The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-09-30

On this basis, the Good Gov
eminent association should be
able to have a fairly accurate
estimate of the votes that will
be cast for the new charter. But
the pro-city manager forces
claim that they will receive :
many more votes than can be
tabulated in this way, and hence
declare that an accurate predic-
tion is out Of the question.
Opponents, on the other hand,
say that the greatest part Of the
silent vote will be against the
charter. But they can scarcely
even guess how strong this vote
will be. They believe that a
strong nucleus for q total suffi-
cient to defeat the city manager
plan can be found among po-
licemen, firemen, school teach
ers, other city employees, racial
groups and Republican and
Democratic party workers. This
belief is certainly correct in
good part; whether it is as cor
rect as they hope 1t will be re-
mains to be seen.
The city manager opposition
has been and Is still hampered by
a lack Of any real unity or or
ganization. This lack will react
to the benefit of the Good Gov
eminent association on Tuesday,
though in some districts 18th
hour arrangements are being
made for some effort, at least to
get out the mo" vote. 1t does
not seem probable that any such
organization work, even if at
tempted in a number Of districts,
will prove early enough or COM
plete enough to be more than
only moderately successful.
Attempts at sounding out gen.
eral sentiment in regard to the
question Tuesday have brought
results which diverge considerably.
Straw votes and test ballots have
for the most part served to can
eel themselves out. They leave
Tuesdays outcome as much in the
dark as ever.
Good> Government association
leaders, opponents and observers
ON the sidelines have widely diff
fering ideas as to how many
ballots will be cast at the ref
erendum. Some claim that no
more than 10000 voters Of the
approximately $4,000 in the city
will bother to 60 to the polls.
Other estimates 60 as high as
5000. The most popular figure
Is $4,000, but this again is
largely q guess.
Defeat for the city manager
charter Tuesday would be an
even more decisive setback than
would show by the figures. For
the most part, those against the
plan will have to 60 to the polls
themselves, without any cars to
call for them, without any urg-
ing by party workers, and with
cut any feelings of personal or
party loyalty to move them.
The city manager adherents
will be out in full force. thanks
not only to personal conviction
and other reasons, but to the fact
that the Good Government asso-
citation has such a well-prepared
organization that every facility
to make it easier for them to vote
will be available.
The writer's opinion, after list
ening to arguments pro and con
and noting their effects, after
hearing many expressions of sem
timent, and after sitting many
facts and claims, is that the city
manager plan will be defeated at
the referendum Tuesday. But any
one of several fac tors could make
this prediction one of little or no
value
Many votes against the charter
will be cast because the voters
are wary of the plan; they have
not had it explained clearly
enough to their satisfaction, and
hey have the suspicion that it
might bring something now en-
tirely unknown to them if it
should be placed In operation.
For another thing, the cam
paign for adoption Of the charter
has taken no hold Of the popular
Imagination, and among many
groups there has been a growing