The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09
RICHEST TOWN IN THE WORLD.
RROOKLINE, MASS, STILL RULED
nj TOWN MEETING.
An EDITION dc Luxe or q Village with n Total
wealth Of Almost 500. OOO. OOO-It
Rsruses 10 Ne Annexed 20 Boston
Cssd Government and Low Taxes.

Coed CoNernnnent hnu LVw ANNos.
prohahly the most famous suburb in
,h,. country Is Brookline, Mass. 1t 10 the
5chest town In the United States; town
,cr. meaning n community living under
that Is known AZ town government.
Going even farther afield, Broohdine IL
aid 10 he richer than any other place in the
World having a similar form Of government.
:, Ia a sort OF edition de luxe of a village.
!, alphabetically prefers the role Of big toad
IN a little puddle to that Of little toad In q
hg puddle
n the toad simile is to be used, Brook
Ina inevitably reminds one Of hat other
traditional hopper with a diamond in its
Dad forehead. For Brookline is a Cr9sus
among towns.
It's wealth ~ not ~BroOkline's only title
~ celebrity. Az a suburb IL is unique.
surrounded by Boston, except at a single
MIMI. :, - like an island in an urban sea.
II ia the solitary instance Of a fat fly safe
and serene in the very midst Of the spiders
web.
For It need not I've said that Boston casts
soova'ous eve this rich morsel. Time
and again the fly has been invited to walk
,r.o Boston = paTlor and feed the voracious
appetite Of Boston's tax list. But the in
vitation is always declined and one of the
most interesting municipalities known keeps
right on doing business in the same old
ray and at the same old land.
The present population of Brookline is
about 2S.O0o. The statistics for this year
are not vet available, but in 1905 the total
axessAd valuation of property was 500, $751;
100. This year it will be sos 900 900.
The expenditures for last year we're
sL,bI .52s. ~; the tax rate was ST. a thousand.
which included State, county and special
assessments. This year the tax rate
dropped TO 50 a thousand. just over the
village boundary line, citizens OF Boston
pay more than twice that much.
But the most interesting thing about
Rrookline is its form of government. 1t
Ia not only the richest but the largest com-
rnunity under town meeting control.
As a rule places become cities long before
hey reach the size Of Brookline. When
they do that their government is vested
in a Mayor and a Board Of Aldermen Only
matters Of special significance are sub
mitted to the people.
In Brookline everything is submitted to
the citizens. They may leave the details to
the selectnen. but they vote directly upon
every municipal question.
The annual town meeting occurs about
the middle of March. A printed notice of
this or Of any other town meeting must
le left at the residence Of every legal voter
Mt least seven days beforehand if prac-
'icabie. In emergencies, printed notices
may be posted in twenty public places and
inserted in a Boston paper t~wcnty-four
hours before the meeting.
Theae notices must contain a complete
list Of the questions To come before the
meeting; what officers, il any. are TO be
elected: what appropriations considered and
40 forth.
The first act Of any town meeting, unless
IL be an adjourned one. is to choose a modera-
tor. Al the annual town meeting the next
step is the opening with prayer. an old
custom which, however, IL dispensed with
at adjourned and special meetings.
Even the town officers are elected at these
meetings. Instead Of the town being
divided into districts, each with its own
rolling place. the constables are required
70 notify and warn the inhabitants, quail
fed 10 vote in elections. to meet in the Town
Hall. on such and such a day, at half past
a o'clock in the forenoon
The story Of SIch an election day is rather
interesting. Take the town meeting OF
last March, for instance.
Called TO order at go A. NJ, the modera-
tor was chosen, the prayer offered, tho
tellars and ballot clerks sworn and two or
three votes on special business taken before
twelve minutes of !, when the polls were
declared open. The Town Hall itself was
fitted up as q polling place, with a rallied OH
space. eighty compartment s for the con-
venie nee OF voters. four ballot boxes and
four entrances 10 the same, assigned alpha
h~etically.
At that election thirty-five tow officers
wera chosen and this question OF license
' voted on. The result was announced at 8:24
in the evening.
Having disposed Of the election. the
town meeting came to order again at 73O
Pm. chose the rest Of the officers, accepted
the Jury list. authorized the town treasurer
n borrow $500. 900. sealed up the check
lists and ballot boxes. ballots and tally
sheets snd-adjourned at 7:4Ol
Two weeks later the town meeting re-
convened and voted on every item Of the
years budget. from $500 900 for schools to
$500 for grading and planting a lot.
There are about 400 registered voters
in Brookline and the first impression OF
the outsider is that a town meeting OF
600 citizens would be a rather unwieldy
body. As a matter OF fact the floor Of the
Town Hall seats only about 1000 persons
and there is generally room and TO spare
for all who come.
OF course voters come and go when
there is an election as they do at other
polling places SO that there are cast
about $500 ballots during the day. But
unless there is a question OF unusual in
terest to come up the town meetings them
selves are attended by not more than from
i0 10 800 voters.
There is a provision. however. against
the possible circumstance Of the Town
Halls being 80 crowded that not all the
citizens who might wish to a X part in
the proceedings would be able TO get in.
That very thing did happen a few years
ago. so this solution was devised:
Tho nall is provided with registering
t1rnstiles. II a town meeting Is attended
hv less than 700 voters, as shown by these
mrnstiles. its acts are final, the inference
icing that there was ample opportunity for
The citizens 10 enter the hall and to take