The Morris County chronicle., 1905-05-16


Great Britain are much more dem
ocratic in their methods Of gov
ernment than are ours. With
them the citizen exercises a direct in
terest in public affairs. The city coun-
ell is truly the representative Of the
mass Of the electorate. 1t is impossi-
BILE for the members of council to go
far astray even if they were SO dis
posed. The manner in'which they do
these things on the other side may best
be illustrated by an instance which
came under my personal observation,
The city of Manchester owns and op-
crates its street railways, and it is also
a large stockholder in the Manchester
Ship Canal company. For some time
it has been deemed necessary to raise
more money for the enlargement and
improvement Of both of these great en-
terprises, and for months prior to my
visit to Manchester special committees
Of the council had been working on
ways and means to authorize and COM
plete these Improvements. IA bill was
finally drawn petitioning parliament
for power to issue bonds amounting to
a total Of about $7,5OO,O00 to raise
funds for these purposes. The council
adopted the measure. Ny attention
was first directed to the matter by
reading huge posters displayed in varl-
Gus parts of the city announcing q town
meeting of the free voters of Manches-
ter for the purpose of taking final ac-
ton in the matter of the proposed bond
issue.
1t was then that l learned that in
this, as in all other important matters,
the voters had the right of a referen-
dun.. William Henry Talbot, for gen
GRAFTON the town clerk of Manchester,
invited me to a seat on the platform,
and / had opportunity to witness the
workings of a democracy in country
classed as monarchy.
The huge gothic hall in which the
free and independent burgesses of
Manchester assembled to pass on the
: recommendations of their common
council is capable of seating four or
five thousand persons, but it was not
half filed when we entered. To the
right of the platform was large map
Of Manchester and Stafford showing the
plan Of the proposed street railway ex-
tensions and the enlargement of the
docking facilities.
Suppose" / asked Town Clerk Tai
bot, that majority of those present
vote against this measure. Does that
defeat all chance of its passage?"
at would for the time being" re
sponded Mr.. Talbot "The council
would hesitate to broach the matter
again, for long while at least"
is there any decided opposition to
the billf' / asked. "Are there no pri-
vate interests whose profits will be i'm
periled by the passage of this act?"
Certainly there are" was the reply.
att authorizes the construction of ten
ement houses and cottages which will
compete with those owned by members
Of the landlords association, and some
of them are here, and others are repre-
Bented by their attorneys. Then many
ratepayers are opposed to the build
ing Of more trans or improving the
ship canal. They are here and win be
heard"
There are more than 100000 voters in
Manchester, and not more than 5000 of
them were in the hall when Lord May
or Sham took his chair and adjusted
the official chain which was suspended
around his neck. was mystified by
the lack of attendance on the part Of
the electorate of Manchester.
"What is there to prevent the oppos-
ing interests to this bill from packing
the hall with their partisans?" ! asked,
my mind wandering back to Chicago,
New York and others centers Of civih-
Eation with which was familiar.
: ''No one would dare attempt such a
thing" said the astounded and doubtful
town clerk.
"But suppose they dared do it and
succeeded" insisted. What would
happen then?"
'There would be bloody riot, don't
you know" said Mr.. Talbot, with
bland smile, and before could ques-
tien him further the lord mayor mo-
toned him to open the meeting. From
other sources equally reliable have
learned that Mr.. Talbot's prediction of
violence in the event Of packed meet
1ng was entirely justidable.
The town clerk read the proposed
bill, and it was voted to take it up and
discuss 1t by sections. The lord mayor
moved the passage Of each section and
called on some member of the council
to second his4metion. The question was
then open to general debate, and any
citizen of Manchester could speak for
or against it. Many speeches were
made, and as a result some unimpor-
tant amendments were agreed to. and
when every one had had his say the
motion to indorse the action OF the
counoil was put and passed without a
dissenting vote.
What struck me as extraordinary
was this: Here was measure which
combined in itself all that is radical in
the movement for public ownership.
1t committed the city to closer part
nership with a private business cor
poration. 1t authorized large expendi-
ture for houses which would compete
with those owned by landlords. 1t pro-
posed an extension OF municipal tram
ways beyond the corporate limits Of
Manchester, thereby establishing new
precedent which may gridiron Great
Britain with steel railways owned and