The Somerset reporter., 1909-03-04
Is 1t Time to Changer

Among the articles in the warrant
for the coming town meeting, will be
one providing for the appointment Of
a committee of five to investigate the
ACCESSIBILITY of change in the form
of our town government. This ques-
ton is by no means new. 1t has been
proposed from time to time, during
the present generation, but the voters
have heretofore preferred the incon
veniences and imperfections of the
town meeting system, rather than
venture upon any change. There are
weighty arguments on both sides but
without claiming that change is ad
visable, there are plenty of re asons
why the question should be studied at
this time.
Perhaps the chief reason for look
ing for something better arises from
the growing tendency, in these busy
days, for us all to shirk the duties and
responsibilities of government. In
theory, every voter should be found
at the town meeting at the opening
hour, and, having previously prepar-
ed himself by careful study of the
questions there to be considered, re-
main with patience until final adjourn
ment, no matter what the demands of
his private business might be. Time
was when this highly desirable condi-
ton existed and it even yet prevails
to great extent in the smaller com
munities. Where it does, the town
meeting method is beyond question
the best form of government ever de-
vised. In the larger towns, however
the business is invariably done by
much less than half the voters and we
have recently had an instance in
Skowhegan, where twenty year con-
tract, involving something like $780,
900, was passed upon in special town
meeting, when the total number vot-
ing for and against the proposition
was pot over fifty.
In favor of the town meeting may
be mentioned the educational value of
such gatherings. Even if the number
present is small in comparison with
the total number of qualified voters,
those who do attend gain impressions
of town affairs which may be had i'll no
other way. They in turn talk the
matter over with those whom they
meet and the information thus disem-
mated goes far to prevent the aver
age citizen from becoming absolutely
Indifferent regarding municipal
affairs. 1t is this feature, the educa-
tional quality, which we can, perhaps,
the least afford to spare, but appreci-
ating it at its full value and adding all
the other known advantages of the
town meeting, even then, the danger
Of costly mistakes through lack of
time for consideration, or of things
being carried by persistant minority
at some poorly attended session,
make it wise to consider the question
Of a change to some form of repre-
sentative government.
A representative body, under what
ever name, city council, general com
mittee, commissioners or otherwise, is
in many ways better ablelto deliberate
and decide municipal questions. The
principal point of weakness in gov
eminent by that method, that is, its
failure through the dishonesty or in
capacity of the members of the coun-
Gil, can be guarded against now a
days by referendum feature, per-
hitting the voters to call out and act
upon any measure that seems to re
quire such treatment. In case OF
that kind, we should have the adYan-
tage of having the question presented
in form readily understandable, and
could vote thereon by printed OF
written ballot, the poles being kept
open the greater part of the day for
the purpose.
The question is a very broad one,
rather too much so to be taken up in
a single newspaper article, but the
above suggestions may serve to di-
rect attention to the matter