The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-12-26

The outlook for the proposed water
works is not as cheering as the friends OF
the movement could wish, and il we judge
from present indications ve will be some
time yet in securing them. A large ma
jority Of our people disfavor the project as
proposed by the -four Councilmen who
voted for it. 1t is TO be regretted that these
gentlemen fail 10 haze the confidence OF
our citizens sufficiently 10 enable them TO
fully believe that they are laboring and
voting for a project which they themselves
understand, and doing il for no other than
the public welfare and benefit of the
town. While no one appears to doubt the
official honesty and integrity of some of
these -four gentlemen. it is claimed that
they lack the mechanical and business in
telligence TO grapple with and master a
scheme of such magnitude as w~aterworks;
while another part of them, who might
under some circumstances be able 20 meet
the requirements in the way of ability,
lack the confidence of our citizens as to
tlltlF lltSbIitN anu So ~ gus.
Although, as We stated last week, while
we favor wsterworks in some shape, the
better the shape the more we favor it. 1t
must. however, be admitted that these
four men, when you take into considera-
ton the aggregate holding oftheir taxable
property in our borough, would appear to
be taking upon themselves a great respon-
sibility when they can order the signing OF
a contract that binds ese,y dollars worth
of their %neiehbors' property within the
borough for all time TO come, whether they
favor it or not. for the faithful perform
anee of all the covenants of said contract.
Some of those who oppose the project in
their arguments clam that We can judge
the future by the past. and that il we look
back twenty-five years and charge up all
the losses that have occurred by fire in
that time, and then look twenty-five years
into the future and take the $1,000 which
We are to pay in half-gearly# payments to
he water mpan aud create a fund with
it, we could reasonably hope to have
enough and to spare to pay every loss in
full which might be sustained by fire. No
one, they insist, will undertake to claim
that the waterw orks will serve to prevent
fire. Their use is only to protect adjoining
property in case of fire and prevent
it's spread. Those who advance this
argument appear TO lose sight of The fact
that a water supply will be &C any benefit
or any service for any other than a safe
guard against the spread of fire. They
seem to forget The scores of necessities,
~couveniences and l~uxuries that we could
have were We willing to pay for them. We
could have a bath room in every house;
we could have fountains in our yards,
water in the barns ard in any part of our
house or out-buildings, ard above all we
could sprinkle all cur streets in the hot
and dusty SUNNI er, and almost a hundred
more or less comforts ard eo~nvenienees
could We have if we bad a steady, every
day in the year supply of water.
Another objection put forth is that the
town IS too small and that no ore knows
of any town of this size that has water
works. OF this latter claim We know
nothing for our o8n part, but it must not
be forgotten that this is q big" little
town. This We might as well keep in
mind, and possibly, if we can have water
works, electric lights, and some other
needed improvements, we might soon be-
co me a big big town. Let MS have all
we want and get them as cheap as we
can. If this is the right way let us en-
courage it and help TO push it through; if
there is a better way let's get there as soon
as we can, aud rave not only waterworks
but electric lights also, aud tax the property
to keep them going.