New Britain herald., 1927-12-27
NO TIME. TO START SpICIN TAXATION

Nt f-N ItsS tNNNI1'N
 Being on the outlook for addition al revenue is one Of the prerogatives Of every city. The power 10 fax may be the power to destroy, but it also is the kind Of gasoline which makes the civic wheels go round.
 II is easy to be "on the popular side" in taxation matters; merely tavortns no taxes al alI or at best only a slight touch, means popularity among the folk directly affected.
 T. works both ways, however, for there are always some who don't mind seeing something they don't like receive the full weight Of the taxation pilrdrlycr.
 Thus there is agitation within the gates of the city, Somebody has made the suggestion that certain enterprises are not getting taxod--or the city is not obtaining lis pound Of flesh from the enterprises. Said pub uc beuogactors. as they would pre- ter to be known, are the promoters of basketball, polo and other in door sports,
 The idea seems to Lo that as hospungled waietcoal boys promoting boxing houts,pay a fee for the right 10 present their exhibitions, the other sport promoters also should be compelled to pony up the where withal that helps to pay for street paving and interest or city bouas. Its a grand idea, but il is no pleasure 10 bc an innocent bysrmdcr around a hornets nest when the iposly critters a'. brisjlius with 4anscr
 1 Lump'ns alI sports into one bag i is no way 10 separate the taNablcs ! from the untaHab,r. There Is a diff 1 ference between basketball and boxing. for instance; and merely be- cause an admission is charged is no clear criterion for judgment. There are expenses attached to everything and the necessary outlay must he ob- tainod from some source, and the { spectators are the logical folk to pay the freight.
 : Some sports are commercial enter 1 prises They obtain more encourage 1 mcnt than almost any other line or human cndcavor, as the sport pages i of the newspapers amply testify ! They obtain sobs of free advertising merely because large numbers of the public are interested. or because it is a custom. Sometimes wc don't know why ourselves; let a commcr- cial promoter in any other line try 10 got the free advance write-ups that commorcializcd sport gets-all inc way down the lmc, summer sports and winter sports-and he will get the icicle stare from the ". k, business manager.
 Thus, when there is a suggestion of "encouragins" spor'-Ict that be
 out of the picture entirely. As things
 happen to be it is ali encouragement and nothing else but.
 There is such a thing as bearing
 down too hard, however The city is not hard up for fees from sporting events. On general principles, jn- tcrminable fees, taxes and such like comprise bad practice, bad prin- cipIe and had politics.
 Practically speaking, politics is the worst feature of all; unless there
 are more than enough votes tc
 counterbalanco those who might Gor
 politically sore at the civic falhcr who favor Inc fees.
 There is no limit to the spccia
 fees business if this once gets q foot.
 hold in the city administration. In
 less ultimately some coirt finds il . uucous'itutional, anything fog Whici tickets are sold might be subject t special and oucrous tax. The federal tendency is to re away from nuisance taxes, whicl groW like weeds during inc Var. ! - therefore is no time for the city tC . start al something that the fedora 1. gnNnrnmnni ls dIscardmg.