Morning journal and courier., 1883-12-15
Town and City.
The Meeting of the Civil Service Reform Association Last Evening-Simeon E' Baldwin's Paper-A Strong Argument.

Baldw1m's Paper-A Strong Argument
 There was a good sized assemblage in room No. 22, Insurance building, last evening number of prominent gentlemen, chiefly law yers and Yale professors, participated in the meeting of the New Haven Civil Service Re. form association. In the absence of the pres ident, MT. Henry stoddard, MT. E. s. Wheel CT called the meeting to oraer. Tie first business was the Feadihg by the secretary, Jafaes r. Colby, of the annual report of the executive committee. This report consider ed the work of the association. It was ordered printed. The treasurer, James F. Colby, read his report which showed balance of $29, 97 in the treasury. nominating com mittee consisting of Professor Henry Far nam, F. s. Bradley and Lawyer John H. Whiting reported officers as follows:
 President-Hon. Henry Stoddard.
 Vice Presidents-Edwin s. Wheeler, John son T. Platt, Pierce N. Welch, Franklin H. Hart.
 Executive Committee R. Bacon, Charles l.. Baldwin, Samuel T. Duttoh, Heh- ry W. Farnam, George L. Fox, Samuel A. GalpiA, William H. Law, Edwin s. Lines, Henry J. Prudden, Talcott H. Russell, Hen- " B. Sargent, William G. Sumner, Burton Mansfield.
 Treasuret-Sa muel Lloyd.
 Secretary-James F. Colby.
 These officers were elected. The re- port of the committee appointed to examine different departments of the city government reported that they had examined the police and fire departments. No special recommendations were offered and the opinion of the committee seemed to be that those departments were efficiently and economically conducted. They thought, however, that the department of the board of public works needed looking after. The committee consisted of c. L. Baldwin, Enos S. Kimberly, E. s. Wheeler and Burton Mansfield. The report was accepted and or dered printed.
 Professor Simeon E. Baldwin read paper on the subject of the consolidation of the town and city governments. He said in sub- stance: On the eighth of next month 1t will be hundred years since the general assembly at an adjourned meeting incorporated the city of New Haven, and made it free port for seven years. The original city limits were substantially these: On the east, Mill | river; on the vest West river; on the north | in straight line from Neck bridge to the | Westville bridge; on the south, the harbor. l The town had about 3 ,OOO inhabitants. The
 
 1 city charter was to promote the conveniences of life and the interests of commerce in 8 limited area by the waterside. Now they 1 have been enlarged and the only functions of | the town government as to the territory with | in the city are: The care of the poor, the custody of the land records, the admission of electors and the assessment and levy of taxes | for it's own support.
 Professor Baldwin argued that the sim plest machinery for governmental purposes that would accomplish the required pur- l pose was the best.
 The constitution requires the retention of the Selectmen and Town Clerk as the board to pass upon the registration of electors. The other officers rest on the statutes. The New England system of town government has served it's purpose with small communities, | with similar aims and pursuits, but 1t fails ln large towns. The speaker referred to New England history on this point. Boston aban- dOned the system of town government forty years ago. MT. Baldwin referred to our town meetings as farcical, thinly attended, and open to manipulation by interested par ties. These meetings could easily be used to carry through raids upon the town treasury. Mir Baldwin showed here that the practice oi
 voting extra compensation to public officers by, town meetings was un
 constitutional. Yet it is often done
 The salaries of the Selectmen are fixed by themselves. When I cast my first vote they
 were content with $15 apiece. Last year they charged and took out of the treasurer
 over $1 800, besides having clerk at sala- l ry of $25O. Twenty years ago the Town Agent and his clerk were content with $2,' 900. Last year he was allowed two clerks and the total charge was about $4, 400. dc not charge these abuses on any party. charge them on the system. Every party has taken part in them. Every party will
 take part in them while the system stands.
 The Town Agent of New Haven receives salary nearly as large as that of the Mayor | of the city, and has patronage much great
 CT. In his capacity of almoner he must buy largely of provisions, coal and other neces
 saries of life. He has the selection of those from whom to buy and the prices are such
 as he may agree on. It would be strange ii
 he were not sometimes to buy at dear mar ket And if he should pick out party
 worker and pay him 20 or 30 per cent. above the usual rates, who is to be the wiser? The auditors of town accounts do nothing but sec that there is 8 proper voucher for all pay ments charged. Whether the payments were over-payments, because the charges are over charges, is something with which they have l-or think they have-no concern. | A system of division of power, of distri-
 button of trust, of rigid scrutiny by some independent authority-in a word, the checks l and balances incident to and possible only in | the constitution of 8 city government; these are the dear-bought checks and balances which it is a wise economy to provide, where large sums are to be spent in small payments | MT. Baldwin considered the great increase | of town expenditures, so much out of pro portion to the increase in population. He | said further:
 Statistics show an alarming and steady in. crease in almost every item of expenditure | Thirty years ago, with a third of our present l population and over a quarter of our present | fov EHa GT1Anf fWaIftH | part of what we are spending to day. | Twenty years ago, with more than half l of our present population, and more thar half of our present grand list we spent about | a sixth of what we expend now. Ten years ago, with population 10000 less than now and grand list equally large, we spent about | half as much as now. During the thirty years thus passed in review the city has grad l ualIy assumed the maintenance of all the | roads and bridges within it's limits. In 1862 | its expenditures on this account amounted to l $6, GOO and those of the town to $S4 ,0OO; $10,- GOO, therefore, supported, ten years ago, all the roads and bridges in the town and city. But this year the town has spent nearly three | times this sum on those in Westville and the East Haven annex alone.
 We are to be taxed $55O, GOO for the sup port of our city government next year. We are to be taxed $25O, 900 more for the sup port of our town government. These great 1 5uL05 d1nOuuG bO AcbLAy GWO-GAALNo SA GAo CA- ! tire expenditures of the State; to more by 1 $2OO, 900 than those expenditure amounted to in 1S6O-61; to eight times what they amount | ed to in 1945-46.
 Their proper appropriation requires us to l resort to the best form of civil administration which the wit of man can devise. And this form for great municipal corporations rep ressntation and not popular government And now let our last question be, is there any legal difficulty in the way of the consoli- 1 idation?
 Municipal corporations exist only for the public good and at the pleasure of the legis | lature. Towns have no inher ent rights. Int General Assembly might by simple stat utt | consolidate New Haven with any adjoining town or divide it into dozen new towns But no such exercise of power is necessary. It is sufficient to make the city and town linn it's co-extensivs. to have Selectmen and Town | Clerk voted for at the annual city elections | and all other town officers chosen either in | the same way or by the Common Council, and to transfer all the assets and obligations of the town to the city. A practical dif1cul ty would be the equitable adjustment of the burden of taxation on the annexed territory