The Connecticut labor news., 1921-05-27
OPEN SHOPPERS
Continued from First Page.

l (COntlnued from First Gage.)
 the following incident that occurred in a local brokerage office yesterday shows sufficiently The broker, a warm supporter of the change, was asked by businessman, why he fav- Ored the change and ii he could give any good and substantial evidence that the city's present government 1 wasn't doing as we'll as any, He ad- mittcd he had no particular fault to find with the affairs at present, but then added:
 Its about time, however, that these ignorant Irishmcn and Italians who are getting altogether too pow crlul in city affairs, were put out Ot business
 That statement staggered the buS1- neSsman who replied that he was sur prised that the broker took such an attitude and thought he was more broad-minded. Some of these ignor- ant lrishmcn and Italians apparently have more brains than you have" he added.
 Look at the gang that's operating our trolley cars, came back the broker. "A lot of brainless Irishmen or foreigners, mixing up with the bet ter people of the city, and the re-
 
 regular fight
 Similar incidents have been banded about in the course of the campaign and are being resented by these foreign-born or foreign-desCended citizens. They feel that after they have compiled with the government requirements as to citizenship they have as much right to have say in their own affairs as any "high brow" citizens, as they call them. As the campaign grows, unless this element is taken speedily out of the considera- ton, a situation will develop that will end only ln serious clashes.
 The opposition to the city manager is now being we'll organized but be- cause of uncertainty as to just what the charter contains or means on the part of the voter at large, the thing those back of the project who know fully well what is going on. Even the proposed charter itself is not yet complete apparently amendments be- ing added to 1t at Hartford only yes terday and the whole thing yet pend ing before the governor, even as to the date of the referendum.
 The amendments made yesterday provide for the retention of the police and flrcmcn's benefit funds which the city charter as proposed, incont1nently cut off, although the present members of the departments have for years been paying into these funds SuC1l hubbub arose that the city man as we'll be fixed so the votes of the men of these departments might be corralled. The apparent attempt to oust them, however, has caused such feeling that the last hour amend ment will probably be too late, as the men feel that even if included now in the charter the all powerful Big Five" of the Council to be elected would probably kick 1t out after they got in and there would be no appeal.
 As to the charter itself, that is too much of a bugaboo to attempt to de- cipher. As was asked of it's pro ponents at the debate before the Women's league of voters Wednes day night, lis it possible for any hu- man being to digest it intelligently in the short time allowed" It isn't be- cause not one-tenth of the people who are asked to vote for the charter change have even had chance to look at the outside covers, so secretly was the whole thing done and rushed through the legislature.
 That the charter change will pro- duce lower tax rates is refuted in an article this week from the Dayton, O., Labor Review. It is headed in large black type, Dayton Taxpayers Get the Leavings," and shows by facts and figures that the tax rate has jumped there from $I3.oo a thous- and i'll 1915 to $25.6o in 1920, jump of SIP per thousand in five years and city manager plan has long been i'll effect there. In addition to this many bond issues have been made and as The Review states, 'the 56 cents left after current expenses are paid will just about pay the interest on these. Ytt Dayton IS held up as a shining example of city manager plan of gov ernment, as it was in the propaganda issued by the National Cash Register works, the head of which is so in terested in the city that he regularly digs down in his pocket and pays for parks and like city improvements so the city manager doesn't get in bad as he would if he had to pay for these and satisfy the public.