The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-28
THE MANcHEsrER pLAM.

IHE MANCHESTER ELAN
 To-day the voters of Manchester in Hartford county will either take or not take an important step in the po- litical organization of that town. If they decide to take it, the people of the State of Connecticut will be able for the first time to study local gov ernment from contrasted points of view, that of the conventional munich pality and that of the old New Eng land town government brought up to date. If successful, as there is every reason to believe 1t will be, if tried, it will scarcely fail to have far reaching influence.
 The past twenty-five years in this State have seen innumerable instances of experimenting with local govern ment. There have been as many munich pal charters, each differing substantial ly from the other, as there have been towns to petition for them In some cases the consolidation of city and town and school district has been tried. In other cases the act of consoli- dation has confined itself to the city limits, the outlying town area being given semi-independent existence, the school district or districts being left to care for themselves. Here in New Haven we have a system of con- solidation which swallows the school district but leaves the parts of the town located in Fair Haven East and Westville to govern themselves in cer- tain specified ways as independent boroughs. Their representatives in the board of aldermen have the power to vote upon matters affecting them, but not on matters of general interest and concern--a ridiculous arrangement, but no more so than arrangements which are recognized in other munich palities. In other words, until now the proposition has been to build larger and more comprehensive local life up- on the municipal basis. The town basis has been deliberately summed, not for a reason anyone could give and de- fend, but obviously because of the false attraction the city form of govern ment has had for reformers.
 The proposition submitted to the voters of the town of Manchester to- day, stated in word, is that they shall adopt for their form of govern ment the old New England town gov- ernment brought up to date in its bearing upon local business needs. The old town meeting is to be preserved under conditions favorable to it's con- tinuance as a source of unrestrained popular government. If we are not mistaken the plan provides for an ap- peal from the will of a town meeting which has been packed to the entire electorate upon a petition being pre- sented to the selectmen signed by a certain per cent. of the voters. In oth- CT ways the new instrument of gov- ernment proposes to retain the pro- visions of the old town system, which has been vindicated by experience, and to add such new provisions as are re- like comprehension of what local gov ernment means and stands for II should be borne in mind, too, that the conclusion to attempt the improvement of Manchester's affairs by the develop ment of the old New England town government rather than by the accept ance of the municipal principle was not arrived at impulsively. The senti- ment of the voters has been hostile to a city government and It was In conse- quence of that that committee oi fifteen was appointed two years ago tc take the whole subject under consid- eration and report. To aid them in the enterprise was the knowledge com monly shared in that Manchester, witt
 it's 14,00O population, must either
 abandon the town form of government for the municipal or discover fol Itself a scheme which would Iprobably bring contentment of mint and business-like results. A very com plete study was made of local gov
 ernment at first hand both in thi' lcountry and in England, and 1t became
 the conviction of the Investigators tha
 municipal government at least hac
 failed to justify the expectations of it supporters; that if local governmen
 was to be rescued from inefficienc,
 and extravaganza the town of Man
 chester must blaze a new path.
 It is confidently believed by tn
 promoters of this plan that 1t will in
 sure a business-lilSe conduct of tow
 affairs, remove all danger of one-mal
 power asserting itself and eliminat