Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-07

Why, it was said here only O t ear ago at our chamber of commerce ban. t lad the smallest indebtedness of any town t f it's size save one in the United States, and Q ,er capita it was equal to any other town in ( he United States SO far as debt is concerned ] md expenses. How that may be don't ,now, but l take Mayor York's statement { Or that, and l quote it to show that our city md town are we'll governed, and have as It. ;le expense, and that their indebtedness is less per capita than that of any other city or town save one. If that be SO, my friends, are you not maRnifying our wrongsa Wrongs may exist in the minds and In the brains of some of our honest men no doubt; they must be magnifed if Mayor York's statement is correct. If it is correct, then my friends go slow, go slow before you leap. The town government, ss have said, is a government of the people. It existed before the states were formed. The towns are in. destructibls; the constitution gives them perpetual existence. Now, if that be 50. be infringe, or bring under one government the government of the city, the town and the schools, which have their rights and interest in this question. You can consolidate upon the town basis, elect your sslectmen from the different parts of the town, increase their number If necessary, but keep up that old form of government, of which 1t is said | | think-that the town of New Haven was the germ of the republic, and from the town of | New Haven all governments on this side of the water sprang. Now would you destroy, would you blot out this old town which has | assisted us to make an independent state and | an independent nation, and strive for that l glitter, which is simply the gift of the town; to wit, city chsrter9 Where is its sacred l nese2 A charter to the city Is no more sa- cred than is the charter of bank or the | charter of a manufactory-not one particle. |
 Both are the gifts and the outcome of the |
 legislature and of legislative enactment
 through town representation in the general
 assembly. It is to the towns that we must
 look for good government, and we should be
 careful how we infringe upon the rights of these old towns who all along down through 1
 tho ages for two hundred and fifty years
 have guided us we'll and honorably thus far.
 I was noting the other day some points
 which my friend Governor Harrison made on
 s ae hs
 the constitution confirms to them perpetual
 existence, and the government of the state
 can't destroy them. It elects all it's own
 of6cers-Iocal oficers-for the purpose of
 regulating and governing the town, not by
 permission of the general assembly, but by
 it's own right. The state government cannot
 take away this right or interfere with 1t. Aho OL1COAS VI Ju5sAS01 SA sho SOoA eo ssaN sAS grand. jurors who prosecute criminal cases, and the constables who serve their processes and execute their judgments, ere appointed by the towns. The state government cannot appoint them; 1t isn't in their province; it bslongs to the towns; they can't interfere with the government of the towns in this respect" I have quoted, believe. verba- tim from Henry E. Harrison as to town gov ernments. It is said that consolidation will save expense. I confess don't believe it, You propose to bring into one government the town and the city and the school, if l understand it. and to consolidate them un- der the name of a city government. We have selectmen and their duties are well de- | fined; no other power can make voters; this right exists in them alone and you cannot l destroy this right. Towns are represented | in the general assembly of the state; cities are not. Therefore we must have town government in order to be represented in the l state legislature. Hence you must see if you | consolidate under city charter that the | town government must be maintained, and | you still have two governments If you con- solidate on the city basis. But if you con-
 solidate under the town only one govern- ment Is necessary. We have to-day a form of government for tho city and the duties devolving upon city officials are defined; you
 have school district committee with cer-
 tain defined powers and authority. You
 have got to have, my friends, whether you
 | consolidate or not consolidate-you have got
 to have machinery that will move the town
 government; machinery that will move the
 | school government, aud machinery that will
 govern the city. I am fearful that may be
 taking up too much time. I would like to
 discuss that question little further, but
 will waive It. But 1t is said that these sev- eral duties should be performed by one gov- , ernment, and that when they are you cave
 expense. do not see how, for one; never have been able to see how expenses could be } saved; I would like to be informed. Let us see. Our schools must be maintained. Csu 3 you give us cheaper schools under consolida- 9 a reflection upon a body of men who are Q giving their services as a gratuity fo, t the good of the schools and the in ! l habitants of the town. You will have te | have school form of government and some body must administer it. You say our towr r expenses are too high. have not gone into 3 the figures; but should consolidation take - consolidation be performed at 0 less rate Perhaps 1t might. Perhaps 1t might, but , doubt it. Idoubt 1t. To say that the city . work is too expensive would be an argumen f against the city assuming the ful 8 power over the town and schools; ant !. when hear people, as I have, say that oul ] expenses are too high under the city, and ye
 
 @ the city, the school and town governments @ the very argument which you use is an srgu ment against consolidation. I believe unde 0 consolidation our expenses would increase r. and in less than ten years after consolidation u in my opinion, salaries will be paid to th |. various boards. Do not make any mistak # about this; salaries will be paid to you - school board, to your board of public workf d to your fire board and to you l. police board. It is step in ths - direction, and illustrations are many l. and you mark what say, that in ten year ,- after consolidation thoae officials who are to n day doing their duty for nothing, doing thei is duty gratuitously for the benefit of New Hs ,- ven, as they conceive 1t best, will be pal
 handsome salaries, and thus our expense l. will be largely and unnecessarily increased ,r The duties of the selecemen also will have I be performed by other officers, who will hay y to be paid for services. Are you going t l- get responsible men to do the duty which tb rs town does to-day and the selectmen do to I meni doubt 1t.
 do not say that you can't, but say 6 a. the history of town and state government Il goes to show that instead of decreasing W y are adding new officers, and with new officer y new salaries. Washington once said the pet E. pie want to enlist one day, the next day pro Ts motion without pay, and the next day prt v. AhohAoh WAsA P"ys eAN Ao sAAS esSF "HsA~, Il in my judgment, consolidation invites. Loo W at the expenses that have been creepir 1t along step by step. Why I rememb' B. when I was @ member of the boar to of selectmen that the expenses of tho tow at were less than they are now. They wei 10 less in some respects because we were dor
 I less work. When was chairman of tt ,n street committee under the city, rememb D, that there were no paid clerks exceptir it the city clerk, and all our acts went to hi a~ and were recorded by him. do not ea D; they were as systematically done then as t CT day-perhaps they were more systematical r. and better done. At the time of which ,s speak good old Deacon Thompson was Il ,e street commissioner. He also acted with u x- chairman of the street committee on the pa at of the common council. With him was M G. Searles, the surveyor, and the first sewer WI
 I built under Deacon Thompson as street COT CT missioner, and myself chairman of the stre G. committee, with Mir. Searles as enginee CT There were no paid men then. To-day yt V. must have watch crow, paid; to day yt es must have men watching over those m' us who are at work upon the sewers, pal It It is pay everywhere, because tho re gentlemen who are members of the commt it council have their friends, and they wo of harder for their friends than they do to sa rs tho taxes of the people, many times. Wh