Peabody Calls for Reform Of State's Constitution

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Endicott "Chub" Peabody '42 asserted Tuesday that Corruption in Massachusetts could only be controlled through major reform of the state constitution.

Speaking to 250 members of the Law and Graduate School Democratic Club in Harkness Commons. Peabody contended that "Massachusetts has the weakest executive in the nation." As a result of having department heads whose terms do not end with that of the governor who appointed them, the state is riddled with dozens of centers of independent executive power.

These often owe no loyalty to any elected official. Peabody note, although they spend millions of dollars annually. They also pay off governors against the legislature and may slip from effective control altogether.

To remedy this, Peabody is seeking at least 72,000 signatures on an initiative petition for a constitutional amendment allowing the governor to re-organize the executive branch of the state government.

Peabody's other proposed constitutional amendments provide a four-year term for the governor instead of the present two years; abolition of the Governor's Council that was established in 1790; limiting the legislative session to six months; and an increase in home rule for cities and towns in the state.

Peabody contended that Republican incumbant Gov. John A. Volpe has been a "do-nothing and vacillating governor" on constitutional reform as well as on most other state problems.