Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1883-11-27
The water Works 2rspesitior.

Without taking a stand in opposi.
ton to water works, we desire to
point out some Of the Objectionable
features to the proposition submitted
|by +. M. Loweree and which the peo-
plcwill have an opportunity to vote
upon Dec. s. He proposes, to state it
briefly, to furnish the city with 60
hydrants for $1,000 a year ana supply
water to private consumers at cents
per 100 gallons, said contract to be in
force for % years. ql.'
In the first place, GO hydrants will
not be sufficient to protect the entire
city and the number might as well be
put at 100 and let calculations be
made on that basis, at cost of $1,000
a year. If onlya portion of the city
-beprotActed there win of course be
great dissatisfaction amongst those
who pay taxes without receiving any
benefit. 1ha4It ls,S48 s.s, ,5at
Furthermore, water-works are
not perfect protection against
fire and are not so regarded by
cities that have them. The fire
department will still have to be kept
up and il is a well known fact that
cities that have waterworks trust
more to the efficiency of theiriirs de-
partncnt than anything else for ex-
tinguishing flames. 1872 ~.
Then as to the character Of the
proposition. rwentyAfiyeyearsf i a
long period and the city might get
Tired of her bargain and have ocea-
sion to wish she bad.waited year or
two and bnilt water works upon her
own hook. There Is no special nee
essity for acting precipitatcly. The
same proposition, or one just as good
viii be submitted one year or three
years hence. There will.always be-
people ready and anxious to make a
contract of that kind with any city.
AT this particular time IIopkinsville
needs TO be little careful. She owes
considerable amount now and the
probabilities are that she will have TO
Increase her public school facilities in
afcw years. Besides the railroad now
being builtthrough South Christian
may retard her prosperity aud make il
necessary for her to raise money to
build a competing line of railway.
All these things must be considered
in voting upon the proposition. 1t
has been suggested that tax of
ccnts on the $lCo. wotild raise the nee
essary amount of revenues This is
very wild figuring. The taxable
property Of the city is IN round num-
bcls 100000. AT the above named
rate the amount raised would be
5000 and instead Off cents ii would
take 30 cents TO raise 5000 and 30
cents to raise 5000. The tax for all
purposes is now s2.G5 nthe sl0Oand
SO poll tax. SO the peoplemay draw
thcirow conclusions as to whether
they want any more tax or not. The
money annually raised is not more
than sufficient tS-kcop The streotsl in
Trepairan meet thomatHing liabil-
titles ofthe city, and the system Of
drainage which would be rendered
necessary by water works would
probably keep The treasury in a
depleted condition forscycral Years
Thesea all objections which call
for postponement Of the matter for
a year rtwo at least. d
On the other hand, there would be
advantages in having the waterworks.
They MOULD ofcourse be a partial pro-
lection to property in the Immediate
vicinity of the ilydrants, provided the
city was supplied with the hose nee
essaiy and it could be attached in time.
AS to sprinkling streets amt flushing
cutters, etc, the hydrants would be
very useful, but more ola luxury
than necessity. But few private
famil,es would be likely to use the
water, as cisterns are plentiful IN the
city and it ready looks like a matter
of city prideis the most potent argu-
lment for the waterw works at this par
ticular time.
The SouTH KENTUcKIAN feels in
duty bound to present both sides Of
thequestion in ordor that the citi-
zcns may know what they are going
to do. Unlike the public school bill
voted for, this is not a necessity, but
a matter that has Objectionable fea-
lures aside from the actual cost w,
counsel no man to vote for or against
the measure. We would not inter
fere in a progressive movement, buI
we are convinced that progressiv,