Peoples National Bank (Southbridge, MA)

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STATE AND LOCAL TOPICS Our Next Mayor It is not too early to give serious consideration to the mayoralty question, in view of the city election next autumn. Mayor Winter's reelection is desirable from every public point of view. More than that, municipal interests would be served if both the Democratic and Republican parties would nominate and support him for another term. The mayor's experience in two terms is now a valuable municipal asset. He is capable of better service hereafter than hitherto. The times are still so distressing that the city's claim upon his loyalty to its interests must be recognized as commanding by the mayor himself, who could not refuse, except for the most urgent private reasons, to satisfy a general public demand for his continuation in office. It is true that since the mayoralty term was extended to two years, the political custom of confining a mayor's service to two terms has tended to harden, but it will be recalled that Mayor Parker actually served five years. Three terms for Mayor Winter would mean but six years in all for him, and no objection to his reelection can be reasonably based on that fact. New Bedford has set a good example in keeping Mayor Ashley in office so many years that he seems almost like a mayor for life. The argument in support of the continuance in office of a competent mayor, regardless of party interests or personal ambitions, is overwhelming when the immediate future in our municipal finances is so uncertain as it is today. While Springfield's present financial position is far stronger than the position of many other cities in this commonwealth, no one can study the outlook without realizing that it bristles with possible difficulties. We need the best administrative service in the office of mayor that can be furnished in the next mayoralty term, and to say that Mayor Winter now meets these specifications more satisfactorily than anyone else is merely to recognize the practical wisdom of not upsetting an administration that has the municipal business so well in hand. The ideal way to meet an exceptional situation is to make Mr Winter the nominee of both parties. (April 16) Some of Gov Ely's appointments are beyond praise, especially in his refusal to let political considerations control him. For example, his reappointment of Dr George H. Bigelow of Milton as state commissioner of public health. Tax Payments in Advance The emergency act of the present Legislature providing for advance payment of tax bills will be more flexible in application than the measure enacted a year ago. Under last year's law any city which decided to accept tax payments in advance was required to pay interest at the annual rate of 6 per cent on installments of tax bills paid before the legal date. This uniform interest rate was enforced regardless of the credit standing of a particular municipality. Under this year's provisions cities which accept the act will be allowed to pay different interest rates in accordance with their credit rating. The variability in rates will presumably correspond to the variability in rates charged by banks in accordance with their estimate of a city's financial strength. As Springfield's credit rating is good, it is probable that a rate of approximately 4 per cent would be considered adequate for this city. What this means is that property owners who desired to pay taxes in advance would be in effect lending money to the city at about 4 per cent. To the extent to which this was done the city would be relieved of borrowing in the general money market to meet current expenditures. Present conditions in the money market indicate that there might be some advantage to the city in borrowing from its own taxpayers. On the other hand, money conditions may become easier later in the spring so that the rate paid to property owners would be higher than the rate at which money could be obtained from bankers. It is the question of making this act operative for Springfield which the city council will consider tomorrow night. While emergency conditions of the past two years have resulted in this authorization of advance tax payments, the borrowing which is involved represents no new situation in municipal finance. So long as money was plentiful and interest rates low, the borrowing process was a routine transaction with bankers. Early in 1932, however, on account of the banking stringency then prevailing cities for a time found it practically impossible to obtain accommodation from the banks. The bank holiday of last month has resulted in a new tightening of credit which has not yet been relaxed. The city's question is how to obtain the money when it is wanted and at reasonable rates. The problem of making a city's inflow of revenue continuous with expenditure will not be solved until Massachusetts law is changed to allow tax payments on a quarterly basis, instead of requiring a lump payment on November 1. The initial adjustment to a new basis might cause confusion, but once it was put into effect its operation would be more satisfactory both to the taxpayer and the municipality. (April 16) The Parkman-Herter resolve, filed in both branches of the Legislature, is designed to secure uniform state laws regulating labor conditions in the group of eastern states comprising New England and New York. Its purpose is most excellent, but it depends on the state compact device authorized by the federal constitution. Several states may agree among themselves to do certain things, and the compact becomes valid if ratified by Congress. The device has had very little success in our history. There are only a few cases of its use. The Colorado river states are now acting under such a compact in relation to the Boulder dam enterprise. But usually it has been very difficult to persuade several adjoining states, each with a selfish interest to conserve, to bind themselves in this way. Gov Pinchot's effort to secure such an agreement on superpower between Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey was a complete fizzle. Curley's "Call to Duty" It must be said that Mayor Curley has stage-managed the business of not going to Poland with consummate skill. He has managed to make it appear that he is sacrificing himself on the altar of public service. The fact is that he has been looking for a way out of the Polish mission ever since he found that it was not to be a major diplomatic post. He has now found it in the "call to duty" at home. It is a clever piece of political acting. (April 16) One of the most important bills before the Legislature is the measure to reorganize the state department of public works. This department has become a vast and powerful machine, with a budget of many millions of dollars. It has been the subject of much criticism, and there is a general feeling that it needs to be brought under more effective control. The bill proposed by the special commission which has been studying the department would provide for a single commissioner, with two associate commissioners, and would create a board of appeals to handle disputes over land takings and other matters. This would be a great improvement over the present system, and it is to be hoped that the Legislature will act favorably upon it. (April 16) Our Geographic Spellings Residents of Martha's Vineyard have won their claim to the apostrophe in the spelling of the island name. As far as official Massachusetts usage is concerned there has been no question about the use of the apostrophe. Whenever legislation pertaining to the island has been enacted in the past 75 years the form of the name has invariably been Martha's Vineyard. In United States government publications, especially charts and coast pilots, there has been a tendency to eliminate the apostrophe from place names. Martha's Vineyard has been treated like other island names—Fishers Island, Blackwells Island, etc.—although there is really no parallel, since Martha's Vineyard is as much a metaphorical designation as Garden of the Lord, which the inhabitants no doubt consider it in all essentials to be. A very useful work of standardizing spellings in cooperation with state authorities has been undertaken by the United States geographic board. This board has decided that Martha's Vineyard is entitled to the apostrophe. It does not appear that this investigation of geographic names will result in a general restoration of the apostrophe, but in spellings the United States government evidently intends to adopt the form for which there is the best local authority. There have been needless and irritating discrepancies between postoffice spellings and spellings approved by the states, and a real effort has now been made to determine the best form and make it identical in state and federal use. (April 16) Reopening of the People's National bank of Southbridge affords further evidence of the resolution and generosity with which some of the towns and smaller cities have met problems created by the bank suspension. In this case the people of Southbridge had to subscribe $50,000 of new capital in order to restore the bank's operations. In larger places it has been necessary to provide new capital in greater amounts. In some places the plan of merging two small banks has been adopted. The new tendency is to eliminate as many unnecessary banking units as possible, and cities and towns which voluntarily take this step will be acting in harmony with a salutary nationwide policy.