The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-12-14
WATER WORKS !
CAREFUL ANALYSIS BY THE
JOINT COMMITTEE.
SOME FIGURES AND ARGUMENTS
Showing the Right and Availibil-
ity of the Borough to Own
and Operate a Plant of It's
Own.
To the Editor of the HERALD.


To the Editor OF the HERALD.
VIII you give the joint committee on
water works some space in your paper to
present their own views of the question ?
We haye been attacked in different papers
of this borough and out of it, well meant
advice was given; calculations have been
made legal questions have been raised
insinuatlons of selfish motives have been
imputed to US remarks tending to create
dissension among the citizens have been
published-and SO far we have been silent,
and have restrained from publicly vindicat
ing ourselves AS well as our actions and
also from Iefuting any of the many charg
made against us. We have done this for
the sake of peace and harmony, but we
feel it to be our duty now to make some
statement and some explanations, so that
unbiased persons, who have not the means
of examining the question thoroughly may
see that we know what we are about.
1t is still fresh in the memory of every
one that the water company prosecuted the
borough of Shenandoah for water rent on
fire plugs claimed to be dua them, for
period of about ten years That a univel-
sal Indignation was felt by every citizen
not interested in the water company was
only natural, for ten years ago, when an
overwhelming majority of citizens voted
for water works to be owned and operated
by the borough, the water company pub
lished promise that they would never
charge the borough for water rent on fire
plugs. When the result of the law-s4it
was made known, a meeting Of the citizens
was called, not only to express their
indignation but also to devise means by
which repetition of similar proceedings
might be avoided.
Resolutions, presented at that meeting,
we're passed the effect that the borough
authorities be requested to procure water
works owned and operated by the borough
itself The outcome was the appointment
of joint committee, consisting of an equal
number of councilmen and citizens, who
we're charged with taking the necessary
steps toward the accomplishment of this
object We expected opposition and we
found it. The water company and their
tools have done all they could toward
creating an artificial sentiment among the
citizens and to infuse into them an appre-
hension of an overwhelming indebtedness;
of the borough Besides the motives o.
those who were at the head Of the move
ment were put down as 0eing Of the mean
est nature We were charged to be II set o
mean, disappointed spectators who envy
the water company for their large divi
dends Is it rue hat the whole meeting
was composed OF such mean characters
If speculation was the object why was NJ
move made to inau gurate new wa e
company What Individual benefit or sd
vantage could they see in requesting the
borough authorities to undertake the work
AS q means to di ert the attention from
the main object the Electric Light Com
pany was drawn in for full share of at
tention. But there are two electric ligh
companies in town. Which is meant2 A
the Citizens Electric Light Company hav,
the contract to light the streets of th
borough, we presume that this company i
meant. But what has this to do with th
water question: If the Citizens Electric
Light Company should ever undertake {,
make a contract with the borough and sui
sequently sue the borough in violation o
their own promise or contr act, we would b
the very first persons to repulse such an en-
croachment on the part of the company
As it is, the borough has made an equitsbl
contract with the Citizens Electric Ligh
Company for which the borough gets thu
street lights. What did it get from th
fire plugs2) That contract terminates mex
April, and b tn the borough authorities ant
the company have right to renew it o
not, and if the Cluncil should see way T.
get better OF cheaper light, or both, VI
hold that it would be their duty to do so, n,
matter what effect that might have on tn
electric light company.
But such a tremendous Indebtedness !
Why, the borough has already a bonde
indebtedness Of S2S,0C0 for which it ha
only $40, 600 of assets, and the new waite
works would cost according to some OBJ
jector) Sl50, coo more, and this debt woul
require interest to be paid and would be
lien on our property Let us look thi
objection fairly and squarey in the face.
First Most of the citizens present 9
the mass meeting are property holders
: and know we'll enough that the propert
holders are chiefly responsibly for the in
A debtedness Of the borough.
Second. They also know that the wate
works of the borough will pay for them
i selves, not ouly the interest but also th
a principal in comparatively short time.
Third. The estimate of $3.50, 600 is mue