Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1891-09-17
A,LESSON TO BE HEEDED.

The past week has served to open the
eyes of the people of Bellows Falls to the
childish folly of the village in the con-
duct of its water supply. tits not new
folly. For several years similar unre-
liable and varying condition has existed,
but by various fortunate chances in our
favor any such serious lesson as that Of
Sunday morning has been avoided.
The true condition and not the COM
forting theory at last, however, confronts
us. The theory has been that the village
had no cause to fear failure of its water
supply; that in Minard's pond we had
the purest and best of water and in am
pie volume for all needs of the village,
including full protection against fire.
In humiliating contrast to this rosy
picture are the facts, that without any
restraint worthy the name, consumers. of
water have been permitted to waste and
exhaust the supply; that the village to-
day is dependent upon the pumps of the
Fall Mountain mills for fire protection
that the health of che village is iflenacssa
by change in water for domestic pur-
poses; that the comfort of the people is
ileges; and that the prestige of the vii
lage from business point of view has
received damaging blow which has
been advertised far and wide.
Did we believe it to be in the interest
of Bellows Falls to handle this question
gently and with gloves, smooth matters
over, and deprecate any agitation of the
question, such would be our course. We
can not so view it. Some party to the
public policy of this village is to blame
for its present unenviable position. Such
blame is generally placed has tily and
mistakenly, especially in crises as i'm
portant in their effects as is the present
one. Since Sunday morning the paper
mills under the hill, and the Fall Noun.
tain mills in particular, have been
charged by the public with responsible.
ity for the entire trouble; the water com.
missioners have come in for full share
of disapproval; the bailiffs have not es.
capped criticism, and the village in its
voting personality has been the recip.
lent of the compliments of the season.
As we understand it, our mills are
heavy consumers of water, partly from
Minard's pond but principally from the
Connecticut. There can be no shadow
of doubt that they have drawn more
heavily upon the village supply thar
was contemplated when they received
their privilege from the village. Thi:
does not alter the fact that they have
after all, only exercised the privilege
which was placed in their control, appar
emily without restriction, by the village
or its representatives. This will apply
in any direction where village water il
used for mechanical purposes, and if il
all such cases, the consumption of wate
is not carefully regulated and promptly
cut off in all cases of excess, then WI
must naturally look for heavy demand
and extravagant and ruinous waste
That such regulation was not long agt
adopted as a measure of public protec
ton is chargeable to the village, whicl
has had the remedy at hand all along.
Ii has been said, and truthfully. tina
the local water commissioners have fo
some time been amply authorized to pu
on metres. But a study of this author
ity fails to discover that any means o
payment was indicated, and we do no
wonder that the commissioners were dis
inclined to incur for the town heav
bill of expense which properly belong
to the consumers to settle. Elsewher
metres are put on at the expense of thos
who use them; why would not such
ruling be economy for Bellows Falls
Why the commissioners have not lai
more stress upon this omission in th
past, and in the interests of the villag
given the public the full value of the il