The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-30
CHARTER JUGGLERY AGAIN

CHARTER JUGGLERY AGAIN
 The terms of several members of the Board of Apportionment expire soon. and with Mayor Buckingham is lodged the power of naming their successors From the commencement of his term, it has apparently been his policy to retain few. if any. of the appointees of his predecessor in office. The Ap- petitioners whose terms soon expire. . are all appointees of the previous ad- ninistration. It is. therefore. cur rently reported that. none of them will be reappointed.
 We do not know whether this report Is or is not, well founded. but the more prominent members of the Tax payers League evidently believe it to be true. Hence. their reported inten7 tion of applying to the Legislature fof charter amendments which would tie the Mayors hands as to the Appor- tionment Board The proposition is to make the board sef-perpetuating- that is. to authorize it to fill vacancies in its own body. which would mean a life tenure for all members deemed ':safe'' by 'the interests. and the retirement of all classed as unsafe by these same authorities.
 As usual. whenever questions upon which the city and 'the interests" are antagonistic arise or are expect ed to come up for official action. the former finds itself betrayed from with in. In its reputed proposed action. the Taxpayers League. or rather. several of it's prominent and would-be gov erning members. is not laboring for the welfare of the city. but of <'the interests. The clearly evident pur- pose is to retain on the Board of Alp portionment the members deemed "safe" by 'the interests and to re- tire those classed as unsafe at the ex- piration of their terms.
 The pretext most generally in use is an alleged pressing need of taking the adjustment of all salaries from the control of the Mayor and board of Aldermen, and the increase in fire mems pay is cited as ''the horrible example" There may be some inten- ton of covering this point in the pro- posed charter amendment, but it will appear as but a minor feature. The major object sought is authorization of the Board of Apportionment to elect it's own members
 This would take from the people such control as they now possess through the election of Mayors. of this very im- portant board It is a fresh illustra- tion of that distrust of the people, which is so prevalent in some quarters and which finds it's inspiration in cor porate influence. In substance. the demands, of "the interests is for de- prival of the people of all power. and it's lodgment. in self-perpetuating form. in the hands of so-called "safe" men who can be relied upon to serve faithfully as corporate tools.
 Such is the palpable general intent of the move for charter amendment referred to. but there is an. equally potent particular intent at the present time. At the coming session of the Board of Apportionment. the question of again appropriating under the twen- ty-year water contract. will come up. and there is an evident fear that Mayor Buckingham will make such i appointments as will assure an abro- gation of that contract. A charter amendment, of the character above outlined. would prevent this and al- l low the members of the board who voted last year to continue the con- : tract, to elect so-called "safe' men as successors of the retiring members. In other words. the same members who voted in support of the water com pany last year. would be authorized to elect to membership men of similar i views. and to repeat the process ad i tnfiuitum.
 It is a very neat scheme. worthy of the keenness which is usually found in corporate moves. The identity of the brain which conceived it. is not pub licly known, but it may be said of him that Ca keen man is half rogue" His obvious inten Is to nullify the will of the people as expressed with much force and directness at the last city