St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-11-29
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.
Some Suggestions Worthy of Consider
alton.

Some Suggestions Worthy of Consider
alton.
When the craze for the electric light
has passed by, the sober, sensible citi-
zen will discover that he is paying ex-
tremely dear for his whistle. In fact
good many realize this already, and
are not backward in declaring it an ex-
pensive and needless luxury. If the
expense was limited to the $1,000 voted
by the village, few would complain !;
although that is about double the pres
ent cost of lighting the streets. But
the trustees are credited with making
three years. contract, the electric
company giving 80 lights the first year
! for the $500, but after the first year
only 20 lights. If the village want
more than the 90 lights it must pay $40
| light. Here is where the shrewdness
of the electric company appears. They
are we'll enough acquainted with hu-
or 90 extra lights have been scattered
about the village suburbs for year,
there will be remonstrance if they
are removed. The result will doubt
less be that instead of lighting the
village as now for $500, or even as
contemplated by the village when it
voted $1,000, it will cost the taxpayers
$4,000 yearly. Now we submit that
this is eXtravagant for village of this
size. The electric light may be desir-
able, but it is not in any sense ne
cessity, and in Il place of this size it is
a very expensive luxury. Some of the
best electricians say decidedly that no
town can afford electricity for illumin
ating purposes until some cheaper
method of generating it is discovered.
st. Johnsbury has many advantages,
some that other towns of it's size may
not boast of. For things useful and
valuable every citizen should be thank
full, but it should not be forgotten that
the great majority of the people of this
place have small incomes and earn
their bread by the sweat of their faces.
Many of them own homes, and they do
not care to see so large part of their
income go for taxes, especially for
taxes which neither does them or the
public good. The taxes of our town
are two or three times as high as some
of the towns about us. 1t may be ans
wered that we have more things to pay
taxes for. Very good but taxes here
are $500 on a thousand higher than
they are in the city of Boston, the rate
there being only $I3.4O !; and yet Boston
is much exercised over the expense of
it's electric light and there is likely to
be a revolution in regard to it.
Citizenship improves us a rule in the
same ratio as the citizen owns real es-
tate. 1t would be better for our town
did every man own the house he lives
in. But what inducement is held out
for the man of moderate means to own
real estate in IL town where the peO
ple's money is used as it is here2 II
will be sad day for the prosperity OF
this place when the man of moderate
income finds that taxes and insurance
eat up his home.
Reference has not been made in this
article to the questionable method by
which the trustees intend to saddle
this extra tax upon the village. Look
at the facts: Two of the trustees are
owners in the water power company
When they contract for the electric
light for this village they are simply
trading with themselves. That is, il
the trustees will contract the lighting
of the village streets to this electric
light company, said company will take
a lease of Il water power owned by in
dividuals on the board of trustees for 6
Otherwise said water power may bt
idle.
If any one thinks that the trustees
are running this village as a charitable
institution they will wake up some day
to their mistake. Our people cal
scarcely have forgotten the regims
which entailed water debt upon th'
village ofabout $50, 900, of which there
: is yet $4,000 balance unpaid, al
though the village is taxed yearly ;
sum varying from $2500 to $45O0 tt
liquidate this debt alone. And even a
this high rate of taxation it will TAX
nearly 90 years longer to wipe it out.
This is long suffering people, an'
the manner in which they endOrs
'siobs" which enrich tile bosses at TIN
expense of the tax payer is past ex
PLANTATION. But it's long road tina
has no turn.
, Catholic Notes.
A supper will be served in the ney
J Catholic church Thanksgiving evening
from 6 o'clock through the evening
{ The church will be illuminated AM
rybody is invited.
The frescoing of the church ceiling
3 is completed and it is expected tina
| the walls will be done by Monday an
E the staging removed. The frescoin
r has been done by Mr.. Heney of Boston
) 1t is now expected that the interiO
D will be completed in readiness for mid
night mass on Christmas.