Studies in Civics. J. T. McCleary
and to have general charge of its interests.
Should there be one, or more than one? Why? How many are there?
Every business transaction should be recorded, and the town should have a recording officer or secretary.
What is the recording officer in this town called? What is his name? Which officer would naturally be the custodian of public papers?
It takes money to build bridges and to carry on other public works, and the town needs some one to take charge of the public funds.
What is the officer called? Who occupies that position in this town? How is he prevented from misappropriating the money belonging to the people?
Our plan for raising public money for local purposes is, in general, that each person shall contribute according to the value of his property. Hence the town needs a competent and reliable man to value each person's property.
What is such an officer called? What is the name of the one in this town? Is any property exempt from taxation? Why? Just how is the value of the real estate in the town ascertained for the purpose of taxation? The value of the personal property? Get a list and find out what questions this officer asks. Read the statement at the bottom of the list carefully, and then form an opinion of a person who would answer the questions untruthfully for the purpose of lowering his taxes.
The immediate care of the roads will demand the attention of one or more officers.
How many in this town? What are such officers called? Name them.
Differences about property of small value sometimes arise, and to go far from home to have them settled would involve too much expense of time and money; hence the necessity of local officers of justice. These officers are needed also because petty acts of lawlessness are liable to occur.
How many justices of the peace are there in each town? Why that number?
What is the extent of their jurisdiction?
The arrest of criminals, the serving of legal papers, and the carrying out of the decisions of justices of the peace, make it necessary to have one or more other officers.
What are such officers called? How many in each town? Why? Look up the history of this office; it is interesting.
The public schools of the town may be managed either by a town board of trustees, who locate all of the school-houses, engage all of the teachers, and provide necessary material for all of the schools in the town; or the town may be divided into districts, the school in each being managed by its own school board.
Does the township system or the district system prevail in this state?
Name some state in which the other system prevails.
How Chosen.—In this country most of the public officers are chosen by the people interested. The great problem of election is how to ascertain the real will of those entitled to express an opinion or have a choice. And all the arrangements for conducting elections have in view one of two things: either to facilitate voting or to prevent fraud. The town serves as a convenient voting precinct.
Find out from the statutes or from the town manual or by inquiry, when the town meeting is held; how notice is given; how it is known who may vote; who are judges of election; how many clerks there are; how voting is done; how the votes are counted and the result made known; what reports of the election are made. Give the reason for each provision. Can a person vote by proxy? Why? What is to prevent a person from voting more than once? If the polls are open seven hours, and it takes one minute to vote, how many persons can vote at one polling place? What may be done in case there are more than that number of voters in the town? How are road overseers elected, and in what part of the day? Why then? What other business is transacted at town meeting? How do the people know how much money will be needed for the coming year's improvements? How do they learn the nature and expense of last year's improvements?
Give four general reasons for our having towns.
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PRACTICAL WORK FOR STUDENTS.
I. ORGANIZING A TOWN.
Prepare in due form a petition to the proper authorities asking that a new town be organized. [Footnote: For forms see Appendix. If necessary, all the pupils in the room or school may act as "legal voters." (This "Practical Work" may be omitted until the review, if deemed best.)] Be sure that the order establishing the new town is duly made out, signed, attested and filed. Give reasons for each step.
II. HOLDING ANNUAL TOWN MEETING.
1. Preliminary.—What report does each road overseer make to the supervisors? When is the report due? What do the supervisors require this information for?
Who gives notice of the town meeting? When? How?
When does the town treasurer make his report to the persons appointed to examine his accounts? When does this examination take place? What is its purpose?
What report does the board of supervisors make to the people at the town meeting? When is it prepared? Why is it necessary?
Why so many preliminaries?
2. The Town Meeting.—That everything may be done "decently and in order," it will be necessary to consult carefully the statutes or the town manual. Be sure
(a) That the proper officers are in charge. (b) That the order of business is announced and followed. (c) That the polls are duly declared open. (d) That the voting is done in exact accordance with law. (e) That general business is attended to at the proper time. (f) That reports of officers are duly read and acted upon. (g) That appropriations for the succeeding year are duly made. (h) That the minutes of the meeting are carefully kept. (i) That the polls are closed in due form. (j) That the votes are counted and the result made known according to law. (k) That all reports of the meeting are made on time and in due form.
3. After Town Meeting.—See that all officers elected "qualify" on time and in strict accordance with law. Especial care will be needed in making out the bonds.
Town clerk must certify to proper officer the tax levied at town meeting.
III. LAYING OUT AND MAINTAINING ROADS.
1. Laying out a Road.—Make out a petition for a town road, have it duly signed and posted. In due season present it to the supervisors who were elected at your town meeting.
The supervisors, after examining the petition carefully and being sure that it is in proper form and that it has been duly posted, will appoint a time and place of hearing and give due notice thereof.
When the day of hearing arrives they will examine the proofs of the posting and service of the notices of hearing before proceeding to act upon the petition.
Having heard arguments for and against the laying of the road, the supervisors will render their decision in due form.
In awarding damages, the supervisors will probably find four classes of persons: first, those to whom the road is of as much benefit as damage, and who admit the fact; second, those who should have damages, and are reasonable in their demands; third, those who claim more damages than they are in the judgment of the supervisors entitled to; and fourth, those who from some cause, (absence, perhaps,) do not present any claim. From the first class, the supervisors can readily get a release of damages. With the second, they can easily come to an agreement as to damages. To the third and fourth, they must make an award of damages. Let all of these cases arise and be taken care of.
The supervisors must be careful to issue their road order in proper form, and to see that the order, together with the petition, notices, affidavits and awards of damages, are filed correctly and on time. The town clerk must read the law carefully to ascertain his duty, and then perform it exactly. See that fences are ordered to be removed. Let one of the persons who feels himself aggrieved by the decision of the supervisors, "appeal" to a proper