The Somerset reporter., 1902-01-23
Municipal Government.

some OF our people In relation TO The pres
ent form of government of our town.
We do not know how extensive 1t IL, but
some are In favor of change to some
other form, either a modified form of
town government or city organization,
and the club gave its attention to this
topic on Friday evening.
f. +. Greenwood, c. E., read paper
and discussion of an informal charac-
acter followed. After this an express
sion of the members was called for aid
it was very largely In favor Of a change,
without specification Of what the
change should be.
Following is Mr.. Greenwood's paper,
so far as written out, with meager allu-
SION 70 eerra,n propositioas read md *
planned by him. in our own words:
The subject this evening is Town
Government, with special reference to
the form Of our own municipal atfairs.
This is not In any sense a new idea In
this town, neither Is the form OF govern
ment to which | call your attention orig
inal with me, but rather 1t was gotten up
by men of ability who have given the
matter much thought and work
1t has long been thought by many of
our working townsmen that our present
method OF doing the business OF so large
municipality as ours In town meeting
is open to serious objections.
Under present conditions our voters,
representing population Of over 5000
people, are called together once year to
elect municipal officers, raise money for
all purposes and pass upon ali important
affairs that are expected to come before
the town for one year. This brings to.
gether about 300 men in open town meet
ing. Very few of that number have
taken the pains to inform themselves as
10 conditions of our municipal affairs.
Many OF them, II they have formed any
opinion of their own, have come with
the full determination OF voting against
nearly every measure that calls for the
raising Of money, thus trying to reduce
taxes for the present regardless of con-
sequences for the future. Others seem
to regard the raising OF money for town
affairs to consist in voting yes to every
request that is made for an appropria-
ton.
But many others, and usually a large
majority of the voters, not having fitted
themselves on the article in question,
take no part in the discussion or voting
upon many important measures. And
in consequence of these conditions, many
of our vital questions are decided with
only few minutes consideration and
no attempt whatever at a careful investi.
CATION as to merits, but rather in accord
ance with the views of the one who has
the best faculty of influencing that meet
ing with an impromptu, stump speech.
1t may be argued that our toWnsmen
in body are the best judges as to what
we want as a municipality. This would
be the case, perhaps, il in a large collec-
Mon OF people we could avail ourselves
of corresponding aggregation OF wis
dom which, unfortunately does not seem
to be the case, but rather the wisdom
shown by deliberative body, seems to be
In the inverse ratio of the numbers COM
prising that body.
1t may be that many Of you believe
that our present form of government is
the best that we could have but believe
a ms jority of those in hearing think that
il is not the best, but some form of a
modified city organization is better a.
dapted to our conditions, the object being
to put the details OF our town affairs into
the hands of a few selected men who
shall be chosen annually by the people.
The people having once chosen their rep
resentatives, cease for one year to have
any further voice In town affairs except
In special cases that may be provided for !;
these representatives., which we may call
the town council, to be clothed with all
the power of the people assembled in open
town meeting.
A little more than three years ago, as
most Of you know, this same question
was agitated in several citizens meetings
in our town, and a committee of six of
your leading men was appointed to draft
a form of modified city government.
This duty they attended to and the
result WAS proposed "act to establish a
Town Council for Skowhegan.n For
some unknown reason the matter WAS
dropped soon after the report Of the COM
mittee. This report | have and and pro-
pose to read certain OF the most impor-
tant sections which will give an idea of
its scope"
At this point Mr.. Greenwood read Sc
lections from and explained the sal
lent features of the "Bacheller
Bill" which in 1898 was exploited
in our town to quite an extent.
He also explained proposition in
printed form submitted to the Massa-
chusetts legislature in the winter of 1901
by John NJ. Berry of Melrose, which he
designated as the "Melrose plan Many
of our citizens are familiar with the
"Bacheller Bill" and the plan of change
from our present mode of town meeting
government to that involving the cleo
ton by wards of town council with
practically the same powers now exer-
clsed by the board of aldermen in cities
but without mayor. The Melrose tpro-
position has the town council feature of
the Bachelor plan but members of the
town council each have the votiT & power
of the number of votes they received at
their election. There is also way pro
vided by which voters can transfer their
votes from one member of the town
council to another, to. become effective
one week after the transfer is made.
Mr.. Greenwood concluded by saying :
Now the question for discussion is IL
our form of town government suitable
for our present needs? II not, what shall
be substituted In its stead?"
Thousands Sent Into Exile.
Every year large number of poor