Norwich bulletin., 1910-11-15

city as whole. Henee 1n our pro- posed plan We provide for aboard of We call them directors rather than commissioners because the dfrestors merely carry out the will eff peepss, whereas with commissioners the rights of the people are much more restricted and their p0WArs reduced. We See this with our present water board and gas and electric commas sion for in the conduct of these departments the peo- pie today have no voice whatever, That there may be opposition to any change in our government we have apprehended. Opposition has develop ed in every city. where 1t has been tried and the new plan wsts rejected time after time in the cities where it has since been so successful but each time by reduced majorities as the provisions of the plan became better understood and as the character of the opposition became known From these remarks you have been able to understand, I trust, that there is nothing radical, new or untrled in the plan that your commission reconl- mends to you.
 Boardman Opens Attack.
 Albert Boardman commended the work of the commission regarding the standardization of the work of the city and said there were many good 1deas in the commission form of government, but he waa present to combat it. lie thought the Newport plan of city gov . ernment more democratic, saying that 1 the Galveston and Des Moines plan IS autocratic. The commission form. he said, eliminates the people from taking , interest until they are forced to 1t and would lead to the hardest times the country ever saw. It is a despottc form i and all despots have led to revolution. l The will of the people has resulted Tn i the best government. More democratic i form of government must come and the ] reason congress is not democratic IS | because matters are handled by com missions. The railroad commission Of i the state he said, had gone into the hands of the enemy. and he predicted ] that the utilities commission will The commission form. he said. Is old, has | been tried and found wanting. i If 1t is a good idea to have a few : in control, why not elect kings and 1 queens at once? The fewer those in charge the more easily corruption rules. Newport has five wards, elects ! a mayor and five aldermen and thirty 1 nine councilmen.
 More salary should be paid to the commission members than advocated, as $500 will not satisfy a man for his : time. and he will have to get some thing somewhere else. If the people do not vote properly in city meetings it is proper information
 1 He did not think it right to eliminate from candidates for office all btlt tax payers. He read a letter from pes Moines. from an unannounced wrSief | knocking the form of governn1e.N there. He said that men have tfie right to combine and man cannot help {; being partial in office. He thought there was little opportunity to use the recall and referendum.
 MT. TirreIFs Reply.
 Mir Tirren, in reply to Mir Board
 man, stated that he rather disiked the tone of insinuation of the last speak CT, in which he ntimated that the 1 commission was representing some in i, terest with a view to fOoling the peo pie, but he thought there was merit to some things he referred to.
 It would be good thing to give the commissioners more money but can
 the city afford it. Is it possible that ' there is no patriotism? He said he could point to officials and members of other commissions who are serving the city in important capacities, but
 are receiving no pay.
 There is no plan where the city can put their hands on a man and take him out of office, like this one.
 MT. Boansnan stated that he did not
 wish to imply any discredit to the
 committee and asked why it was that
 20 per cent. of the vote is required to secure recall anl not one per cent
 MT. TirTen answered this by stating
 that if the city desires it to be ten | per cent or any other amount. il should be done, but he didn't think it wise to get it so low that the refer
 endum and recall will be farce.
 MT. Tirrell stated that this is the
 only form of government which gives
 the people the right of recall. He took
 exception to Mr. Boardmans state
 ment and said he believed tht present
 system of the United States senate
 and government is the best ever pro
 duced by man. Pointing out the flaws
 does not amount to anything unless
 yon can suggest something better.
 The requirement that the officials 1 be taxpayers was put in, because it is provided that he shall Le held re- l seponsible and if he is not a property
 owner there is no hold on him. He admitted that this could be overcome by a bond.
 General Aiken Speaks.
 General W. A. Aiken expressed the
 hope that in the discussion of this
 matter that no insinuations of cor
 ruption shall have utterance. He took
 exception to MT. Roardman's state ment discrediting the work of the com
 mission, and expressed the hope that
 the people would take part so as tc
 sift the matter down to cold facts. He
 declared he did not want commission
 government unless 1t is more truly
 democratic If tho people were cheat
 ed by this commission form. it was
 themselves who did it. as every city sifted the matter thoroughly before
 adopting the plan.
 He offered vote of thanks for tn:
 time, self sacrifice and devotion. tc
 the patriOtic, earnest, busy citizens
 whose time is occupied. but who have ] given it freely for this work and pre-
 scented this report. MT. Boardman sec | onded the motion as to the patriotic ' earnest busy citizens, and C. V. James second the motion as made and il
 pa ssed.
 In reply to Mir. Boardman's question
 as to whether they had investigated
 the Newport plan. MT. Tirrell stated
 that they had based the most of theil
 work on the New Haven plan as il
 ian ,cit nr a a1,fl