The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-05-19

sewers, chiefly for the benefit OF the Wa
ter Company, at an expense to the peo-
pie of nearly half the cost of the water
works, which the Water Company does
not share; they are in earnest to buy the
water works before the village becomes
incumbered for any other purpose so as
to prevent the purchase; they are in
earnest to buy the water works so that
the revenue therefrOm will aid in paying
for sewers, from which there is no ev-
enue, except to the Water Company;
they are in earnest to buy the water
works before they fall into INSCRIPTIONS
hands, as they are liable to any day, and
the people become the helpless victims
of the rankest extortion, as the price of
an indispensable necessity. Witness the
last winters coal trust; they are also APP
parently determined to defeat the pres
ent sewerage enterprise and fight the is
sue out to finish, and wait for sewers
until the servants of the people can exc
cute the trust and confidence repOsed in
them with sufficient fidelity to provide
method of meeting the cost which shall
not SAVIOR of The rank injustice which is
the most prominent characteristic of the
sewerage act of 1892, and which has else
where been declared unconstitutional
by courts of very high authority. Maj.
Valentine knows better than he states.
At the lasG Village meeting, called to
see if the Village would buy the water
works, Mr.. Edward j. Hall moved
to adjourn before the article
was reached, and Maj. Valen-
tine, backed up by the Water Company,
it's attaches and supporters, did every
thing in his power to supplant the
motion and prevent the uues-
ton coming to a vote, and succeeded
against one of the most vociferous pro-
tests ever uttered in Free Library Hall.
The committee on sewers, of which Maj.
Valentine was one, were appointed and
have acted in the interest of the Water
Company, at least two of its members
being members of the Water Company.
The system of sewerage recommended
by the committee is practically cock
tensive with the water system. The in
iquity of the scheme is demonstrated by
the question, if sewer is reeded on
County street Except for the benefit of
the Water Company, how have we man
aged thus far to live without 1t on Main
street? There is no anti-sewer party in
the Village who are opposed to the con-
struction of proper sewers, in those
parts of the Village where the public
necessity justifies the outlay, just as
soon as the purchase of the water works
can be effected, and the proper steps are
taken to relieve the people of Unequal
and unjust assessments therefor. Maj.
Valentine places the cost of the water
works at $4,000 and says two per cent
is not realized on the investment. The
Village paid last year for water, for pub
lie purposes, 1854 or two per cent on
S63.2O0. If Maj Valentine cannot figure
out of the water rates for private use
S136 to pay two per cent on $4,000 and
leave safe margin to pay the expense
of the water running down hill we had
better look for some other financier
where great public interests are at stake.
No the people will never be fooled with
the "sophistry'' that the Water Com
pany does not realize two per cent on
the Investment. Maj. Valentine says
'.the investment is one that no one
would put his money in expecting a
good return" We have in our midst a
citizen of high rank as a financier, VIII
is the president of three Water Compa-
MES in distant places, and of this plant
he says he has no doubt that it pays g
a large percentage on the investment
| He signed the call for the last Village
meeting. The water works are bonded
| Ga fact probably not generally known.
| The bonds dre held by Mr.. Putnam and
| yield five per cent interest; whereas the
| Village could easily bond for the pur
chase at four per cent. The Charter o.
the Water Company provides that thu
inhabitants of the Village shall be en-
| titled to use the water at reasonable
rates." very plausible provision i
might seem to some, yet constituting
no check upon extortion, and wholly N
operative, because no provision Is mad
| for visitation of the corporation to in
| quire into and ascertain whether NOR
! than reasonable rates are charged. Tit
! Water Company not content with ap
parently cOnceding to the people TIN
right To use the water at fair rates, ye
Withholding the means of enforcing tn
right, secured this: ANY person who's
rights to the flowage OF said water ar
thus taken may apply as aforesaid with
in three years from the time the water l
actually Withdrawn or diverted and no
thereafter; and no suit for injury don
under this act shall be brought ate
three years from the alleged date of tn
receipt of the injury (Charter Sec. o.
A suit of this sort, against anybody Ou
the Water Company, could De brough
anytime within fifteen years, under tn
general law. Before it is further IL
sisted that this people are the subject
of the charity of the Water Company
[ demand in their behalf an exhibit @
the actual cost, the current revenue an
current expense of maintaining and OF
Grating the plant. If the Water Compan
are so mighty generous toward the pee
pie why are they bending every energy
BY fair means or foul, to thrust upon til
people scheme of taxation and assess
ments to the amount of S35, 1000, whic
the people have voted down every tim
they have had chance to vote by ballot
and to which the Water Company cor
tributes not dollar? Why are they S
strenuously resisting the purchase O
the plant by the Village? The Waite
Company are not encouraging til
growth of the Village by extending tn
plant where it does not pay. Wltnes
their late refusal to extend the servic
through Grand View Terrace, except
the expense of land owners. Maj. va
entine, after the fashion of many grei
orators and authors reserves his mos
forceful expressions for the coRcludin
paragraph and properly views wit
alarm" the possibility of making.
matter of this kind a factor in Villag
politicts and a source of possible picl
ings to political managers" All! hel
is where the real danger lies, as Wa
made painfully manifest by Maj. Valel