The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-09
Strictest Economy
Urged Upon City
Continued from Page y

industry all possible relief from
the tax burden placed on them by
the defense program. This does
not mean that essential govern
mental services should be cur
tailed. 1t does men, however, that
new municipal services that are
not vital to national defense
should not be undertaken at this
time, and that expenditures for
existing services should, where
ever possible, be pared. Purchases
of new equipment should be linn
tied to such instances where ex-
listing equipment cannot be re-
paired to meet present needs, or
where the cost of repairing would
be economically undesirable.
Numerous requests for expendi-
lures, cloaked under the guise Of
being vital to national defense,
cannot be logically defended on
that basis. Almost every city de-
partment can support Its request
for increased expenditures by TAX
ing advantage of the preparedness
slogan. In most instances, what
Is needed at this time far more
than actual expenditures Of
money, is planning and training.
The purchases Of materials and
equipment other than that needed
for experimentation, testing, and
training may wait until the exact
nature Of the danger can be more
definitely determined.
Postpone improvements
Second, capital improvement
programs that are not vital to ma
tional defense should be post
poned. There are many capital i'm
provements that Waterbury could
we'll use. These can, however, be
postponed temporarily so as TO
provide reservoir OF needed pro-
jects that will help take up the
industrial slack and relief burden
that must inevitably follow our
present industrial activity. Gov
eminent must not compete with
the defense program for vital de-
Tense materials or labor at this
time. In addition TO providing
work projects at later date when
needed, this procedure will permit
the construction Of projects at
lower costs at a time when ma
terial and labor are not In such
demand. The strong probability Of
Federal funds to help lessen the
local burden Of such projects Is In
itself sufficient reason for post
ponement.
Third, the City should get on q
sound financial footing In prep
aration for the postwar depres-
sion. A pay-as-you-go basis should
be rigidly enforced and existing
bonds should be retired as rapidly
as possible. No new bond issues
should be authorized unless abso-
lutely essential.
Fourth, local government must
take steps to conserve Its great
est asset, Its present source Of
revenue-real property. We must
not kill the goose that lays the
golden egg. Long grange planning
and conservation must be the
watchword Of municipal govern
ment, II real property values are
to be maintained. Already we are
seeing the exodus OF Our popula-
ton away from the City to the
outlying towns. This trend can
be ruinous unless steps are taken
IN alleviate the causes The elm.
nation Of blight areas, the appli-
cation OF adequate building and
coming regulations, the equitable
assessment Of property, and real
property tax relief are all infiu-
encing factors that must be met.
In these trying times, with a
myriad Of vital problems con-
fronting and challenging the very
economic and social order upon
which our Democracy rests, we
urge you to take the lead in meet
ing these local problems squarely.
We can all help in the furthering
of these detectives. 1t is our great
opportunity. 1t is the individual
responsibility of every citizen. We
believe that the citizens of Wa
terbury are willing to do their
part.
Respectfully submitted,
WATERBURY TAXPAYERS
ASSOCIATION, INC.
(Signed) Lewis J. Hart,