New Britain herald., 1921-05-19


 corporate and otherwise, in not com blaming about the large increases is very commcndable. and the work Of each week demonstrates the value of what Is being done in the discovery and correction of former errors or omissions in property boundaries and listments.
 Sewerage Problem.
 With the net sewer debt of s917.- Zs2.tS. with perhaps s35,O00 in as- sessments to collect. some of it trail- ing along for years. and s25, 900 col lectable when properties arc built upon. our system of assessing for building sewers is in my opinion al- most a farce. By placing the cost of disposal, maintenance and trunk lines on the public. and also about two thirds of the cost of the street lines. | while We are still facing damage suits. sa we'll as paying damages occasion ally and plenty of prospects ahead: also, cooperating with the state au- thorities on experimental work to the tune of several thousand dollars per year. and still large sections of the city to be severed and trunk lines to be provided, is only part of the ex- pense staring us in the face. The l so-called Stanley Quarter section has been surveyed and it is planned to connect with the trunk line sewer to the sewer beds. at a cost Of probably s30o.o00 or more. If our engineers are correct in their reports. we have another experience ahead of us. which will bs rather an expensive and diff hcult job. The Judgment of our predecessors in charge of sewer work was not far sighted enough to build fnT tho gfft-fS fat duently. the trunk lines collecting the surface water and the sewage for the sections north of Myrtle street and west of Hartford avenue are now in- adequate 10 carry anything over the normal every day flow. Therefore, when there is a heavy rainstorm there is back flow into basements and eel lars, and there arc still many streets to sewer and connect up, and still room for many more in that section. To rip up Hartford avenue, East Main. Lafayette. Main and Myrtle streets and build one or possibly two more large trunk mains will be great expense, as well as annoyance to the public. II will also mean new pave ment most of the way. Most of these matters should be taken up and settled this year or next.
 "The treasurcr's books show for the past year that there was expend- ed sI07.sst.72 for sewer work, and as near as can be ascertained. taking the amount collected, s17.eII.s7 and the probable assessment on other sewers built but not passed upon by the board of compensation and assess ment means a total return to offset the sfoT,s6+72 of s3s.s52. leaving us s7o.oo0 10 the bad. as far as returns in cost are concerped-
 Unemployment Situation.
 Business depression has been the cause of a large number of our peo- pie being thrown out Of work during tho past six or eight months. and while New Britain is not as hard hit as a good many other cities in the state. there arc large number of people here who have not had work anywhere from nine months ago up to the present time. During the win ter there were many complaints made to me, with requests for work. This spring the dems nd became more pro- nounced. and In order to bring the matter more prominently before the public. I endeavored to secure a cen sus oi tho unemployed through vol untary applications. This resulted in some fifteen or sixteen hundred peo- pie signing applications for work. Judging by the class of applicants, it is apparent that they are only a part of the idle workers, and evident ly many Of the people do not care 10 make their wants known. The inter- est shown and the large demand for work has resulted in the establish ment of a temporary municipal em- ploymcnt offfce, which your honorable body gave the authority to start, also the appointment of an employment committee to act in an advisory ca pacity. The applications have been classified, and work supplied to quite n large number of the most needy. with the expectation of caring for nearly every one eventually. The diff ferent city departments have cooper sted in compiling the information re- qaired- and those who could furnish employment have assisted in every was possible. H has resulted in a large number having secured employ ment for a short time. and VIC are In hopes that through the funds the city has Arranged to raise through a bond issue. to enlarge our activities in the way of work through the board of public works and the water depart ment. 20 as to satisfy those who arc willing to do work of that character. From present indications it will ba nec~aenry for the city 10 continue this plan for some time.
 Tho Rent Proposition.
 The shortage of rents is not a, acute ss year ago. but the prices have not dropped materially. Human