The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-17
Full Text Of Tax Commissioner Hackett' s Reply To Atty. Blodgett

Reply of Tax Commissioner Will liam H. HAckett to William H. Blodgett's recent attack upon the present administration of the state tax departments.
 My attention has been called to an article in the Hartford Cour- ant" in which the former tax commissioner, William H. Blodgett, has singled out the present tax department as a glarlng example of inefaciency, waste, and ex- travagance and has made state ments which I feel should not go unchallenged.
 The chief criticism that Ito say additions made to the regular appropriations for 1935-f937 were needed, IS to indulge in hocus poctis" is easly and fully refuted by the facts. The General Assem- bly of 1885 enacted certain laws which imposed extra duties upon tax department, such as the col- lection oi the new corporation business tax and of the new cig- arctic tax.
 Besides, a new law was enacted making 1t mandatory for the tax department, upon the request of states attorneys, to audit the financial accounts of town officials which appeared to be irregular.
 But ia making appropriations to carry out these new laws, the legis- lature failed to provide adequate funds. This is not surprising be- cause, in estimating the cost of administration of new laws, 1t is not known what 1t will be-. For example, 1t was estimated that $l.- zoe ,Oo0 would be collected each year from the cigarette tax, on the assumption that 10000 would be collected each year of the bierpniunn 1885, 1887, a yearly ap- propriation of $35 900 was provid- ed for that period, although the appropriations committee Of that session was warned that this amount would be far from suffi-
 ciert. That the committee was impressed with this warning is shown by the fact that, in setting up the deficiency fund for that biennium. $i00,000 was added each year to the regular appropriation of S25oo0O. At that time, It was clearly understood that the board of finance and control was to make use of that extra amount when and if needed.
 Also, in making appropriations for the administration of the new corporation business tax, the ap- propriations were based on the old net income corporation tax; and naturally, these appropriations were found to be very inadequate.
 The result was that from time to time when 1t was discovered that there were not sufficient funds to carry out the duties Imposed by these new laws, the tax commis- sio,er presented the facts to the boasd of finance and control and convinced of the need of furnish ing the necessary funds. this body authorized these additional expen- diturcs For example. to administer the cigarette tax law during the fir,t year. 1t was necessary to set LID an entire new section Of the excise division. consisting of fifteen reaular, and ten temporary, clerks: ana the total amount authorized by the board of finance and con- trci for the expenses of this sec ,,on was over s50,740. This was in addition to the regular appropria- tion of $35,000.
 Tn the same way, to property administer the new corporation business tax law, additions to the regular appropriations amounting to Ail,414 were made In 19s5- ls3o. Of this amount, $4,564 was for pay