Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-03-03
The Report of the water Committe,


The Report of the water Committee.
The report of the committee chosen by
the village to investigate the subject of an
increased water supply comes from the
printers hands today, and elsewhere we
give a very complete and comprehensive
summary of all the facts and information
which have been brought out. The con-
clusions of the committee are not different
from those which have been generally
anticipated since Mr.. Crowell put in his
steam pump and demonstrated his ability
to supply the needs of the village. Under
the definite promise made by Mr.. Crowell
that early the coming season he will con-
meet his system with the West river, and
will in future furnish an abundant and
permanent supply of water, the committee
deem it "both unnecessary and unwise" for
the village to incur the expense of new
system at the present time But in the
event of failure to make satisfactory con-
tracts for water for the fire department
service, or if "all reasonable means and
energy are not used by the Chestnut Hill
company to push forward the work of pro-
vding the additional supply of water
promised, then the committee recommend
that another village meeting be called to
take further action.
We presume that, under all the circum-
stances, there will be no general DISPOSE
tion to dissent from the conclusions of the
committee. What the village wants is an
abundant, regular, and permanent supply
of water for all uses. The village has
reached that stage of development where
this demand is imperative, and it is entire
! ly evident that the people would be very
intolerant of a repetition of the experience
of the past two years. But if this supply
of water can be furnished through the
present reservoir company it should be
done, for there is, and should be, no wish
to injure an established enterprise like Mr..
Crowelrs.
The statement of the committee that less
than one-ifth of the householders of the
village take their water supply from the
reservoir company, will be a surprise to
very many people. This number seems
very small, and it indicates how generally
the dwelling houses of the village are con-
nected with the private aqueducts. We
think it fair question, however, whether,
were the water rents for ordinary family
use considerably reduced, and were the
public encouraged to more general and
liberal use of the water, the number of
takers would not be largely increased. The
same rule holds in this as in everything
else. The first and great point is to per
suade the public to become patrons to such
an enterprise, and small profits from many
users are better than greater profits from a
smaller number. This is now the almost
universal law in all business transactions.
In this connection it may be stated that,
under the provision for establishing water
rates, as stipulated in the reservoir COM
pany's charter, to which the committee re
fer, ''the trustees of the village or the Sc
lectmen of the town, or 10 of the taXpay'
ers who are patrons of said company and
residents of the village or town." may ap
ply to the county court for the appoint
ment of three commissioners to regulate
and adjust the water rates. This is said
however, with no idea that there will bt
occasion to bring this provision into use
1t is evident that Mr.. Ellsworth, thu
, engineer, has done his work with intelli
gent care, and that the definite profession
al information which he has furnished will
be worth to the village all that it has cost
The two apparent available sources fol
our water supply, found by Mr.. Ellsworth
are by the gravity system from Stickne!
{ brook, and by pumping from West river
, Both sources would be entirely adequate
, for any possible future needs. The Stick
q ney brook system would be somewhat NOR
expensive in the original outlay, but woult
: unquestionably be the cheaper in the end
The only definite suggestion, or criticism
! which Mr.. Ellsworth makes about tn
: Crowell water system is with reference t,
+ the size of the pipes. Upon this point
a however, the engineers of the fire depart
T. ment state that the hydrants have alway
performed satisfactory service in case o
e fire. The real question is as to whethe
4 the pipes are of size to give proper pro
r lection to dwelling houses and other prop
erty in the elevated and more remote part
e of the village. This is a matter which tn