Connecticut western news., 1916-09-28
Letters From the People
THE CANAAN PORK BARREL.

Q6UIeT, 10TH du dSOtDCIdbIOus that it is to be supported only by vol untary contributions, and when they find from the first, that they cannot do this, because of insufficient numbers of willing contributors, the shattering ar gument that the general public does not want to support the association is proved. To then seek to jimmy the town money out of the people by ap- propriation methods, thus compelling more than half of the people to support what they do not want, is an indefen- sible proceeding. The voters who will be present when the visiting nurse ap- propriation comes up at town meeting will, many of them, be the manipulat
 ed voters. Manipulating voters is fix ed institution in this and all towns. Thus the general public's wishes in the matter will be submerged. Talk about your submerged tenth! It's Uwo- thirds in Canaan! Who is authorized to put this thing over this year? The town pork barrel is nearly empty. We have got the annual river and harbor raids beat a mile! The town is debt spavined to the amount of $50, 900 and 300 over and above the school ap. propriation was spent last year!
 Forty-seven dollars for visiting nurse expenses was jimmied out of the town the very first year of the association. This year $2U0 worth of pork was lifted out of the town pork barrel, to run this needless extravagance that no one would object to if self supported. We have been told that the prime movers admit that they have been handed a lemon, and now to "save their face' they propose to hand the town the lemon by dropping it into the town pork barrel! We wish there were fewer of those voters whom the late Milton Roraback used to denounce as "Those d-d policy voters." We, of the de- cided majority, which means many women as we'll as men, wish that those good, we'll meaning people whose taxes do not exceed $2 or $10 year would cease such needless, charitable activi. ties as plunge the over burdened tax. payer into debt, in order to be able to pay his or her bills. The $18O to $400 a year taxed persons are never super. fiuous philanthropist, paying their hon. est bills to the business concerns of the town and paying taxes to support the paupers, (the town has four, thanks to our excellent first selectman's manage. ment) and paying more than he ought for the shamfully extravagant school system and so on, all this is the kind of philanthropy that the over -burdened f l,,lr .,, charity needs in this town but what have always been looked after. The town should not be asked to support thousand dollar a-year nurse for school children inspection when health off cer is paid for that work, nor for the needs of four paupers, the convenience of two or three persons, nor for the Italians. who are we'll able to pay out of their own pockets for what they want. This action of the Visiting Nurse Association is as unjust as it is indefensible pork grabbing. It has no more right or business to jimmy money out of the town for it's further self in. terested support than have the Ma sons, Odd Fellows, suffragists. Rebekahs, Eastern Star or any other organization in this town. The town had better pay that thousand dollar railroad bond than run further into debt. Who of the ma jority, wish the farmers all over the world would strike and stay struck till the fancy priced associations, special ists and fad crazy individuals were so near starved they would gladly go to work for 50 cents a day, which is more than they could honestly earn, anyhow.
 Who is going to fill up the town pork barrel after these health crazy philan. throDists have taken out the last layer? Who gets the brine? Eventually the entire expenses of the Visiting Nurse Association will be slipped over onto the town under first one plausible and more or less spacious excuse after an- other, unless the main body ot voters this year vote it down. Emboldened by last years "slick as grease." coup, not less than five hundred dollar ap- propriation will, it is reported, be asked of the peoples money at our next town meeting. Mir. Voter, if one or ganization that cannot support itself can be thrown, like a pauper, on the town, other organizations should have the same right. Null over this awhile, MT. Voter. XL.