Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-02
COMMUNICATIONS.

\ Principle Involved in the Water Ques-
 ton.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Believing, as most serious citizens of New Haven must believe, that the question wheth- CT the city shall buy the waterworks is a question which should be decided by prin- ciple and not by personal interest, I beg leave to call attention to the following ex- tracts:
 "A general objection to government agen- cy rests on the principle of the division of labor. Every additional function undertaken by the government is fresh occupation im- posed upon body already overcharged with duties. natural consequence is that most things are i'll done"
 People understand their own business and their own interests better and care for them more than the government does or can be expected to do,'
 tsEvery increase of the functions devolving on the government is an increase of it's pow CT, both in the form of authority, and still more in the indirect form of influence"
 Experience proves that the depositaries of power who are mere delegates of the peo- pie, that is of majority, are quite as ready 1when they think they can count on popular support) as any organs of oi garchy to assume arbitrary power and en- croach unduly on the liberty of private life. |"
 sIt is important in democratic govern ment that all tendency on the part of public authorities to stretch their interference and assume power of any sort which can easily be dispensed with, should be regarded with unremitting jealousy."|[J. S. Mlll-Book v., chap. it.
 I. s'Oficialism is habitually slow. When non governmental agencies are dilatory, the public has it's remedy; it ceases to employ them, and soon finds quicker ones." But for delays in State departments there IS no such easy cure"
 2. ssOficialism is stupid. Under the nat ural course of things each citizen tends to- wards his fttest function. But it is quite otherwise in State organizations. Back stairs intrigue and sycophancy deter mine the selections rather than merit"
 B. 'sOffcialism is extravagant. It employs far more officers than are needful, and pays some of the useless ones exorbitantly."
 f. sThe upadapiveness of oficialism is another of its vices. Unlike private enter prise, which quickly modifes it's action to meet emergencies law-made instrument tality numbers on under all varieties of cir cumstances through its ordained routine at its habitual rate"
 D. How invariably officialism becomes cor rupt every one knows. Exposed to no such antiseptic as free competition dependent for existence as private, unendowed organl- cations are, upon the maintenance of wig orous vitality, all law-made agencies fall into an inert, over-fed state, from which to dis ease is short step. Wherever there is government there is villainy.' It is the inevitable result of destroying the direct connection between the profit obtained and the work performed. In all social agencies in which duty done and income gained do not go hand in hand, corruption is found and is great in proportion as the de- pendence of income upon duty is remote. In State orpaniZations therefore corruption is unavoidable. In trading organizations * the instinct of self-preseryation soon provides a remedy"
 But .tall superstitions die hard and we fear that this belief in government-omni- potence will form no exeeption.n-sOver Leeis ation,'' by Herbert Spencer, in Essaga.
 Ths writer endorses fully the above views, and, ,sthough his opinions may have little weigat, fully and firmly believes that the prrc nase by the city of the weterworks should be resisted, mot merely for theabove reasons-but because he sees in such pur-