The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-10-26
MISS R0CAku GRATEFUL IN v
City Charter Limps Like A utOmO bile M u h Repaired Power Is Scattered and Procedure Is U n d e Ocratic How School Cues ton Might Be Treat ed Under a Modern Charter.

Bridgeport exists as a body polite and corporate because 1t has powers grated by the people of Connect cut. through the Gen. eral Assembly. These powers are described and contained in the charter of the city. The char ter, as to its main features, was made a long time ago. To keep it workable, many changes have been made. The charter is a a good administration of the city. It is like an ufd automobile, which had been fifty times re- paired and lmps along as if it's next limp would be its last.
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 The largest defect of the charter is its failure to central ize responsibility. Its second great defect is lack of means by which the people can call their agents to account. A case in transactions on the Board of Education.
 The Board, acting entirety upon F own Judgment, advised by experts. has made a. longer working year for teachers. It is said that the people are O aesed to this measure, and tha hey are opposed to the men who voted for the measure. Under the present charter the people dan't do anything about it. Under a modern charter they could do either. or both of these things.
 They could sign a referendum petition and vote upon the meas ure.
 They could sign a, recall pett- tion and vote to discharge the members who voted for the A1iCe1o dA O4 NoIS LO ESLd1A I11GI1l.
 One of the aldermen has said, speaking of the election of cer- tain members Of the Board of Education. chosen by the re- maining members. to fill vacan- cies, that he will not vote for school members were not chosen di- rectly by the people.
 
 When a vacancy occurs in the Board of Education 1t mhst be filled by the choice of the re- maining members. Even though a general election is only a few days away, the vacancies cannot be filled by the people. Each party this year may select only two candidates. They cannot select three or four. The alder man is complaining. really, about the badness of the charter. The lt41I1S 4AO 1CSOAIS 4lcS lO pS oOI1o in that way, because the charter commands 1t.
 These are but two examples of defects in the charter, out Of hundreds which might be listed. The charter schtters authority 11 The people are permitted to per form certain acts of power at certain periods stated. The1r power disappears until the next period rolls around. This helps to make government costly In Bridgeport, and taxes high.
 
 Returning to the school ques- ton again, a member of the Board of Education ought to welcome referendum on inn portant actions, if the people are interested enough to wish to con- sider the matter directly. The members of such a board ought to be willing to appear in a recall election. The charter ought to provide standardization of author ity, and popular means for check ing abuse of authority.
 
 Since a charter, as we have seen, ought to promote demo- cratic methods in government, the inception of charter ought to be democratic and the instru- ment ought to be credited in a democratic way. The friends of a modern and progressive char ter are proceeding in this way First a petition signed by 4,5O0 voters. Second. the question do you want a new charter" voted upon by everybody. Third, the vote being favorable, a commit tee to draft the charter. Fourth submission of the charter to the