New Britain herald., 1930-10-10
"DWINDLING CITY FUNDS
 AND A SPECIAL TAX

AND A SPECIAL TAX Mayor Quigley, in his message to the Common Council last May, reit- erated a policy that stood him we'll during the election campaign. 'I am pledged to lower tax rate," etc., ran words in the message.
 This may still be brought about. of course. In spite of the deplorable situation in the street department funds and the necessity of providing money for the public welfare depart ment, the tax rate may be lowered during the Quigley administration. It is equally possible that it may not be lowered So far the situation has the appearance of doubt.
 The plan to borrow s15O,0o0 in anticipation of special tax to be set against the next grand list may be entirely necessary under present conditions. No one will blame the Mayor for evincing desire to keep the wheels of civic functioning turn ing around; that is his business as Mayor. It merely happens to be unfortunate that in order to keep the citys activities in these departments moving properly a special tax may be necessary. That was not ex- pected last spring and many vii! conclude that the Quigley admins tration can be no different from any other when confronted with the problems of civic business.
 The Mayors problem is that cer- tain city needs seem more important than too much attention to the tax rate. This is no unusual problem even among administrations special izing in the study of economy.
 In every election campaign there are too many promises made and too many people mistake them for certain performances. The Mayor pledged himself to a lower tax rate and evidently is finding it difficult to fulfill the pledge. This may not be his fault, either, as no mayor has
 inc 0Verhp1I that hangs over every administra- ton, not has he control over such exigencies that arise as complc- ment to the times. The best a mayor or the common council can do under such conditions is to at- tempt the best possible solving of the manifold problems that unex- pectedly pop up.
 The Mayor hast been assured be- fore this that there is not likely to be much unreasonable criticism based on developments over whuch neither he nor anyone else in the city has had any control. If the welfare department, for instance. must expend large sums in order to alleviate such suffering as may exist, il at is not the Mayors fault nor the fault of the Common Council. The work simply must be done ana the expenses paid, and if a special tax is necessary that is an incident which nobody will bring up in the future. From the start we prefer red to place more faith in special appropriation for relief work than the effort to raise money through the two per cent assessment plan. feeling that it was more direct and certain.
 The Mayor, like every other 1n- diyidual - editors included - may have his peculiarities,. but in the face of any emergency entaillng the 
 ,,,eviation of human suffering We will all pull together.
 Much of the street work this year was an effort to provide employ ment and as such it was successlul nroviding the city with some good improvements and attaining the other object at the same time. Mah- ifestly this work must soon cease or be greatly curtailed, anyway. From then on any possible direct metnoo to obtain necessary funds will meet with popular approval, and the more direct the better.