Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-24
THE BILL T NOW READY.
Consolidation Committee Has
 Completed Its Work.

Town School Districts to Remain
 Minority Representation to Be Al
 lowed On All Boards.
 It is understood that the draft of i the consolidation bill will be presented to the aldermen on next "Wednesday ! night, but it is probable that they will | order it printed before calling a public meeting to discuss; it. It is stated that the changes do not amount to much, any way, and that the only thing to be gained by such consolidation as the bill provides for is the dethronng of the board of SelectmCn. who, after 1901. will be succeeded by q board of charities, to be appointed by the may or. who will be chairman of the board. but shall have no vote except in case of Il tie. The mt mberS of said board. with the exception of the Su- perintendent of the poor. whose salary shall be fixed by the aldermen, shall serve without pay. The city clerk shall keep the records. and if all the details provided for are looked after the work will require the services of two or three clerks, so that much of what we pay out now for bread will he squandered in looking up the his tory of people. who ask for assistance It is said that this matter is to be car ried out so minutely that the annual report will be i'll big demand and can be sold at S3 apiece to people who want such information for the purpose of taunting their neighborS about it. A few men were discussing this phase of the bill in one of the club rooms Saturday night, when one of them ere ated laugh by stating that he could
 
 suggest plan that would beat the one recommended by the committee and would cost little or nothing. He was asked to explain and here's how he did | it:
 1.-The end in view, as I understand, 1 Is to cut down expenses in the select mCll's office and give more publicity | to those who are receiving aid. NOW, then looking up family records is eX- pensive work and as many people have | checQuered histories, their careers would occupy considerable space in an l annual report. so that the labor of re- search. added to the cost of printing, would be rather expensive. My plan is this: As soon as it has been decided l to give a woman town aid. card should be pasted between her shoul- ders. on the outside garment, remem- Der that bearing the words:
 "'1his woman is a town pauper.
 "Whenever she has occasion to visit the office or leave her own home fol any purpose she should be obliged tC don this sign, and failing so to do, any one noticing the omission can have such help as she is receiving from the
 town stopped by reporting the case tt
 the superintendent of the poor
 The scheme wuaS consider l biz l fJ,x,t the committed and the gentleman was asked to put it into legal phraseolog! and forward it to the aldermen. but h' ; said he did not think it would pay , because he had an idea that those Wh' will have to do with the report arr not actuated by the Biblical maxim Let not thy right hand know Wha thy left hand doeth,' and that h knew they would agree on some pla1 which would suit their own notion bet ) ter It is all right to keep a record O 7 these matters, but it is d question \ such things ought to be open to publi | inspection, for in most cases it Is pee pie who contribute nothing to the fun ? | from which the town poor are helpe | that are most curious to find ou
 where it goes It is surprising hoy
 anxious some really good people are
 tack the word ''pauper' onto q man 5 skirts before they offer him littl
 bread A competent committed | , audit the accounts should be Sutflciel u and busybOdies who might call to Se = the records for the purpose of hndln out if Mrs So-anu-SO'S name was O
 if so that she could put it down ht
 throat some day should be informe that the books are not open for publ p inspection.
 '. Town Health Officer O'IIara is rel .e ga ted to the rear and the office abe I. ished.
 r. The mayor, by and with the conse1
 of the aldermen. will appoint the d
 SeSSOrS and the board of relief. TT
 former shall receive $1 ,00O d year eat
 and the latter $15O each. When Il le act passes it will find the assessor 'S office manned by citizens. all of who 't belong to the same political party. al ,r the bill provides that, no such often H. shall ever occur again.
 V That's all right. We have alwa le contenled that the minority should $. represented upon all boards, and V ie have nothing to say against it no or because it strikes our side of the hous t. but why in thunder doesn't this ru hold good in places where the repub It cans have things all their own wa s- At present. and for many years pa: vt the board of county commissioners nH nH composed of three republicans. al 1. We are not aware that our neighbo IT; IT; think there is anything wrong abo i' it.
 The town school districts will rpma
 as at present constituted and will Il
 have to contribute anything to run el' that shall be used exclusively for ci CT purposes until such time as a ma jo ly ty decide to ''come in and pay a as receive the same as others. The fl IS ny part of this is that while they : )n not asked to pay they are made fl III fedged electors of the city, So Il lie q majority of the next board of aid as men might belong to the first or O he side district. where the taxes will l be any higher than at present fd course. none of the town school ( tricts will be likely to ask for adm
 sion into the second district until
 expense connected with the sewage
 posaI. as well as the present outstal nv ing indebtedness of the second disti ,n- including the bond issue of hal or- million or so, ordered this year, hi me been wiped out. An effort is be ice made to put part of the Bucks
 s~