* Pound, Roscoe, Interpretation of Legal History, p. 1.Google Scholar

** Timasheff, N. S., An Introduction to the Sociology of Law, pp. 338–339.Google Scholar

¹ All direct quotations in this essay, unless otherwise noted, are from the files of The Brunswick Record.

² Additional examples of many terms in local public office and a description of how Town Meeting functions in another community may be found in the writer's article in Social Science, 29:147–157 (06, 1954).Google Scholar

³ Town officials had their own unofficial census taken early this year.

⁴ Faint opposition at a special town meeting was expressed as follows: “I am not saying anything against the present board (of selectmen), but you know what politics is. I don't think this is the way to bring it up—I think the selectmen ought to set a fee, put it in the warrant and bring it in here for approval.”

⁵ Passage at the special meeting of the town was by a vote of 46 to 19. The voters were told that the old by-laws and state statutes gave the building inspector little power to enforce the existing rules. “Frequently … (the building inspector) has had to resort to bluff and threats which he couldn't back up by law.”

⁶ Proponents of the town manager system point proudly to their figures which show that the cost of government per capita has decreased despite the higher tax rate. It is important to note, however, that under any honest and reasonably efficient form of government the cost per unit is expected to decrease in a growing community until the point of diminishing returns is reached.

⁷ “It is rugged work, but it is kind of fun, too,” said the chairman of the finance committee on his retirement after 15 years of continuous service.

⁸ Talk of a taxpayer's suit to test the point failed to congeal. Documentation would entail a legal brief which would be out of place here.

⁹ Proponents were allowed to speak, but one opponent was told to sit down at each meeting because he was not asking questions. A long line of court decisions enjoin the use of public funds to promote or defeat the passage of political measures. In addition, freedom of speech at a public meeting in a public hall was involved.

¹⁰ The committee postponed the scheduled public hearing “to give the selectmen and town manager an opportunity to further study the first draft of the document and to join the committee at a final conference.” At the first meeting of the committee which was open to the public, a motion to include the manager system in the charter was voted down. The following argument prevailed: “It is clear in our minds what we are going to recommend, but how would it sound if it were known we did not consider it? We must cover ourselves, and go through the motions.” Source: author's notes on the spot.

¹¹ Editorial excerpt: “Only the bitterest of die-hards will attempt to block this charter when it comes up for citizen approval next fall.”

¹² The attempts to change the form of local government have created an undercurrent of political unrest, instability, and strained relations—unhealthy criteria for maintaining respect for local political institutions and the attraction of new industries. Since this was written, the directors of the textile mill, employing about 900 workers, have announced its imminent closing.