The Somerset reporter., 1898-11-17
For the Reporter.
The Town Government Bill.

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1t is the purpose of this communities
ton to call attention to some OF the adj
vantages of the proposed new form of
town government, and give some reasons
why the new form should be adopted.
1t secures deliberation In the trans
action OF our town business. Now there
Is none. Since the law abolishing school
districts, and the erection, repair and
care Of school houses devolve upon the
towns, the business In our town meetings
has very much increased, both 10 amount
and in Importance, and candid delbera-
ton is much more essential than for
merly, when there was nothing to do
but elect the officers and raise certain
amounts of money. No assembly of
men, charged with the duty of settling
important business problems, can do
their best without candid, collective de.
liberation.
The running of the proposed form of
government will be inexpensive. We
are to have the same town Officers, doing
the same duties as now, and drawing the
pay fixed by general law Of the State.
The aldermen serve without any pay,
the same as the aldermen of every city
In this State. And still we get all the
advantages of a city proper.
Every avenue to extravagance and ILL
advised appropriations Is strictly guard.
ed. The town council can do no busi-
ness unless quorum Is present. A quo
rum is a majority of the full council.
So that no. business whatever can be
transacted unless majority of the town
is represented. II that majority, or II
even a full council should pass any tor
dinance, order, resolution or vote OF any
description, raising or appropriating
money, or creating any Indebtedness on
the part OF the town." 1t will not take
effect for seven days. III, during that
time it shall appear that the proposition
is ill-advised or extravagant, the presi-
dent of council, together with any two
members, can stop 1t, and then 1t will
not take effect at all, except, after hav-
ing again been considered by the council,
1t shall pass by two-thirds vote Of all
the members. Under the present system
IL is not necessary to have any fixed
number Of voters at town meeting.
The town clerk, moderator and one other
to make motions and vote Is all that is
essential so far as numbers are concern
ed. Meetings. are frequently held, at.
tended by but few, at which very wild
and extravagant schemes are started.
No meeting to reconsider can be held
short of seven days. By that time any
indebtedness voted may be fixed beyond
reconsideration. Which system Is best
fortified against extravaganza?
The new system will facilitate the
righting of wrongs and the correcting of
abuses. There has been hardly an an
nual March meeting for at least ten
years when lots of people, especially the
farmers, did not go home scOlding and
kicking at we'll known wrongs and
abuses In the administration Of our town
affairs, but no one has the courage to
stand up In our town meetings and pub
licly denounce them and call for reform.
1t is well understood that II any one
should do 1t, he would run the risk of
being called crank and being finally
stamped down. But In a representative
assembly of twenty-five or thirty men,
elected from all parts of the town, and
holding no other town office, but with a
constituency behind them prompting
them to vigilance, any member could
easily make himself heard and felt, and
In less than twenty-four hours after get
ting together the council would be on
the track of each abuse and every wrong.
The increased wise economy which In all
human probability would follow the
adoption OF the new system, will more
than pay the corporation tax Of every
person In town.
IL Is everywhere admitted that politics
is the bane OF all municipal governments.
The new system eliminates politics en-
tirely. The aldermen are the only town
officers elected directly by the people,
and they receive no compensation for
their services. There Is no politics in
filling an office where the incumbent
works for nothing and finds himself.
There being no politics In the election OF
aldermen, there will be no bribery, In
trigue, chicanery, but the people will be
left free to follow their own instincts
and elect their best men, and careful and
discreet men will surely predominant In
the town every time. A town council,
made up of twenty-five or thirty careful
and discreet men, beyond a shadow Of
doubt, will do all the business that a
town meeting can do, with more econ
omy and far better results than town
meeting of five or six hundred. And
what Is wanted Is to have business trans
acted where it will be done best for the
whole town.
But some one says it is a new system.
No town In the State has Just such an
organization. That may be true, but is
it valid objection to the system? Ii
we are barred from every thing new, all
progress Is at end. Every Improvement
was once new. The sole question here
is very simple one. IL Is this. Is
there reasonable grounds to believe that
a council of twenty-five or thirty men,
prudent and judicious, will transact the
business usually done In town meeting
with wiser economy and better results
than our town meeting OF five or six
hundred? Ii 80, and everybody admits
the affirmative, why not adopt the bill?
La later Communication | will call at
tention to some reasons why the Village
Corporation should be abolished.
Nov. IL, 1898. o. r. B.
Oxford Democrat. Among the dj.