Norwich bulletin., 1910-11-15

charter formally presented to the l meeting the draft of the proposed
 charter Much interest in this step is evident from the attendance, though the discussion was carried on by a very few. Copies of the proposed char l ter were distributed.
 At the opening of the meeting, at (which Mayor Thayer presided, General 1 W. A. Aiken presented a resolution to the effect that upon presentation of the report of the charter commission, | the chairman of the commission be re- ] Quested to explain the same and that after a general discussion of the re- port this meeting adjourn to Monday November 2S, at o'clock, to enable { the citizens to study the report before taking final action thereon. This res- olution was passed.
 Report of Commission.
 Henry A. Tirrell. chairman of the commission then presented the report Of the commission as follows:
 MT. Chairman and Fellow Citizens: The committee appointed to investi-
 gate financial conditions in our city | government, to examine into the ef- 1 fleets, and working of our present char ter and ordinances. and to suggest 1 possible changes in the charter, re- ! ports as follows:
 | The committee finds:
 1st. That uniform and centralized system of bookkeeping and of receipts l ! secure greater economy and clearer | accounting than is possible at present 2d. That Q centralized system of purchasing supplies and checking up
 the receipt and distribution of the same would result in large saving to the city.
 Sd. That uniformity in closing the l fiscal year of each department, with & l date for levying taxes such that tax | money might be available soon after l t6n ir,cr nf fhn F,nx u-n1 ro suit in greater convenience for audits and inventories and in considerable l savings of interest money that must
 be paid under the present system. 4th. That it is advisable to fund the present floating indebtedness of
 Norwich in order that no further ad- ! ditions may be made to the indebted
 ness of the city without q clear un- | derstanding on the part of the cit 1 izens.
 9th. That placing responsibility on individuals for the administration of l various departments would secure en- forcement of ordinances now inactive and would make for greater efficiency and for economical management of city business.
 9th. That such responsibility should be coupled with the fullest possible publicity in all city transactions.
 l 7th. That there should be placed in the hands of the people more effeetive means than they now have of remov- ing officials of checking ordinances or proposing them.
 sth. That the administration of the city government would be more eff- cient if the election and appointment of officials were based on merit and experience rather than on party lines. In general the committee believes that a form of city government sub stantially like that presented in the printed plan in which responsibility is placed on a mayor and four direc- tors subject in all respects and at all times to the will of the people will bring great saving to taxpayers and better government for all citizens. The committee has expended for clerical services s49.35. for supplies
 s7.60, for postage s1s.I2. for printing 1 and for advertising $87S9, leaving an unexpended balance of s33644 out of the $500 appropriated for it's use. 1 The committee recommends the 1 adoption of the new city charter now 1 in your hands.
 Explanation by Chairman.
 Chairman Tirrell then stated in ex- planation of the work that the com | mission had recognized in the first place that they could not change hu- 1 man nature, and cannot make citizens | take interest in the city government, by any charter. The better the char ter. however. the more likely it would be that the citizens would take inter- 1 est There is no perfect government anywhere. He expressed himself as pleased that the meeting had decided I to talk and think over the charter, and 1 vote on 1t later.
 l If it is not better charter than the 1 present one it should be rejected, but 1 if it is a better one, it should be adopt l ed. The commission is anxious to get | suggestions upon the question at once. I In pointing out the chief merits of ! the instrument he said we are living ! under a charter and customs which 1 have grown up The best thing in ] Norwich is that merit counts more 1 than party lines. as shown by the re | taining of the city treasurer, tax col | lector, town clerk, chief of police and chief of the fire department, and he 1 believes that merit ought to court II l this is good in some departments, 1t ought to be in others, so it has been ] incorporated in all.
 l Another good feature is the commits sion form You have already recogniz- l ed in vour commissions and commit l tees the idea that the commission way 1 is the effective way to get something done. as shown by tlne gas and cleo 1 tric department and the park depart ment The committee believes that 1 this idea is the solution of the whole 1 problem.
 Norwich has many good features in ! it's charter, ordinances and customs. ! like other cities Annything which may have been forgotten or which is l not in the new instrument. in so many l words holds over from the old char i ter as do all the ordinances.
 | The non- -partisanship, the commis- ! sion form and the fact that the pres ent city government is not altered are 1 the important features.
 1 It is believed that the new charte- i will greatly improve the financial sYS- 1 tenn. greatly assist in the accounts by 1 making them better, ard the taxes fal'- ! ing due soon after the new officials { takes office will overcome the necessity 1 of borrowing There should be 2 cen i +ral buying sgency. It improves also the fixing If responsibility, as ar ir- 1 tiividual cannot hide behind q council ] or the charter.
 The new charter allows tine removal 1 from office of bad official and the cdty can start any legislation wanted, there being more power under the new in strurrent civil service board is 1 provided to serve without pay and in trodlioa the merit sy stem, The new i charter provides publicity. Clearness.
 power over q man to remove or ap- point his successor. a. well as the ad- 1 vantage of removing wrong partisan : ship. Tn city government the people should be interested in seeing the busi- ness well done rather than having 1t done by a republican or a democrat. The new charter gives more authority than the town has. you have the power to remove. can start your own lsgisla ton. and there fs no other form so democratic.