The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-11-21
The Meddler
~" Me coat fits yoa, pr it on

,ecially to meet Vermont conditions
md is based upon the author s belief
hat while every Vermont town and
village has from one to score of or
ous to promote community welfare
there is no teamwork on the part Of
these groups and waste of energy
and duplication of effort stand in the
way of progress. The book deals with
the history and principles of town plan
ming, community organization, local
government, streets and roads, public |
health and safety, agriculture, town
forests, industry and trade, community
social life and town Identification.
That Professor Flint is a thorough
as firm believer in the need of better
community organization is evident
from the frequent references he made to
state laws pertaining to town govern
ment and other civic matters. Incl
dentally it is interesting to note what
he says about the town manager as out
| lined in the enabling act passed by the
legislature of 1917. In his opinion cit
is reasonable to believe that most of
our PAT units of local government are
! by far too small to support town man.
ager," vet he believes there is little
question that towns like Montpelier, st
Adams, Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, St
Johnsbury, Newport, Bennington, Col
chester and Springfield could work the
plan For the benefit of the small com
the fabric of the commonwealth ths
author believes in the creation of :
state department of municipal affair:
that would insure: % uniform sys
tenn of municipal government with sucl
! notifications as local conditions de
, mand; (2) the employment of skille'
!. financial, engineering, medical and lega
advice upon all matters of local govern
/. ment; 81 the framing of bylaws o
9 sound principle instead of local exped
+ iency; "a the proper control of loea
finance, municipal enterprise concern
ing public utilities, public expenditur
to relieve unemployment, etc; (5) tn
securing of cooperation between ada
cent towns and cities.
,
d In the course of his treatment of til
general subject of civic preparedness
q Professor Flint discusses a variety c
topics which are of local interest
y almost any Vermont town and give
Il expression to a generous amount {
:. sound sense concerning them. His boo
:, is well worth reading by all who reali,
the Importance of community uplift
!. this state whether or not they appro,
- of Just the sort of remedies he pr
scribes.
Brattleboro ought TO be hearth
ashamed of the condition of its tow
f farm as pointed out by Secretary Je
e frey of the state board of charities, a,
i not the least shameful feature of t
~ situation is that he should have
IL speak about the matter twice within
few months.
Dissatisfaction over the lease viii
nc the selectmen made of the Auditory
and Festival hall has been revived du
:. ling the past week through knowled
no that its terms seem to prevent sect
ing the hall for basketball games Il
winter. Interest in this sport, on
SO popular here, is being revived
u many nearby towns and Brattlebo
doubtless could be represented by a Fl
u, team if q suitable floor for practi
d.. and play were available at reasonal
terms At what they are obliged to P
mt for the town property, however, I
=. lessees do not feel as if they can affo
. to make any special concessions and
~ local basketball fans win doubtl'
IRIS have to content themselves by readi
of the records that local players ma
nd with other teams in this locality.
of
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