The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-10

He SOuuluIleSS Ol 1ILoLlDuUulR AU this time the actual measures pro- posed in the city assessors bill, now before the General Assembly, meets with potential opposition both from the political and benign standpoints.
 This applies, it would seem, also to
 the measures now in force to alter
 the police department with the purpose of epediting Its efficiency.
 We cannot help but take note of the fact that many of the employees of both these departments have served long and loyally, and now in the interests of efficiency they must
 be supplanted, both in position and trust, to serve these more ulterior in
 terests. That, in part, is what we
 mean referring to the arguments
 presented in favor of more benign and considerate manner of handling such necessary adjustments.
 Politically speaking, it would seem
 impractical in the interest of
 party-mind you we say, politically
 speaking-to institute such radical
 changes. so rapidly, and still retain
 the hold on all the more steadfast
 supporters of such party. Such re-
 forms could better stem from a city
 manager or citizens committee form
 of government, and even then only
 during their formative years.
 We believe in progress and all its components of efficiency, change and the like, but never, where the human element is concerned such as in the case of employees, have such changes been effected over night without detriment to the vic- tins or the doers or both.
 In the case of the assessors bill we find this measure for radical change including the removal from office of long time employees, being proposed to the General Assembly for passage and subsequent adop- tion before the public has viewed the results of the current reValua- tion survey of all property. That does not seem fair
 In defense of these employees it is only fair to point out that no di- rect criticism of their past efforts was cited in the report of the state tax commissioner when he first re- viewed the situation here. Rather he declared that the city was the victim of an outmoded tax valuation system which was prevalent in its establishment throughout the en- tire State". Should then, these em- ployes be so penaliZed as 10 be elim- mated from office by means of a radical reform of @ system which heretofore had been the accepted one throughout Connecticut?
 It will undoubtedly be & feather, of some kind of merit, in Water bury's cap If the city does become one of the first in the state to in- stitute such mechanical changes in property valuation methods. Yet | questionable is the merit to be gained as weighed against the wei fare of even just 8 few loyel en- ployes. To be weighed also is the question of just how inadequate" have been the efforts of these em- ployeS, as has been inferred. The lat ter can only be balanced up after the current revaluation survey has has been completed and then only by that share of the survey which is fresh and containing newly turned up factS-not merely facts derived from the present records compiled by the present staff during its years of service.
 Also, by what actual measuring stick. contained in the tax com report or the proposed bill or even in the eventual results of the revaluation survey, are the of the present staff to suc- maintain any newly pro- posed system of records and statis- tics to be graded as adequate or in- That should be conSid- cred in fairness to them.
 In the case of the Police Depart ment 1t seems, on the surface at least, to be questionable to institute reforms, literally overnight, which result in top officers of the depart ment and lesser ranked men, many of whom have served 20-25-30 years. being consigned to rotating shift of duty which necessitates their for months at time from II D. m. to 6. m., just as do men who are just entering the service of this department. Surely these 'old-timerS' with loyal service years behind them deserve some measure of consideration as they reach the closing years of their membership with the city.
 Here again is the incapability to overnight inject radical changes in- to any functional program which depends upon the human element ot employees. without doing an injustice to the fundamentals of considera- ton and beneVOlencO as the latter