Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-14

those whom he represents did not con tribute q cent to. This would be re- VSrSing the evil our forefa therS kicked against and naturally the city people would rebel, for the spirit that anl- mated the men of 'I6 is still rampant in Waterbury. It would be q clear case of representations without taXa- lion, and It is q question if our neigh horS would care 10 take such. an un- fair advantage of Us even though we might be willing to offer il to them in order 10 induce them 10 enter into the
 union with q determination to help out so that neither party to the contract would ever be found seeking redress ill the divorce courts. When you stop 10 look at this in all it's bearings il would be hard to tell what iC might lead to. \ majority of the board of aldermen and the subordinate boards might have interests in the outlying SLctiOnS over and above those they nave inside jle old city lines. and ill this case il would be the most natural thing in ihe world for them to spend the bulk of the appropriation in the rural districts. so that inc city chaps would find themselves in q worse box than ever before. To illustrate what We are getting at. let Us suppose that Attorney Porter l.. Wood should he un alderman from the third ward and John Osborne from tho fifth. The resi- dents of the latter place are in need of city water. fire and police protection. They want sewers. sidewalks and elcc- tric lights. The same condition Ob 1ains ill the Town Plot district. Does any one think that these men would not use every means at their disposal to have petitions coming from their ,Ji -t,.i., f.,,- II, course they would. and in so doing they would be doing nothing more than would be expected of them. The out lying districts in other parts of Great CT Waterbury might succeed in elect ing men pledged to push things along in their sections. so that il is not an unreasonable suppOs;tion at all to think of q majority of the city boards be longing to the town as it exists to-day after we have consolidation. Under thc present system of taxation no sane man would want to see the towns people decide what shall De done with the city appropriations. and that is one Of the possibilities under the proposed change. unless We have q more equita- ble adjustment of inc matter of taNa- lion. which. of course. We must have if all men are to be equal in the alder manic chamber.
 The s,huol~ question is q lnutty problem and the committeeman, who Wield almost imperial power in their several districts. are very much worked up over the talk of WrpStin@ from them the power that came down tO them from the fathers of the cOun- try and turning it over 10 the depart ment of education. Ii has been Sug- gested that it might be well to diveSt the committeeman of authority by small stages and in this way succeed in taking them in without q struggle. something after the plan adopted by Mckinley and his agents with the chiefs in the Philippines. and once they have been brought into SubjcciiOn the work of making ordinary subjects of them will be an easy task. For this reason it is probable that the changes ill the town school districts will be so few and of so little import ancc that they will not amount to much at present. The committeeman may still be monarch of all he sur NeyS. with no one to say boo to him except the department Of education. who will survey the situation from the ruins of the town school board. Great Scott Can it be possible that the town school board is to be but a memory in Waterbury? The town schools may have to pay any debts they have in cured before they become full fled@ed members of the city: in other words. the scheme is something like that in vogue in the United States when new states are being admitted into the un- ion. But this is a long story. and as there are other things demanding our attention We must drop it for the pres 0Dt