The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-13

cation and registrars, would not have to depend on votes to remain in office. And because the city mana ger would make all appointments in the administrative service, and the superintendent of schoolds would make all appointments in the teach ing service,-both under the merit system,-the candidates for council and for the board of education would not be in any position to make promises of appointments even if they had the desire to do so.
 Names on Petition
 Furthermore, each candidate could be placed in nomination merely by obtaining from 200 to 25O names on petition, which at once eliminates the necessity for seeing" the politicians or for making prom 1ses to obtain the nomina ton. Then because proportional representation enables every candidate to appeal t. only the one-seventh of the vot- ing population who he feels should support him, rather than to every group of voters over the City at large, no candidate would feel com- pelled to address the W.C.T.U. on Tuesday night, and promise them rigid liquor ordinances,-and then appear before the United Distillers and Brewers Association on We'd nesday night, and promise them not only wide open town, but to take care of" from twenty to thirty "de- serving boys" after election day, in return for the support of that worthy organization.
 We have been discussing patron- age from the viewpoint of the elect ed city officials. It is even more pro- bable that the city employees them selves thoroughly dislike the spoils system. As it is they probably regard It as necessary evil which they nave to put up with in order to hold their jobs.
 City Employees Honest
 The CGGA believes-and it's belief is based on the actual experiences of cltles which have changed from the spells system to the merit system under the city manager plan.-that by far the greater number of Water ourys city employees are honest and conscientious people, who sincerely want to render efficient and courte- ous service; who want to be let alone by the politicians. and not compell- ed to devote their time and efforts to electioneering; who would like nothing better than to be assured Of continuous employment by the City so long as they prove to be competent, with an opportunity for advancement, in position and pay as vacancies occur in higher brack- cts and as they prove their ability to discharge the duties of the high CT positions: and with the certain Knowledge that retirement and se- curity awaits them on reaching the twilight of their lives,-with death and disability provisions in the event that they become disabled in line of duty.
 Under the present system, a blind man might become a meter reader if he is able to deliver his voting district to successful candidate: competent and faithful steno- grapher with family to support might lose her position if different administration takes office; a mayor or other official might have to take care of" hundreds or more dererving persons if through funds are limited and the tax rate is already too much of burden on the people; and the best policeman on the force might be prevented from effectively performing his duties. all because the present vici- ous system ties the hands of all con- cerned, and compels them to accept the inevitable, even though they dis like the system privately and would prefer to be free of it.
 Strikes at System
 The proposed charter, for the reasons given, strikes directly at the spells system by removing the so- called necessity" for the system. That is why the city manager PR. system of itself is even superior to the strict requirements of the merit system provisions of the char ter in bringing about the abolition of the spells system. Some city managerial. charters do not even go into the details of the merit sys- tenn at all, but leave that to the determination of the council. Cin- cinnati, the Father city" of the city manager-P. R. form of government, does not contain the amount of de-