_Community House Districts_.--Wisconsin has passed an act whereby the
people of any local area may vote to erect and maintain a community
house and may establish the boundaries of the area in which the citizens
shall have the right to tax themselves for this purpose, and to elect
trustees of the house, in much the same manner as community school
districts are established. It seems probable that when a natural social
area has thus been determined it will probably be the same for both
school and community house, and that it might be the best unit for the
support of such community agencies as a public library, or a
public-health nurse, and thus a real community government might
gradually arise and might ultimately displace the arbitrary township
government, although the township might be retained for its original
purpose of land registration.
_Rural Community Incorporation_.--The most advanced step in giving the
rural community self-government is An Act to Provide for the
Incorporation of Rural Communities, passed by the legislature of North
Carolina in 1919.[81] This act gives authority for the incorporation of
rural communities including definite school districts, which may or may
not include hamlets or village centers, but which must be at least two
miles from any town or city of five thousand or more inhabitants. It
gives such incorporated rural communities the general powers and
privileges of an incorporated village, except that they cannot lose
their identity as a part of the school and road systems of the county.
Taxes may be levied for various public purposes, but they must be voted
at an annual meeting at which a majority of the registered voters must
be present, or be submitted to an election, and the amount of taxes and
bonds are limited. Although about a dozen communities have incorporated
under this act, but few of them seem to be actively functioning, due to
various local causes. The act itself, however, is well conceived and is
worthy of study by those interested in better rural government.
Another method of accomplishing the same end is by a special act of
incorporation for a particular community, as was passed by the
Legislature of New Jersey for Plainsboro Township in 1919.
Concerning the organization of this community, Hon. Alva Agee, State
Secretary of Agriculture, writes:
"Every voter within its boundaries signed a petition to the
legislature for the creation of a new township embracing the
territory belonging to the community, and this was granted.
The community then met, made a declaration of its purposes
and adopted a constitution providing for control of all
township and community affairs. It is a return to direct
government by the people, and places responsibility upon
every individual. It is the old New England town-meeting
made effective. Patient study of every detail was given by
members of the community."[82]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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