The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-01-18
LOCAL FINANCES I
A RDwrTH you. FELLOW CIT
liens
Be On Your Guard. or You'n Be
In Debt.
Hich Taxes and Poor Schools.

wise 10 ofiera few suggestions 10 our felioS
Republicans IN regard 70 the kind Of nen
tc place in nomination
The Ofice Of councilman IS one Of grave
responsibility under existing circumstances
The present eounri have laboned for year
with the question of introducing q system
Of water WORKS for our town. Taey have
expended q round sum Of the tax payers
money, and are jass as far from solution of
the problem as they were when they were
indacsed into Office -Four members Of the
present council were elected on the distinct
issue Of furnishing a water supply at the
expense OF the borough corporation After
months Of investigation three members of
that body saw that il was impractical, if
not absolutely out Of the question, to invest
the ownership OF wafer works in the bor-
Ough Their brethren in council disagreed
with them and there the matter rests
Are the people of Somerset ready to put
81. .000 into the dangerous experiment OF in
| PRODUCING water az the expense Of the bor-
ough eorporzsion2 The matter mus De ex-
psrimentAl no mater BY whom It IS under
taken Are they willing to obligare the
property Of every poor man or woman in
the town in an attempt TO secure that which
is hazardous, if not entirely beyond their
reach with the resources at hand And
above al are they willing TO entrust the ex-
penditure of 50 large a sum Of money 10 4
council that Is divided Think Of this, We
| beg, before committing yourself
Admit for the sake Of the argument that
our town can ie equipped with water sup
ply, how many families can afford to enjoy
the benefits Of il, no matter how low the
tolls are? Is It not manifest that
only the Weather class OF our
citizens could siFord to enjoy the luxuries
that water alone can bring 10 their homes
A large per ceniage Of this class have their
homes supplied with water from private
sources, and would be slow to intro
duce it from any other soarce-specially #
ii should cost more than they nov pay.
The experience Of our neighbors IS well
worth considering in this light. Meyersdale
has practically no water supply and the
owners Of the water company in that town
have not got fig-mill.n Beiford's water
supply IS VIGOROUSLY unsatisfactory and ex-
pensiye. The citizens of Frostbarg. Nd,
are paying interest on large sum Of money
expende.! n a vain attempt 70 bring water
inio that growing town
It does seem to Us that the only practical
solution Of this vexed question is the adop-
ton Of Mr.. 0sle's resolution published in
these columns short tine ago. submitted
TO council, Offering to obligate the borough
for a fixed amount annually fo- A short
term Of years 10 a responsible person or
company who viii furnish sufficient Va
ter supply for IRE prOsection, reserying the
privilege Of purchasing the plazt for spaci-
fed sum At the expiration ola certain period.
Now, if this Is to De d1ue. We want men
in council who have the best interests OF our
town al stake, who have had large expert
ence in business affairs, and who are brave
and strong enough 10 withstand the cArping
criticism Of the shallow pIfed fellows who
own no real estate and pay no municipal
tax
With the resources al hand the borough
has al il can do 10 pay for having the streets
properly lighted. POlieed aud kept clean TO
say nothing Of the large expenditure il
would require to put them in 1T condition.
Elect business men eolnciinsen and the
water question will soon settle itself
SCHOOL BrREcroks.
Il IS sad indeed 70 De- compelled 70 admit
that the schools o. Somerset borough are
inferior TO those Of Ursina, Berlin AMI Sal
is5ury. Such is the case, however, and will
continue 70 be 50 until directors are elsc.ed !
Who have the future welfare OF the children /
Of the town, more than tie power ofreEsri- /
ing farorites. at heart. We do rot wishto be |
misunderstood in this matter. Oar primary /
departments are probably in As good hands /
as Il Is possible TO place them. but the course !
OF study in the advanced department has /
been lowered instead OF advanced, to the in
calculble iesriment Of the schools SOmer-
set IS the leading town Of the county in /
many ways, ani owing to ine ia-ss num- I
Der of professional men who reside here i /
shoald be the educational centre. Our /
schools, BY every method Of reasoning. /
shOuld be the best in the county and no Z
good excuse can b. offered for their not be- I
ing so We are glad 70 state that several !
members OF the present boari Of directors |
endeavored 10 raise tie standard Of our I
schools last fl'l but we're outvoted by
majority Of the board
The financial interests Of the school dis /
trict have been even saoFe shamefuliy treated /
than the schools An annual building tar. /
running faom three 70 eleven mills. has been
assessed and collected during the past ten 1
years, in or3er 70 meet debt that should !
have been liquidated several years ago. The I
Truth Of the matter Is that when the HERALD 4
called attention to the encouragement Of /
the school funds a year ag5, there vas not
member OF the school board who knew 4
what the amount of the school indebted |
ness vas or who held The school bonds
some Of the very best men ab0u, the town I
have dlled The Office Of school director, but /
experience has shown that they viii not st
tend to the duties Tor which they we're elect
ed They rarely if eyer visit the schools, |
are entirely ignorant Of their sanitary coR- /
eiiiOn and surround ngs Have not the ]
fainbest conception Of how teaclers are per- /
Drming their duties and OF the progress be /
ing made. Such men commits a grievoGs
wrong when they permit iheir friends to
elect them school directors. II they Do not /
intend to perform The duties OF the OF e
coascienli0aslg they had far better remain /
in private lifs.
The school diFsetor IS tho nos: important |
OF onr municipal oh ,ers- To him Is en-
trusted the welfare Of every child in the dis
iriet and he i responsible in great meas /
ure for the happiness or sreck Of every life |
entrusted to his care. His authority ir /
matters appertaining 70 the schools is az
INST unlimited He fixes the rate Of taxa /
lion, limits the number Of schools, selects /
the course Of study, SETS The standard for /
graduation, elects teachers, looks after the |
school property, ETC.
With b 1t very few exceptions every boy /
aud girl in Somersst will receive all the edu- |
cation be viii ever get in the public schools |
Few parents are 50 happily situated that
they can aff5ri to send their children TO |
sonie private Institution Of learning upon /
completing the course arranged for our
schools. and it IS the children Of the nlajori- |
ty aud not Of the few who are the sufferers
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