Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-13
ABOUT CONSOLIDATION.
Interviews With Some of WateIbury's
 Well Known Citizens.

" ell l\ECWn CitIZ@nS.
 Rep inPsentative-elect GUilfD'1r. wllcn asked to-day if he favored tne r!t1- posed amendment to the charter fe.. =" consolidation of tl:n city :tl!I town :trNH!nlilcntS, replied substantially l> follows:
 At present my sympathy ;s with the town: l think it iS oyerwhvlrl"d by the republican Earty and rrUIh!i,.al l"rtiSalship and that that party will leave nothing tnduna that c&n possibly H|ln:s about the passage of the meas @''H you speak of. There i< no more "St"nSihl" caHSr for cunSnii,lHtin&. tAr two gov; r!mHnt> to-da} than thci., Was tth N"HrS ago. and il k my impression thar if the matter was tHkcn un hy inc public it would Er sen hat thci'n k Tar l"%I cause. fer bri!l49il!s about Il marriage of the city and toWu. Tn, present phase of the situation iS like the lriSIman and the Ir2ti. girl. Tho gallant lrishman. doub tful of the gil.'S consent tp lis kissing hey. took the Kiss first and then asked her for it.
 Il Il" republicans who are C?.yinrvr- Ing this matter of c0nSOiiia tiOn WiIl Undoubte,ily pretend it is ill inc in;yr- cStS of the taxpayer and that while th" property owner in the city and Th" property owner in the town will derive a mutual benefit more SO than QAUvl. th" present order of things. tAr town will be especially benefited.
 "Th" republicans will say that the town t1N"tiOn will not he materially increased in proportion to tic h2np,its property in the town will derive. and taxation may not be iEcrpHSod il the town for a year CT tITu after the pass aG" nf th!S prUpu~,'I measure. ls!uVi,l- inG 1t to; < pa bat il cannot fH:l to 't that eventually the town prupgrty owner will be taxed precisely the Slnn "> the city taxpayer, and if cUnSuli:?a- tion h%roln:S a fact there i% no reason why there should h" q difference. in taxation. All are llon alike: all are under the San2 form uI municipal gov crnmrnt. and ali are entitled 10 tIa same means of pr0t%ction and tnueliJ. lou will remember that l am speaking now as the matter presents itself to, me. Later. when the subject k more fully discussed. when it's provisions have been made known to all. a change of opinion may result. No one seems to know what the committee on con SOliJatiou iS doing. and until that is known no one can speak intGili-2ntiy ol the matter. At present. however. favor the old system of government"
 First $rlcctmam Dorm spike t. some extent on the matter also. II" said that cnnS0li,ta t;Cn ill au5 form would be big mistake and tna, 1Ae results in the cities under that form Of government show this to be a f:,rt Consolidation. hr said. will makt. moro paUU2rS ill q wear than the present system would in five. He was certain lhat the main cry nf the cun%uli,Iati0n- i-ts. d@velnrlm, III of the town hi4 IW-aEs and p"lInaEent Improvements oil them. would be given the cilh shoulder. Last year Ii!r town cNu"ntlt,l un eiftS;t!t, poor Si1.OUD between 1IU persons making an average la each of S1O. Under consolidation these 1:t0 persons would have to consent to he placed il tho almhouSr and thus be made pau p"rS for he rest of their lives. This HAS hr"n one or the main changes made by COTS liiatiun in any city where the outside i23ur Were taken cara UI hy a board of SVlr,.tmrn. \ SuD-riutrrd. ent of | board oi charities llA.: not tlIn time tn investigate eases & out si,lc poor as | member of H beard If S:l.'"5- men has. and il is Impossible for him t0 give such wurI, proper attuntiul. nor can he tIll, the 1llnn interest in it as a selvctman hAS. This has been shown where consolidation has taken place. h each c;tsp th1 poor has $uf- Icrtd more thdn before: they have been degraded l'y tho strong and rclentl"&S arm of partiSdnShip. and the city has not been improved by thp addition of tn" towns funds to it's c0!fHrS. Con soldation is q great mistake. in Mir noian'S < opinion. He did nOt speak p,l- tirely from an official point of Ni@W but from personal observation and the opinion of men who have had eXpnri- CHca under tn" dual and the single form of municipal government.