The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-06-05

New Haven, Conn, June o.
President James Rowland Angeli
of Yale university. in commenting
to-day on the legislation recently
passed by the senate and house Oh
representatives of Connecticut un-
der suspension of rules, for the
taxation of certain athletic proper
ties of educational organizations.
said:
Since the bill provides in sub
stance that the tax which 1t woulo
impose applies only to land USED
for athletic purposes and Improve,
ments thereon which are situated
in a town other than that In whlcn
the main educational activities OF
an institution are carried on, most
of the Yale property which IS al.
fected is situated in the town OF
West Haven. a
In this connection, 1t has been
suggested that the town o: West
Haven is suffering or may suffer
unduly from removals of items by
Yale university from the taxable
grand list of West Haven. The
facts do not bear this out. The
grand list of taxable property in the
town of West Haven is approx
mately $54,000.000. The tax rate
is II mills. There have not been
large removals by Yale university
of property from the taxable list of
West Haven. In fact, during the
last five years the aggregate as.
sessed value when acquired of all
properties which the university has
purchased within the limits of that
town is $42,660.
Yale university owns properties
in the town of West Haven upon
which 1t has never claimed exemp-
ton and on which it is paying tax
es, the aggregate present assessed
value of which Is $344,S05. This
includes new building upon
which the university has paid tax
es. namely the baseball stands. as
sesesd at over 100000. In the
year 1931-1932 the university paid
total taxes on it's West Haven prop
critics amounting to s7,509.30.
On the other hand, the uniVer-
sity claims exemption upon certain
of its other properties in the town
of West Haven. The aggregate
assessed value of these properties
as OF the times when the university
first claimed exemption upon them
was $52.430, certainly not an ex-
cessive item. The assessed value
on the grand list at the present
time on these properties has grown
so that the assessment has more
than doubled to figure of $780,
900 and the buildings which have
ben placed upon it are valued by
the assessors at $572,800. AS to
this land, however, 1t should be
noticed that it contains about 40
acres of wild, wooded, interior,
hilly, rocky land adjoining the Yale
golf course, upon which the asses
sors have put greatly increased
values since it was acquired by
Yale university. At the present
time they value 1t at $500 an
acre, although adjoining similar
land is assessed at 5000 an acrc.
The buildings making up the item
of $572,800 above referred to IN
clude the Lapham Field House, as
sessed at $376.s00. a portion of the
baseball and track cage. assessed
at 100000, and the Walter Camp
Memorial Gateway, assessed at
$l36.000.
When Yale has taken a piece of
West Haven property out Of the
tax list it has not destroyed 1t. but
improved 1t and beautified it.,
thereby in a positive way and in a
large way improving the general
character of the neighborhood and
the value Of 1t for tax purposes.
A considerable part of the West
Haven land involved Is a portion
OF what is called Yale field. where
general athletics are carried on.
The town line between West Haven
field, so that parts of 1t are in each
and New Haven runs through Yale
town. Leaving out Of account
money spent in erection of build
ings at Yale field, the univei sity
has spent In the year 1928 to 1913:
inclusive, In improving the grounds,
reclaiming lowlands, fencing. side
walks, curbings, sewers, paving,
planting and improvements at Yale
field, over 100000. which has inn
measurably improved the attrac-
tiveness and utility of the whole
neighborhood,