Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-06-11
SEWERAGE.

The time for voting upon the question
of increasing the borough Indebtedness
for the purpose of sewering the town is
drawing near, and that the matter NAV
be decided satisfactorily to the majority
of the tax payers it is the duty of every
citizen to cast ballot for or against the
measure. If the Indebtedness is to be
increased the vote should be a decisive
one, and it will then give to council and
those who advocate sewerage the en-
couragement and incentive to enter upon
the completion of the project If the
voters prefer not to increase the borough
debt let the decision be arrived at by
the majority of citizens saying so.
To have the question settled either
way by light vote, owing to the apathy
of those especially interested, will leave
1t as far from remaining settled as if no
election had been held. Whatever may
be the result it should be true test of
public feeling and the advocates and op-
ponents OF sewerage can do the council
and themselves no greater favor than by
going to the poll on Tuesday and casting
their ballots according to their convic-
tions A full, free and candid express
sion of public opinion is necessary to
decide the issue.
honest in their opposition to sewerage,
believing that the tax rate to carry it into
effect will be swelled to immense pro-
portions. The proposed increase is less
than $4,000, and anyone who wishes to
stop and think a moment will see at a
glance that the increase in taxes will be
almost imperceptible, considering the
benefits which are bound to accure if the
town is severed Those who oppose the
question on the ground of a probable
increase in taxes present an argument
nearly as weak as the few who say that
sewerage is unnecessary. Both of those
claims are too absurd to discuss
There are others, however, who are
using the high-tax ''bugaboo' to scare
voters when they know themselves that
all such talk is nothing but 'bosh." 1t
would be much more dignified for those
people and their opposition would COM
mand more respect if they would openly
acknowledge their enmity to the towns
progress and advancement Trying to
defeat the question by sailing under
false coors is contemplate, to say the
least. The past records of some of those
people show that they have always been
opposed to every improvement the
borough has made, yet the town has
advanced steadily despite their antag-
onism and will continue to advance
while they can be kept in the minority.
They may mean well enough and some,
perhaps, are earnest in the views they
hold, but it is nearly time they realized
the futility of trying to retard the prog
ressive spirit of the citizens. A few are
everlastingly obiecting to anything pro-
posed by the present and past councils,
thn ,y,lxr 20, . 1, L. 4
tendency is by bringing out a full vote
and proving that the taxpayers regard
sewerage as necessity which must
come. That is the only way the matter
can be settled effectually and give salts
faction to both parties.
If for nothing else but to insure a
healthy atmosphere it would be better to
pay little more taxes and have good,
clean, sweet-smelling streets and avoid
breathing air filled with the noxious
gases of decaying matter. Sewers would
carry off the refuse and stagnant waters
which clog the cutters in several portions
of the borough and remove the obiec-
tionable odors which arise during warm
weather. Some people refuse to be i'm
pressed with the fact that these are un-
healthy. They would prefer to wait
and receive lesson in cleanliness such
as was given the borough of Plymouth
few years ago. That town has since eX-
pended ten times the amount of Free
land's S proposed debt to avoid a repetition
of the terrible scourge. Other towns,
too, have been negligent in this respect
until their folly has been brought home
to them.
The proposed system is not for the
purpose of benettting one or two prop
erty owners. Every resident will be
accorded the same privilege of drain
age and the plans Of the engineer cover
every portion of the town. Arrange
ments have also been made by which
the system can be extended to Birvan-
ton and the other districts of Foster
township which adjoin the upper sides
of the borough, and this will be done
when they are annexed. An indepen-
dent system will be laid through the
streets of the Points when that suburb
cuts loose from Foster and takes its posi-
tion as part of the borough.
There is no place in the State that can
be severed with less expense and to bet
ter advantage than Freeand. Its loca-
tion and natural grade will save consider
able money. With the license fund of this
and next years, and the loan to be voted
for on Tuesday, enough can be raised to
proceed at once. Eckley B. Coke has
expressed himself as willing and anxious
to assist the sewering of the town and
his offer of an outlet through the COM
pany's land shows that his cooperation
is rendered in good faith.
The tickets will all be marked on the
outside Increase of debt" On the in
side they will be printed or written "No
increase of debt" or "Debt may be in
creased" The election will be conduct
ed in the same manner as all other cleo
tions held under State laws.