The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-27
PROF. FLINT TALKS
TO LIBRARIANS
Importance of Bureau OF
Municipal Research
Stressed
BRANCH IS BEING
ESTABLISHED HERE

Final Session of Vermont Library AssO-
citation and Library Commission This
Forenoon - Visitors Greatly Pleased
with Hospitality.
THE town government in the United
States is a failure compared with that
in England and Canada, and the reason
for it is that the people in our towns do
not take an interest in it; the result is
that our town government is largely IN
the hands of demogogs and political
grafters. Only through a means of edu-
cation can the towns be resuseitated from
the depths of misgovernment into which
they have fallen and one Of the means is
through a municipal reference bureau at
the public library"
These and other statements of similar
importance were the salient points made
in an address yesterday afternoon at the
public library, at the conference of state
librarians, by Prof K. r. B. Flint, pro-
fessor of political science at Norwich
university. Mortified. Vt. The address
constituted the opening event at the
afternoon session which followed sight
seeing tour at 1.30. The visiting guests
were shown the points of interest around
Brattleboro and were then taken for
ride TO Mortified, Mass, the trip down
being made on the Vermont side or the
Connecticut and the return by way OF
Hinsdale, n III. Seven automobiles were
placed at the disposal of the Librarians by
the business men of the town.
Prof Flint, who is an authority on
town planning, was introduced by MISS
Elizabeth Mccarthy. president OF the
Vermont Library association. lie Sc
TrrlNsar rs
throughout the United States because In
most towns the reins5 of government were
in the hands of small men. He said the
little interest shown by the substantial
men of the town in the affairs OF govern
ment provided the loophole by which
crafty politicians usurped the power, re
sulting in the town being run without
the people knowing exactly what IS going
on.
Stop any man or woman on the
street" he said. ''and ask him what II
costs to run his town; ask him where
the waste is and what improvements are
being considered and he can't tell you
single thing about it. Why, very few
taxpayers know how to read a town re-
port, let alone more vital matters.
Prof. Flint has long been an advocate
of the establishment of d municipal ref
erence bureau in every town library of
the state and TO carry out his idea he
has caused to be established at the Uni
yerSity of Vermont a state reference bu-
reau, where the affairs of the state are
recorded for reference along the same
ideas that the individual town libraries
should follow as far as their own indiyid
ual towns are concerned.
The primary function of the town
municipal reference library is to provide
bureau at the town library where the
taxpayers. voters and people in general
can go and find out all the facts about
the town. These facts can be tabulated
! he said and kept on record for ready
| reference. This may be one way of
getting more substantial men to hold our
| town Offices" he added. I'VE must get
| them interested in the facts about the
| town and show them that the town needs
| them in its affairs and make them realize
that the upbuilding of the country is not
| wholly dependent on the upbuilding of its
resources through their own business in
| terests"
! An important fact which Prof Flint
| pointed out was that the municipal ref
/ erence bureau should cooperate with our
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