The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-09-27
City Manager Gossip
AS Heard on the
Street Corner.

0gkGG9 ~U1 hhCBe
Waterbury is fed up on selfish pol
iticians and entrenched officials, but
q lot of people doubt II politicians
cannot thrive as well or better un-
der the city manager set-up.
Some think our better ~ cit-
izcns viii take q more active part
In municipal government under
the new set-up; others claim this
group has neglected civic duty too
long and Is trying to lock the door
after the horse Is stolen.
The foregin-born and their first
generation Of Americans think 1t is
q scheme of the older American
groups to hold them down or push
them In the background and are
the strongest in opposition.
Local Republicans with their
best chance in eighteen years TO
win city election hate to throw
this chance out the window ana
claim 1t win weaken their state
and national parties.
One can find plenty of manufac.
turers, business and professional
men opposed to the city manager
plan in spite of charges that 1t Is
a scheme Of the manufacturers.
The form of printed ballot re-
uuired under the proposed charter
would undoubtedly disqualify many
voters, It being the usual exper-
fence that large percentage OF
votes are thrown out rs improper.
That is why the plan Is called
"high- brow." Few doubt the sim
cerity Of the city manager group,
but many claim they are theorists
with no governmental or political
experience who are grasping for
straws in their disgust Of what has
happened in our city.
Some one asks IF 10 men can
conspire to steal q million dollars
or more, how much easier will 1t
be for Z men on council or any
four of them, selecting their own
manager, and without other boards
of citizens to watch them, TO rule
the roost to their hearts desire"
Most workingmen consider the
city government rs their business
and they are going to run 1t them
selves and reserve their right 70
do so instead Of delegating 1t to
so-called experts, having their I'LL
of experts in their daily occupa-
tons.
It is predicted that If the city
manager plan goes through. we Will
still find Republican and Demo-
cratic tickets and candidates In the
field for the council, with political
organizations backing them up-so
what?
The one thing that irritates 10
cal voters the worst Is the idea OF
out of-town speakers telling them
what to do and the idea Of hiring
some out of-town expert to run
anr municipal affairs, thereby
admitting that In the whole city
a Waterbury we cannot find
man or men to do the job.
The concensus is that while the
city manager movement gathered
momentum at the climax Of the con-
spiracy trial and before the con-
yicted officials resigned, 1t has been
losing ground rapidly since then
Some of its own sponsors are safe
to have little hope of its success
but are still Smelling out good money
Tor what they fear is a lost cause.
One must admire the loyalty and
enthusiasm Of the city manager
advocates who 60 from door to
door and office to office trying TO
enlist supporters. One prominent
Republican remarked that II they
had only done this for the Repub-
lican Party in past years, they
would not have to be doing 1t for
n new cause now. Just the same,
they have all the fervor Of the Sal
walton Army.
Most Democrats consider the city
manager proposal to be Republic
can scheme. Most Republicans con-
slider It a battle between the Pape
faction and the manufacturers fac
ton In their own party. Both are
probably partly right.
The Democrats believe they can
correct the situation in their own
party and furnish good govern
ment without scrapping their
marty for q sO-called non partisan
plan. They are still the ma jority
party and are well aware Of 1t.
The Citizens Good Government
group has been talking over the
heads Of the average voter. 1t Is the
homely arguments for or against thu
plan which the majority of people
are weighing.
The city manager speakers have
made every use of Senator Gull
hane's definition of himself as a
professional politician in order to
1iscredit his argument as a sell
fish one. He has been getting In
some telling blows which would be
twice as effective II uttered by
someone who was not So closely
allied with the political picture.
LOG DRIVE ON
Upton, Me-. Sept. 27-(UP)-Ont
of the largest log drives in New