The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-01-29


 the proportional representation in the house of representatives. As things stand now the cities of Connecticut are supporting the towns. The cities pay the bulk of the taxes, the towns get returns out of all proportion to what they contribute and also are in posi- ton to dominate the conduct of the municipalities which support them. There can be no real and profitable reorganization of the state departments until this fun- damental obstruction to sane and ; economical government is re- ] moved. And until irresistible fi- ,11ancial pressure is brought to bear { upon the towns the force of pub lie opinion being powerless-to give up the parisitic profit they enjoy all the recommendations for better government from here to Kingdom Come. do not warrant an : instant,s consideration by anyone, legislator or taxpayer. The ship of. state of Connecticut can get no- where until the mollusks are scraped from her bottom. The mollusks are the small towns of the commonwealth. So long as they are permitted to enjoy a legislative representation out of all proportion to their population and importance, all attempts to bring economy into the carrying on of the. states business is just so much beating the air.
 
 No Sympathy
 There is one recommendation made by Governor Cross commis- sion for which I have even less patience than most of its sugges-f tions. That one is removing from the electorate the right to choose bysballot the attorney general. the comptroller and certain other < state officers and make them ap- {. pointees of the chief executive, 1, with the approval of the general assembly. The reason for the suggested change is that the goV-S ernor by being given greater pow ; CT would be held to stricter ac- count for it's usage than he is at the moment. All. of which is just : so much hogwaSh. s A Democracy When all is said and done Con- neticut is supposed to be a democ- racy in which the people have the last say as to how they shall be governed and who shall govern them. Taking away from the vot- CTS the power to express their choice of state officers, is 8 tacit acknowledgement that the people are unfit to rule themselves. That i'm effect is plain Fascism or un- adulterated Communism. The pre- sumption in Governor Cross con1- ! sion.s mind evidently is that by giving more power to the chief executive of the state the element of politics is to be eliminated from government. Which is also hog wash. I do not know of any dic- tator who does not play politics all the time. The present goings- son in Russia, the trial (?) of alleged iconspiFators against the Soviet regime, provide all the proof that is needed that when the need arises even Comrade Stahn can resort to politics to further his purpose. Governor Cross may be the political purist he is pictured and in his hands the appointive power might be soundly admins tered. l have my doubts.
 Foxy Grandpa!
 "Uncls Toby" is to my way of thinking just about the Shrewdest politico in these here parts. Hi shrewdness is demonstrated by tl9-. fact that when he meets oppoS. ton he beats it down by charac- terizing his opponents as "politi- clans" But admitting for the sake of argument that political motives never actuate Governor Cross, there is the unpleasant fact that he cannot remain governor forever. And who will follow him in office? Aye, there's the rub! A benevolent despot is all right while he is alive and on the job. But no one can say what his son will turn. out to be.
 Money Talks With some of. the commissions ideas I am in agreement but even with those I cannot see how ecora- orny is. to be gained. Cutting down state departments from one hun dred and twelve to eighteen looks swell on paper. What the tax payers want to know is how much less the check they have to pay is going to be. All the blather about efficiency fools nobody. John Digger-Up wants to know where he is going to get of. Money talks to him as well as to the rest of us. Anyway I I9don't sec why I have taken up all this space to com ment on something which hasn't a Chinalnan's chance of being en- acted into law. < If the people of Connecticut cannot be trusted to choose one set of state officers how can they be trusted to choose governor?, My suggestion to the legislators is after thorough study to throw the suggestions of Gov ernor Cross commission on the re- organization of state departments out the window where they be- lOrp sse