Morning journal and courier., 1881-10-05
Wednesday Morning, Oct. ,, 1881.
A FEW MORE FACTS.

"A Disinterested Citizen'' expresses, in another column, his surprise that many of the citizens of New Haven misunderstood the Water question. It is perhaps not so sur prising as he thinks that such is the case, but it is surprising that one who so thoroughly misunderstands the question as "A Disinter- ested Citizen" does should feel called upon to attempt the enlightenment of the benighted.
 We pass by the solemn and the facetious preliminary remarks of our correspondent and come at once to his main point. He says: Eff the city does not take it (the Water Company's property1 under this agreement before that time it is lost to it for ever.' This statement would be impressive if it were founded on fact. But it is not true that failure to purchase would leave the city at the mercy of the Water Company. In accordance with provision of the existing contract between the city and the company another contract can be made which will act, as the old contract has acted, as protection to consumers of water and guard of the city's rights Furthermore, even if no con- tract should be made with the company, the city would not be at it's mercy. The people of New Haven could, at any time, by an ap- peal to the Legislature, take the company's property or regulate it's rates. There is no way in which the Water Company could be- come such a dangerous monopoly as to be out of the reach of this community.
 Our correspondent has been told, evident ly by one of the many who misunderstood the question, that the Water Company has gradually absorbed every stream and pond 'sthat is available for our future supply in any direction" This is not a fact. The company does not control the water in the Housatonic, the Naugatuck and the Quinnipi- ac rivers. There are also other sources of water supply in this vicinity which it does ney's right to one-half the water in Lake Whitney, as the city will doubtless discover if it tries to buy that valuable right.
 The claim that the purchase of the water works will not add one mill to the taxpayers burdens has nothing to rest on. The higher water rates which are sure to follow the pur- chase would be tax that would be felt, to say nothing of the direct water tax that would probably be levied.
 The assertion that the water rates paid only by actual takers would, under city man. agement, pay all expenses, all interest on the debt and leave surplus profit of forty or fifty thousand dollars year is simply ridicu- lous. What, we would inquire, would be the water rates that would produce such an in- come?
 Our correspondent in closing, speaks of an ideal Board of Water Commissioners, and pours contempt on the notion that there could ever be political ''Water ring'' in this beautiful and mon partisan city. The only way to make sure that there will not be is to vote against the purchase of the water works by the city.
 If "A Disinterested Citizen'' will interest himself in the Water question sufficiently to become acquainted with the facts, we believe he will not only be surprised that so many misunderstood the matter, but he will also be surprised that he has so misunderstood it.