The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-26
GOVERNMENT BY
COMMISSION FOR
CITIES OF CONN.
Senator Peck's Bill to Provide
Optional Charters Has Inter-
esting Hearing
Especial to The Fsrn,sr.>

Hartford. April Ex-senator Charles
8. Peck's bill to provide a commission
form of government for all Connecticut
cities desiring it came up yesterday
afternoon for a hearing before the
committee on Cities and Boroughs. A
large attendance OF prominent men ap-
peared at the hearing and much inter-
est was evinced in the measure.
Senator Peck's bill provides that up
on a petition OF 20 per cent Of the
voters of any city, there shall be a
referendum on the question Of adopt
ing commission form Of government
and II q majority Of voters SO decide.
the commission form, as outlined by
Senator Peck's model, go into effect,
for six years.
If the people are tired Of the experi-
ment at the end of six years, they
may revert TO their original charter.
Senator Peck. the author Of the bill,
explained in its behalf that the COM
mission form Of government Is now
operative in ia cities and towns
throughout the United States and
seems to have the effect of gradually
eliminating politics.
Senator Jeremiah Donovan Of Nor
sure to be operative should be In the
form of a constitutional amendment
He said that cities have no rights, but
are mere creatures Of the General AS
sembly, existing from year to year on
the charters granted by that august
institution. said charters being at all
times liable to mauling and amending
and tinkering.
Senator Donovan added that in Con-
necticut at present there Is a fine
form of government in several cities.
He named Hartford as an excellent
example. He said that Hartford pays
less for it's electric light than any
Lis ~ he GO clio in n a
State, and that the Capitol city does
business on the same scale In other
matters. 1t gets the highest candle
power in it's lights, the cheapest cleo
tricity and the cheapest transporta-
ton. The street railway pays a big
sum every year to Hartford for the
privilege Of using the streets and the
more taxes than in any other city.
Hartford is fine example Of civic
pride. The Senator also mentioned
South Norwalk, which operates its own
electric light plant. and gets its cleo
tricity cheaper and sells 1t cheaper to
the manufacturers than most other
cities
Senator Donovan said that to make
the Peck bill effective, a constitu-
tionaa convention Is necessary. He
added that the idea Of making men
better by a resolution to that effec;
Is an absurdity that doesn't work out
in practice.
Attorney ]. J. Walsh of South Nor
walk, spoke in favor Of the bill, and
Said that the modern trend of politics
is purely toward the settlement OF
commercial and business questions.
He said that the great sentimental
questions such as slavery had long
ago been decided and that questions
of business efficiency and economy
have the track today.
Representative Belcher. Democrat, Of
New London, favored the bill.
Charles H Merritt, a hat manufac-
turer Of Danbllry. spoke for the meas
ure. He said that 1t means govern
ment by the people and that under the
form the public may make
just as good a government as 1T wants
to create.
Senator T. J. Bowen Of Naugatuck,
said that the plan brings the cities Of
Connecticut nearer to the goal Of uni
form charters. He said that the trend
Of this idea is to bring tho govern
mental power back to the people,
where it belongs. He said that the
people demand such reforms as the
initiative, the referendum and the re-
cali, and are simply asking that powe-
which mgt1tfuEy belongs to them. and
which has gradually slipped beyond
their reach
Rev. George w. HUH, Of Bristol. a
Socialist, briefly opposed the meas
Me.
Judge Matthewson Of New Haven,
favored the Peck bill. He said that
he had studied the effect Of commits
sion government dn other places and
that 1T would tend In Connecticut to
put us back on the old fanhioned
New England method Of town govern
ment, which was once admired and
envied throughout the world as ad-
mirably efficient and democratic.
Representative Daniel Dunn of VIII
limantic, while stating that he is not
an entire adherent Of the commission
form of government, added that he
believed that any city that wishes to |
try 1t should have the right TO do so. |