Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-21
HARD AT WORK
Consolidation Committee Ma.
 Finish Labors To-Night.
MANY CHANGES PROPOSED.

vest More Power in the Mayor-Re-
 publicans Are Said to Favor Such 3
 Scheme
 The consolidation committee will meet this evening when it is thought they will finish their labors, unless something new turns up. So far as can be learned the changes agreed upon do not contemplate anything
 very radical ill the town About the only way it effects the townspeople is
 that they will be electors in the city. and ill the natural course of events, the different districts will ask to
 be relieved of the committeeman and come into the city under The
 broad plan in vogue in the center dis
 trict. That's the way the committee
 lcoks at it. but will they do it! An other contemplated change is to have
 the board of assessors appointed by
 the mayor instead Of elected by the
 people. and some of the members Of
 the committee would like to see the
 board of education chosen by the
 mayor. but thiS is still an open ques-
 ton and the chances are it will be de-
 clded not to talnper with the school
 question at ail. Whether consolida-
 ton becomes q reality or not. it is
 probable that the people in the new
 city limits as they exist at present will
 have to pay full taxes. except d por-
 ton of Bucks Hill school district,
 which may go back into the town.
 There will be seven cOnSta bieS. as
 usual. and unless some new features
 should be introduced today there will
 be no radical changes in the other
 offices. except. Of course. that Il board
 of charities will look out for the aims
 house and the town poor instead of the Selectmen. Will anybody be legiS- lated out of office: That's Il question
 that has a special interest for two of the assessors. MeSSrS Coyle and
 Burns. The proper way to do this, and no doubt that plan will be adopt ed. is to have the mayor appoint sue ceSSOr to each assessor according as his term of office expires. and then, at the end of three years, the full board can be named. but it would be well to have q hold over there right along, for the office is too important to be filled by all new men.
 It is being said in some quarters that i the end sought is to confer almost im- perial power on the mayor because the republicans feel confident that with all l the electors of the town and city put l ting the white slips of paper into the same box on election day there can be l no doubt but that they will capture 1 the mayoralty and then the rest will | be plain sailing. But it is doubtful if | the people of Waterbury are prepared 1 to confer such power upon any man.
 republican or democrat, and the prop | oSition is being combatted by some | Staunch republicans. who think that l we ought to have, q few offices. out@ l side the board of aldermen. and that i of mayor, filled by q direct vote of | the people. Indeed. some of our re- l publican friends take the ground that l the appointiVG power now vested in | the mayor is radically wrong and make no bones of the statement that l all the boards now appointed by the l mayor as well as some made by the 1 aldermen. should be chosen by a pop 1 ular vote. But. after all. there does not seem to be much logic in this view 1 Cf the case. If the mayor is to be held f responsible for the administration it would seem that he should have some- | thing to say regarding the selection
 of his lieutenants. If we are going
 to have coESolida tion and a king in- i stead of q mayor. let him name all the 1 subordinate boards and also select I l city attorney. The mayor is obliged | 1 attorney than in the members of ak 1 the other boards put together. and if l he is to have any appointiye power at
 all it should include the man who | comes nearest to him, the city attor- ney. Of course. the republicans tell us that when we have q democratic | mayor it is well to have q republican, l city attorney, so that we will be sure l of knowing what is going on. All 1 right, but why shouldn't the same ar 1 gulnent hold good as to the adyiSabii- ] ity of d democrat for city attorney 1 when the mayor belongs to the oppo- 1 site party? Some say no one will l want the change after the draft is
 made public. Probably that is true, but it would be wise to wait till we
 get Il peep at it before saying too
 much about it, one way or the other.
 The electors of the WatervilIe dis l trict met last night to consider the
 matter of consolidation. and adjourned
 until next Friday night This was
 done so as to give the people chance 1 to see the bill before starting in to dis 1 cuss it. The consolidationists regard l the poStpOnement as an indica ton that l there is not much opposition to the 1 change in Waterville.
 GERMAN REFUGEE KILLED. New York. Dec '21.-A coroner's jury at Harlingen. \. J., empanelled l to inquire into the death of William town, brought in. verdict that he 1 tS, hi fl