The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-05-30

Notices are posted around town for an
election on Tuesday next that the people
of our borough may vote from 3 TO : p. NJ.
to decide whether or not they will author
izs Council to enter into a contract for the
erection and maintenance of a supply Of
water for Woodstown, the builders of
which have not yet been agreed upon, but
it is understood that it viii be built and
owned either by parties in Camden, Jersey
City or Millyille.
There appears TO be a feeling of universal
regret that Council do not afford our peo-
pie more time to tall and think over this
important matter. No sensible person will
deny that we would be better eff with a
supply Of water both for domestic use and
as a guard against the Tayages of fire, but
the a~ll-inportant question is can we afford
to enter into a contract for years to conn
and bind the borough TO pay from 81, 200
to q. 900 each year to foreign owners for
the benefits that the water would afford
us. The companies that have been figuring
on the plant offer TO supply forty-fye fire.
plugs at a cost Of 81, 200 per year and any
additional number at the same rate. As
there are about seventy street lamps spread
over town it is generally thought that less
than that many fre-plugs would be too
few. Those who put the works up doubt.
less know that, and the consequence will
be that the bill for plugs for the borough
naoAS Ularlar "a TtSa fs .da Of yhnpn 1r
not, will not be less than e, 1000 per year.
Add 10 this the needful appliances for
using the water i'll case Of fire, say 900
feet Of coed leather hose, which would
probably cost Il, 200 to Il, 800, then hose
carriages or trucks and ladders, and we
have a big lot OF money represented.
One Of the speakers at the meeting on
Monday evening was candid enough to tell
the audience that his people we've in it to
make money and we might as we'll know
it. 1t would appear most sensible for orr
own people to build the works and
operate them themselves and keep all the
profits in the town instead of paying it
over To those who live in other parts of
bhc Stata ~ Rul 1OhItilL44tI hDAtu DIP
pear to disfayor their own n~eiglLors and
favor these whom they know little about.
The money could be raised here or the
TOW could borrow the money ON a per
cent. bonds, and the question is where is
the wisdom in paying a foreign corpora.
tion the interest Oh 42s, 600 TO 10000
when we can get as good or better for less
than half the money.
These people propose to charge the Dor
ough about $50 for each plug. Over at
Wenonah they pay 80. The entire plant
there cost less than SO, 600, and included
intllis Is twenty acres Of land and a mill.
The company there is owned and run by
home people and avs good dividends.
1t has never been the mission of the
MONITOR 10 discourage any MEASURE or
improvement that in any way or manner
would better The town. On the contrary
we have always SO far as We could given
encouragement to every measure that in
our opinion had "the greatest good 10 the
greatest number" for its basis. but wc are
free to say that v eanGot zee any good in
this project and believe it will be best for
our people to oppose the proposed pro-
ject. Ii We have occasion to regret it
later on, after We have learned more about
it by Cooking around, " it will be little
trouble to cali another election, hen we
can vote on it with more intelligence and
understanding.
This is a matter OF vital financial i'm
portance to the people Of Woodstown, and
requires the best bra tins and Judgment TO
decide just what is the right thing to do.
Those who offer TO construct our proposed
works are experts, and doubtless have had
lots of experience in dealing with corpora
tions and know just what to do and how
to do it with profit to themselves, but it is
entirely new business TO our Councilmen
and people. 1t does not follow that a
Councilman has any more intelligence.
wisdom or Judgment clothed in his official
garb than be would be blessed with as a