New Britain herald., 1929-11-23
Tax Collector Criticized
 For Performing His Duty.

or ler1OrnninS Ills Duty.
 Bernadotte M Loomis. tax col
 lcctor, was subjected to unwarrant-
 cd and undcsorved criticism and 1 abuse at the meeting of the common
 council last Wednesday.
 Councilman Boyle, in tones that
 revealed rapcor and political spleen. ! directed his fire at the tax collector 1 in one of the most amazing moments
 in tn" history CT the city. Boiled
 down 10 q few words, Boyle raked Ioomis over the co&ls for doing his
 duty.
 Boyle drew picture Of Loomis 1 which vas far from the truth. as 1 Loomis friends and aCquaintances realize. Tn" collector was painted
 as a person with the disposition or gargoyle. if gargoylcs have dis positions. whose sole object seemed
 they failed 10 pay their tax bills. , Loomis. believe it from Boyle, had 1 hired constables sherifts and what nots 10 pursue the working man who is not working and 10 wiring the last red cent from his pocket
 book, adding their own fee to boot. thereby depriving little babies Of
 bread and butter, or whatever they feed babies on nowadays
 So far as the Observer has been
 able 10 note. and he nGs been m contact with City hall for many yaars oor,ia ic q CoDEriautiy,rv and humane tax collector. conscientious from the standpoint of his sworn duty and humane from the stand point of the property owner who
 wants 10 pay his bill but is unable ! to do so. But, as one member of the council pointed out, he cannot
 overlook the fact that many debtors are riding in automobiles and en- toying other luXurics of life. Occa-
 sionally a poor man without infu- once may feel the sheriff's axe on his neck but it cannot be denied that the collector is only executing the duties of his office when he de- mands payment of taxes. That is what he is there for. When he was elected. the public expected that he would discharge his rcspon- abilities. If he failed, he couldn't remain in office.
 Boyle frequently flies off at tangent and offers arguments which are without foundation His attack on the tax collector may be challtcd up as his worst break So far as Loomis is concerned. he could snap his fingers al the council just so long as he does the work connected with his station. He has the city or dlnanccs to support him and the statutes Of Connecticut firmly be hind him.
 The Observer is also surprised at the methods of doing business adopted by some councflmcn. A report was received from the fire commission on a contract for re- pairs to No. 3 engine house. One councilman. without asking aucs- tons Of a fire commissioner present, moved that the report be returned to the board because only two bids were quoted. He assumed that the board had invited only two con tractors to submit proposals. His mot!on was on the way to adoption when another member of the coun- Gil, noting the presence of the fire commissioner, thought it would be the part of wisdom to ask ques- tions, II developed that the board h&d inserted in the press an advcr- tisament calling for bids on the re- pairs. Only two contractors re- apondcd. Others did not care to bid. When this explanation was given to the council, the motion to return the report to the board was rejected. If the councilman who made the motion had asked quos- tons before demanding action. the confusion would have been cleared up imm cdiatclv.