The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-10

been getting in return for their tax es? How have the public officials that they have been electing every two years-for many years past been rendering services to the City and its citizens?
 Neglect Apparent , Our streets and sidewalks certain ly are not kept in good order and repair-in fact, they are in very much neglected and rundown con- dition. No recepticles for refuse are available, and the appearance of the streets and sidewalks is very unsightly. We don't have any ade- quate City service for collecting gar- bage, Gall this is done by private contract, which is not satisfactory in many respects, nor Is it what the people have right to expect). A number of distinct communities in the City have no playgrounds. Re- lief funds are again reported to be inadequate. One of the schools had to be closed recently because of in- sufficient funds, which was great inconvenience to many people. The budget for the welfare department is again running low, with the pos- sibility of various activities and services having to be curtailed. And so 1t goes; numerous other instan- ces could be shown, all of which in- dicate that the citizens-the rent payers and the tax payers and all others-are not getting their full measure of services for which the City (any city) Is organized.
 What we are doing-(and the word i've" is used advisedly, for we, as citizens. have permitted this record to continue for many years without doing anything effective about 1t at alD-is shutting our eyes to the fact that we are being taken for a ride. We are permitting a gov- ernmental system to exist which taxes us more than we can afford to pay, to furnish services which we do not get. We are sanctioning, by remaining passive, a system which permits the squandering of our money for numerous municipal white elephants, and other monu- ments to waste and inefficiency. large as well as small, noticed as well as unnoticed, while essential services and installations are al- lowed to deteoriate. We are paying enough to get the best services pos sible, but only few of our munich pal departments are outstanding in any respect; and 1t is significant that the few departments which do have exemplary records are, for the far greater part, the departments which have been taken out of the influence of politics.
 Gone Too Far!
 It's high time we call a halt to this ride. We've gone too far al- ready. There can be no doubt that there is enough money available to furnish adequate services to the people, provided that efficiency, and economy are practiced, and a bus iness-like structure of government is erected.
 Probably no one will disagree with what has been said so far: indeed, 1t is only a statement of facts which cannot be contradicted. But at this point there will be some people who will arise to say "All we have to do is to elect the right people to office. A new charter will do no good at all, and might be harmful"
 To those people-many of whom are not politicians at all, but con- scientious citizens who are slow to adopt changes-it should be pointed out that every election year during many years past, we have been try ing to elect "the right people" to office. A voter never intends to sup port candidates who would take him for ride, but, unfortunately, the cards are stacked against the voters. We need a system which will per- init the people to have direct voice in the nomination of their candidates, on non-partisan basis, and which will make their votes ef- fective in the general elections.
 Others will say "Yes, the present charter does need some patching up, but whole new charter is unnec- cessary." To those people-many of whom are conscientious-it should be pointed out that our present charter is already a mass of patches on a charter which was born in 1868. The last sweeping changes were made in 1881, and other patch- es have been added since, but still we have a defective structure of government. There Is no indication that any of the amendments now proposed will really strike at the roots of the existing evils.
 Several Weaknesses
 What, then. is the fundamental weakness of the present system? There are several weaknesses. In the first place, there are too many elec- ted officials. A total of forty-nine town and city officers are now elec- ted by the people. How many of your friends can name all of the fifteen aldermen? The nine mem- bers of the school board? How many of your friends can name a major ity of the members of those boards? Who are the agents of the Bron- son Library? Who constitute the membership of the boasd of relief2 How about the offices of city sher- if, city clerk. town clerk. and the selectmen2 What are the other nfnsflx,a S.ffSraa9 Vnvs ena afa .. aa vlx,