New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-02-23

ana the increasing prevalence Of mo
ter transportation, that We are gein
10 see IN the future = movement fron
the city back 70 the country,
ia fact the movement has begul
and is well under way During th
20 years in which We have seen auto
mobiles develop from the scarce am
curious toy OF the few 10 the asefu
servant of the many, one-haf Of Con
neetleut's smaller towns have showes
an increase In population, There wer'
IN this state in 1899, las towns viii
population Of less than s,000, On,
might suppose from what one hear
Of the decay Of the smaller towns thai
these would be found 10 be smaller
In 1890, As a matter OF fact. 81 Of
theIh or Just about 30 per cent showed
an increase, Even the very small
towns with a population Of less thar
1000 seem to be turning the corner
for We ind that 4o' per cent OF them
showed an increase in those 30 years
Certainly We ought 10 do every
thing possible 10 encourage such a
movement and TO get people 10 seat
ter widely over the attractive hillsides
of our state. When we actively dis
courage one-room sehoolhouses and
make II necessary for little children
10 travel long distances every day in
all kinds OF weather. we directly in
terfere with the development OF the
more remote rural communities. II
seems 10 me that stress should be in
Just the opposite direetion.--nameiy
TO do everything possible 10 improve
the one-room sehoolhouse; 10 make
the life OF its teacher an attractive
one. and TO make II possible for people
In remote communities 10 have a
schooihouse sufficiently near their
homes so that children can reach the
school by walking reasonable dis
lance rather than being conveyed a
longer distance TO a central school
house.
Town Meeting Method OF Redress.
"If town officers do not perform
their functions In manner to salts
~ the citizens OF these towns. we
have In Connecticut what is known as
the town meeting which enables To-
cal grievances to be readily redressed.
When we pass legislation to take away
from the town meeting Its power OF
decision and hand II over to a state
bureau because II is composed OF ex-
perts who are wiser than citizens of
the town. 1t seems to me we are TAX
ing step backwards and not forward.
There are some people In the state
who do not fully understand the posi-
ton which ! took at the Mckinley
dinner In Waterbury and have taken
since. My remarks then and now are
not to be cootrued as being aimed
against any individual. There is moth
ing personal In this whatsoever. I am
aiming at the prevalent tendency to
put more power In the hands of CEN
trail authority and take away by man
date or by the bride of federal aid or
state aid the powers of decision in
matters which should be
retained by the local communities. If
there is one thing in which every
community should be interested it is
in the education, health and welfare
of its chfldrens If there is one thing
from which Independent citizens hate
to see local control taken away and
in the hands of the men,
bers Of state or federal bureau it is
which is one of their dear
est concerns. What I am trying to
do is to call attention to the histori-
cal fact. that the disintegration of
governments begins when people see
the local control of their dearest con-
Germs taken away from them and con-
centrated in the hands of bureau
cracy. In studying the Constitution
of the United States 1t is most inter-
esting to notice that the subject of |
education is not mentioned and that
The federal government is not given
authority to direct or control educa-
ion. This was one of the powers re-
'erved by the states. 1t does not mean
hat the founders of our government
allied to realize the Importance of
education; for the history of this
country in its colonial days shows that
he establishment of schools was one
IT their first concerns. 1t does mean,
However. that they believed that edu-
,ation could be carried on with bet
er regard to the interests of the
people concerned and with closer
ldaptation to the interests of indi-
-idual localities if left to local COM
nunities than if controlled by fed
raj officers located at the seat of the
rational government.
Evil of Too Many Laws.
THE modern tendency to seek to
ure every apparent evil by legisla-
ion is dangerous and must be
checked If government of the people
" the people is to be preserved.
Laws should be the expression and
of public opinion. They /
hould not be the power that drives
ublic opinion. Healthy public opin-
on cannot be driven but must be led. {
Ifter 1t has been led 1t should then I
e able to express itself freely in S
own meeting, and the communities
hould then be able to make on their {
wn initiative such decisions as are |
ecessary.
Liberty is a very precious thing. {
n a crowded community one must |
i've up much personal liberty in or t
er not to interfere with someone
lse's liberty. We should, however, 4
e extremely careful to draw the line
etween such of our liberties as must
c given up in order not to transgress
r interfere with the liberties of our
eighbors and such liberties as might
e given up to please our neighbors.
In a.