New Britain herald., 1925-06-23
MiNICIpAL TAXES

''N NN Nttah4 lAALS
 The '. S. Department of Com mercc, in s~ning the comparative financial statistics of cities of 3O,- ooO population and over has brought it's latest statistics up to and including the year 1923. This again illustrates the time it requires to 'wrestle with statistics" but taking into consideration that the finances of the 24S cities reported upon arc compared, a splendid birds eye view of municipal hnanc- ing and taxes Is made possible.
 The per capita tax of New Britain Is given in this list as $34.S5; this includes all revenue for municipal purposes This per capita tax is based upon a tax revenue of S2,- 919,9S7 The city is one of the low est taxed cities in the list Of cities between 5O,OOO and 100000 popu- lation, but by no means the lowest On the other hand, the cities in the list with the lowest per capita tax. are not generally regarded as among the most progressive. Such cities, with lower per capita tax than New Britain. are Savannah, Ga, Knoxville, Tenn, Allentown. Pa, St, Joseph, Mo, Little Rock, Ark. East St. Louis, H., Chester and AL toona, Pa, Mobile, Ala. Chata- nooga, Tenn, Covington, Ky Ports mouth, Va, etc.
 Cities that are generally regarded as up-to-date in their efforts to create high class municipalities unt4 formly have as high or higher per capita tax as New Britain and some Of them have a much higher tax. These include Atlantic City. with $9747; Pasadena, Cal, with S99.2G; Holyoie, Mass. with S6S.- 73: Davenport, Iowa, with s49.jS; etc.
 The reaction one gets from the government report is that New Britain has been steering 4 golden middle course. Another reaction is that cities assessed with s com paratively low grand list, as Port land, Me, with $1O4,244,675 - which is not much greater than that Of New Britain -- nevertheless do not escape the more determining per capita tax, this in Portland be- ing $51.S4, There are few cities of reputation which have both a low assessment total and low per cap- ita tax but these are the cxcep- lions.
 In spite Of their huge popuIa- lions, the per capita tax of the metropolitan cities are generally 1 higher than is the case in the smaller cities. That of New York is given at SG9.54; the others are about the same. with Boston hay ing ST. Los Angeles is the highest taxed large city in the country, with per capita tax of $S7.55.
 The honor Of having the highest per capita tax Of any city goes to the ncar-metropolitan center of Seattle, Wash, which has $1OS.27,
 How government under congress sional auspicies compares with local sclf-govcrnment is shown by tht figures for Washington, D. C.. where the grand list is given as Sl,' l75.SGTl17, which nearly equals that of the larger and commercially more important city Of Baltimore and is only half a million dollars lower than Boston.
 One hears considerable Of gov erument taxes, and the need fol that economy" which il is hoped will reduce them. One hears less o state and municipal taxes. or Of th' special DaNes in various states tha do mol show lip Iu the tax rate bu
 which must be pHid nevertheless Go,crnmrnr officials while discuss ing federal taxes. have from tim' io time called attention 10 local anC
 state taxes as equally important t' Inc taxpayer. It IS when surveying consultation Of municipal tax re
 turns such as weigh down thii
 Ia'est government report that on'
 cannot hclp concluding that ther'
 is much ground Tor financial eau
 tion
 In addition 10 the per capita ta' . from rryruuos there is also the pc
 capita debt 10 be considered. Thi
 III most cities is high; that in Nev Britain is listed in the report a s69SA Most other cities show [ . higher per capita debt. but som ' show much lower figures. The dis Q parity in the per capita debt col , umn is very striking, many goin s far over the slO0 mark, others be | ing near the s1n. II is noted, how , p,er tbat ttp mower citieK have tn