New Britain herald., 1922-05-22
Collector Loomis Finally Agrees
 10 Take Ouer Personal Tar Work
Decision Follows Conference With Mayor and Corpora tion C0unsel-Will Get No Added Salary.

| AIleT COHIeTenCe tAlS aILefnOOf with Mayor A. M. Paonessa and Corporation Counsel John H. Kirk ham, Collector Bernadotte Loomis agreed to assure the duties of per sonal tax collector without additional remuneration for his work, 1t being understood that any additional ex- penses incurred would be borne by the city.
 | His acceptance brings to an end the controversy over personal tax collec- tions that started Saturday when | Mayor Paonessa announced the resig- nation of J. Willie Mills and the ap- pointment of Mr. Loomis without ex- | tra pay. MT. Loomis issued a state l ment at once in which he said that he had never agreed to handle the job without extra pay, and asserted that he would require the city to pay | him $500 a year in addition to his present s3,000 salary, and allow him S1,o00 for extra clerical help. Mayor Paonessa said he was astounded by the announcement, he having under stood that the collector was perfect ly agreeable to the change. Talks Over Situation MT. Loomis's attitude was un- changed today. Since more than a score of prospective taxpayers were turned away today for want of per sonal tax collector, the mayor called MT. Loomis into his office and in the presence of newspapermen talked over the situation.
 The mayors inquiry as to what Mir Loomis proposed to do brought an answer that his original proposition that for a $500 salary and additional clerk. was still considered by him tc be fair. Mayor Paonessa expressed himself as of another belief. eng- | thy discussion followed in which the Themayor's inquiry as to what MT. mayor insisted that he had received the collectors word that he would handl ethe job without extra compen- sation, while the collector was equal ly as insistant that he did not.
 Charges Politics
 As the discussion became warmer, the mayor addressed the following statement to the collector:-
 Bert, this is nothing more than a political move on your part to show that it would cost you 50 per cent as much to collect the tax as under the former plan. You've listened to a lot of cheap politicians and you've been misled"
 Loomis Agrees.
 Mir. Loomis made no reply to this statement, Asked if he would abide by an opinion of the corporation counsel in which he was charged with the duty of collecting personal taxes, MT. Loomis said he would ask for the privilege of conferring with the corporation counsel first. Judge Kirk ham was then called into the office and gave an oral opinion in the may or's favor, after which MT. Loomis an- nounced that he would assume the task at once.
 Earlier in the day, Mayor Paonessa issued the following statement:
 Paonessa's Statement
 II believe it is the duty of Tax Col lector Loomis to collect the Personal Tax; and I believe it is his duty to cooperate for the best interests of the city.
 Before l accepted Mir Mills resig- nation I talked with MT. Loomis in regard to collecting the personal tax, and my understanding of our conver- sation was that he would collect 1t without any additional personal com pensation.
 T am informed that MT. Hart. the city tax collector in Hartford, collects the personal tax in that city with out any extra personal compensation, and he sends out something like 71, 900 notices and does it all in the month of February.
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