New Britain herald., 1928-08-14

the assessors to use only 76 per cent of these values but that the recon. mendation did net say 70. B. E. Getchell moved that the motion be amended and that 7s per cent of the figure on the map be recommend ed. the motion being further quali- fled when Harry o. Rex obtained the insertion Of Approximately" to give the assessors some latitude.
 Oliver Peace urged that land values bs kept as low as possible @ that high valuations might not re- tard land aales. The town is taxed now about to the limit" he con- cluded and at down amid applause. Another voter said that many out siders moved to Plainville because of lower taxes here and that this source of growth should not be dis couraged. The chairman pointed out that a reduction of the tax rate would fellow . general increase of the grand list and asked MT. Lamb of the appraising company for cor roboration.
 Usually the little fellow has been paying too much" Mir. Lamb replied. saying that small property owners had been paying on ' larger pro- portion of their property values than had the larger landowners. He thought that the meeting was wandering from the topic, however, and said. "The question tonight is if tho land values are just and eouit- able"
 MT. Bull injected . complaint on Hough street valuations, saying property there was valued at a high CT amount than that of any sale yet made on the street. The chair man said that there was always a possibility of mistakes, as it was impossible for any group of men to do 100 per cent job involving such 2 large acreage as that of Plainville. There were always two recourses, he pointed out, which dissatisfied landholders could take: they might obtain reductions from the board of assessors or from the board of relief.
 Great Loss Rcctified
 After speaking of the standard de- preciations for land below level or next to schools and factories, Mir. Nashburn threw a virtual bombshell lhto the meeting and created a sen- sation. One piece of property in Plainville has been assessed for s24,o0o. he stated, but the appraisers nave reassessed it and, with the approval of the company itself. the property will go into the 1928 grand list at $116,0OO. You have been paying that companys taxes" Mir. Washburn said. He. also spoke of back yards on which no taxes had been paid. and said that the pres ent method would do away with all this and bring equality of taxation.
 It Is the greatest forward step liainv1lie has taken in long while" he concluded.
 What if We don't approve of these tigurcs"?" asked George A, Case.
 The assessors have the righ, to adopt them. anyway" answered Mir. GWillim, explaining that the ap- proval Of the meeting was mostly in the nature of d vote 10 ascertain the sentiment Of the townspeoplc and that the assessors need not be bound to follow it, although they probably would.
 Grand List Of S1:,OOO. .OOO:
 Asked if he had any idea what the new grand list and tax 1st. would be, Mir. Gwillim, who is chairman of the board of finance said that figures were very incom. pletc but that he would hazard a wild guess. The grand list might go as high as s1o.o0o.o00 or s1.,ooo. 900 he ventured. which. with expenses held to about the same as this year, would mean tax rate of not more than 20 mills. This would be re- duction of five mills.
 s. r. Williams stated that the fig ures on the maps were not actual values but merely formed basis of comparative e,aluation Building In- spector Axel Johnson said the fig ures were the result of much actual work right on the ground and not in the town hall. He said the committee looked at every piece Of property and that it didn't go by at so miles an hour. either"
 The question was called for and the resolution was adopted without dissenting vote. Mir. Wheeler thanked the voters for their inter- est and their free discussion. and Postmaster James E.. Usher moved vote of thanks to the committees for their work this far. A rising vote was accorded them and the meet ing was adjourned.
 Woman Dies fin New Haven Mrs. Adelaide Strickland, widow of Lorenzo Strickland, passed away this morning at her residence in New Haven after a short illness She was S3 years of age. Mrs. Strickland was ! born in Plainville, where she lived for many years. She was daughter, of Hiram and Betsy Hills and a sis ter of the late Burritt and Edwin Hills. She is survived by a daughter, ho1[- z (1[