The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-10
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1881
Our Peril Recognized

The Hartford Times after receiving copy of the Charter Commissions report on this city has come to the conclusion that effort is being made to subject this city to a dose of paternal discipline by the state legislature at the cost of every trace of home rule It points out that no mention of referendum vote on any of the proposed charter changes is made in the commissions report. That IS perfectly true. but we doubt if even re- publican legislature would authorize the sweeping changes that the commission seeks without letting us vote on it. Certainly If the legislature did pass the report as it stands Governor Cross would be obliged to veto it.
 The Times recalls the way Bridgeport was led into political bondage few years back by a ripper bill intended primarily for chastenng purposes. If the Hartford paper draws the same inference from the report of the Water bury Charter Commission certainly the impll- cation must be pretty broad. On one point. however, we must correct the Times It says Waterbury was investigated against it's will at cost of $l8.000 -. That fig ure is hardly correct. Why the printing bill for the commissions report will be in excess of that figure. A l,OOO- page document limited to 1000 issues neces- sitates one million impressions. No, Water- bury will pay quite bit more than $l8000 for the Charter Commission investigation. And we won't like it one bit.
 As to opposition to the probe of the cty's finances. charter. etc. let us be fair. There were unquestonaby plenty of people anx- ious to have such an unpartisan lnvestlga- ton. But there were many in the category who did not choose to have the legislature au- thorize such. They believed and rightly so. that the state did not possess the right nor the authority to direct such extraordinary pro- ceeding such as it had done in Bridgeport and threatened to do in other cities. We still challenge the right ot the legislature to order municipal investigations or to create special commissions to conduct them. However. most of us submitted peacefully to what was termed an usurpatlon of power and direct enoroachment upon home rule
 As we said last week we say again today the report of the Charter Commission to the governor should have been accompanied by the annual message of Mayor Hayes which was delivs:ed to the board of aldermen Mon- day night of this week. If showed beyond doubt that Waterbury was in good hands. though still under democratic rule. It re- vealed much progress in the first year of the Hayes administration. It unfolded plans for the future based on the same economic pro- gram. Mayor Hayes did not need legislative approval to do what he did nor will he re- quire it in l93l. He is giving Waterbury a type of government not at any extra price, but merely at the cost of running the city economically and honestly.
 We agree with the Charter Commission in many of its recommendations. There IS always room for improvement in the most efficient civic government. Charters be- come obsolete and need to be brought up 10 date. Executives need to expand or cut their departments as the times demand. But 1t must be kept in mind, too, that any public improvements that Waterbury can show or boast of. its growth, it's importance in the industrial world were accomplished while this same charter that the legislative commission has hacked to pieces was in effect, If it had its bad effects it also had its good ones And that doesn't cause us to lose sight of the fact that Waterbury should not calmly allow the legislature to do what the city can do itself