New Britain herald., 1925-01-29
CITY'S GRAND LIST REFLECTS GROWTH

hAi'h l'i4N . bhoN III
 That New Britain within a fcw-I years will pass into the class Of cities having s1o0oo0,Oo assess mcn.s appears certain, judging from the preliminary estimates of the present total Of $9G.00o000 at the office Of the board Of assessors.
 With the city growing relatively faster than any other city in Con- necticut, with the building boom here more pronounced than in any other city in the state. with q record ot being among the leaders in the percentage Of homes owned by per- sons living in them, with Q grand list that is lcapnE ahead with re- markable speed, with a high average Of funds per capita in the banks, with clean and wclI-paved streets, a city administration and an cduca- tlonal system efficiently anI cco- nomica1ly administered what more could be asked in the nature of ma torial cain@
 A Hartford newspaper recently opnod that if New Britain con- tinucs it's growth the time may come when We may annex that suburb, al- though admitting this contingency was not yot imminent, there being disparity of So.ooo in population between the two cities. Hartford had Nu carly start but is not maintaining its leading anything like the expected proportion and the So,ooo difference doesn't look appalling. Much can happen in 5o years.
 It is gratifying 10 all citizens that progress in New Britain is not one sided. Although there is a steady and rapid growth, the advance in building, which observers say be- gan in earnest last year, is taking care Of housing conditions 10 better effect than in most other cities. The reason for this is that New Britain has an apparent future that appeals to builders, offering them decent profit without at the same time forcing speculation that may go against them in a few years.
 It is often said-somctNos in a derogatory spirit-that Now Britain leans heavily toward being a work ingman's community" This is a foolish argument if it is spoken in a spirit of caustic criticism. A city of industry is by its nature a good city; it produces and distributes wealth gathered from the four cor ncrs of the nation, if not the globe. It is q city where business and the securing Of bread and butter is made possible 10 q ,argH number; and compare the results with the cities where there is little or no in- dustry. more isolated trading posts for the surrounding countryside,
 There is another class of city that stands high in the bread and but ter class, and New Britain is such a one a1so-a commercial city, Com morce is an inevitable concomnant of industry. and if is true that New Britain is an mIos,rIaj marvel, it is also true that it stands high as Il commercial ely. for commerce is inoxtricably hound mp with tho marketing 0. is vast production Of products that contribute 10 the well fare Of mankind.
 Then, if it is couu:orod that man does no. live by bread alono,' il may he rcpicI that New Britain is very w<ll aware of that fac, and doesn't do so in the has'. Those who quote t]us phrase as applying to citios or iuInIIuuIs-usua'.y in a derogatory m,au5ng-o1arlook rha' the finer things of life rarely comC 10 those communities who lack th( means to insure their coming. Where industry lags everything cIse-iI' cludlng the intellectual and spritua accessories of nfe-usua)ly are tack ing also. Where industry and com mcrce are most defined, there als' one usually will find the "higho things" also existing, or are possible of development to their best frui tion.
 Naturally, We might not have at much leisure for the higher things as an assortment of wealthy citizens living in a modern Babylon. Bu Britain has no ambition 10 become replica Of any Babylon, We ruI more in the nature of 6 L-+nChester