .... 100000 New Bur1itt school . 2OO,00O.0O Smailey School Land Pur
 chase 4,5O0,OO Grammar school Land
 Purchase 4,500.0O South End Park, North
 End Park . 60,195.79 Town Home Dairy Barn 1I,0Oo.oo Municipal Slaughter House 4.50O.O0 City Garage ... 100000 South End Fire sStatiolf.
 not completed ...... 1S.ooo-oo Water Department Land
 Purchase .... aO,192.Oo
 Total $669, ,4S7.79