Changing conditions, however, have tended to bring about changes in town government.  In the early days the town meeting was a matter of great interest, and everybody attended, including the women and children.  Many of the towns have now acquired large populations, the people are no longer acquainted with one another, and interest has declined.  A few years ago it was reported that

In Brookline, Mass., with about 2500 votes cast, there are from 300 to 500 at the business sessions.  In Hyde Park, Mass., with 2500 voters... from 500 to 600 attended the annual appropriation meeting.  In Leominster, Mass., with 1400 voting, the normal attendance is about 800.

The same writer says that: 

In many places the town meeting is being undermined by the caucus, held beforehand, to nominate candidates for office.  Here a small group of persons not only narrow the choice for officers, but often arrange the other business to be determined at the town meeting.  Sometimes every thing is “cut and dried” before it comes up for popular discussion; and that discussion thus becomes a mere formality. [J.A.  Fairlie, local government in counties, towns and villages, p. 148.]

INFLUENCES LEADING TO DECLINE

This illustrates what was said in the preceding chapter (p. 388) about the necessity for leadership and the tendency of the people, under certain conditions, to accept self-appointed leaders, sometimes not of the best, outside of the government.  Conditions in large towns are likely to favor this.  The questions that have to be acted upon are more complicated than formerly, and often involve the expenditure of large sums of money.  The candidates for office are not known to many of the voters.  There may be a considerable number of uneducated people in the town, and perhaps a foreign population that is unfamiliar with the English language and with American methods.  These things make intelligent self-government by direct methods difficult.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE:  A MEANS OF BETTER SERVICE

Various means have been adopted to meet these changing conditions.  One of these is the creation of a finance committee, before which are brought for consideration questions involving the expenditure of money.  This committee holds hearings, at which citizens may present arguments for and against proposed measures.  Thus important matters are sifted out by the committee which then reports to the town meeting.  The town meeting usually votes in accordance with the recommendations of the committee.  While this arrangement tends to secure careful consideration of financial measures, and to result in wise decisions, provided the committee is composed of reliable men, it tends, on the other hand, to prevent discussion in open town meeting, to make the vote in the latter a mere matter of form, and to destroy interest in it.  In other words, while it tends to better service, it reduces the value of the town meeting as a means of education for democracy.