The Monitor-register., 1896-02-28
LETTER BOX.
VIII Electric Lights Benefit Woods
uOWnS

VIII Electric Lights Benefit Woods
town?
The advisability of having electric
lights in our town is one that it seems to
me need not long be discussed, in view of
the greatly increased taxes which will
result from their Introduction, with very
slight corresponding benefit. There is
sense in which electric lights may be
termed public improvement, and they
might even be in themselves desirable;
but the question for us to decide is, can
we afford them? There are many things
n,this world that are good and desirable
for men to have, and which might pos
sibly desire to possess, but have not the
money to pay for them. and, conse-
quently, dc without. 1t is quite plain
to every one that the possession of electric
lights would not bring us increased
individuals living therein; they are
simply and solely luxury to be INDUCED
in by those who can afford it. 1t must
ever be borne in mind in speaking of the
welfare and prosperity of our beautiful
village that one of tine chief things to be
avoided is the increase of the tax rate.
There are some families every year who
have stated income on which they must
home where their expenses can be kept
down to, or below their income. In these
days OF low interest rates taxes are an i'm.
portant item in the expenses of families
possessed of some pro perty and a moder.
ate income. 1t makes great difference
to such people whether the tax rate is
one per cent or two per cent. When the
water works project was agitated we
were told that the introduction of the
city water would lower our insurance
rate and greatly increase the prosperity of
the borough. We were also told that in
year or two these water works wo uld
be self-sustainipg. So far from this being
the case we have been taxed every year
for the interest on the bonds, and now the
Borough Council are asking for $500 90
for water during the coming year, which
is an increase Of $500 90 ever the
charge for the same item last year. We
were also told that the introduction of
wa6er would increase the value of prop.
erty and attract both business and resi-
dents from other sections. We all know
how false these statements were; business
was never duller, and the price of prop
erty has steadily declined from the very
building of the water works. We are
told in the article alluded to, that prop.
erty which in Harrisonville sells for $500
or $500 will bring $1400 to $500 in
WoodstOwn, and we are triumphantly
asked, why this great difference? There
is not child in our public schools so
small as not to be able to answer this
question. Harrisonville is mere country
hamlet, far from the line of railway and
possessing no advantages as a place of
residence, excepting low taxes; aud it is
not surprising that prices of real estate
are lower there than in a borough the
size of Woodstown, which until recently
has had equally low taxes; but it must
be admitted that if Woodstown property
continues to decline for two or three
years more as it has done since the intro
duction of the water works, that we may
yet see it selling lower than it does now
III Harrisopville. Whoever suppOses that
an electrical plant worth having could
be put in for $40 900 must know but little
about electrical matters. 1t takes diff
ferent dynamo to generate electricity for
an incandesceDt light. and all the maehin-
cry OF an electric plant needs to be in
duplicate so that when an engine or a
dynamo breaks down there will be anoth.
er to take its place. Water can be
accumulated, but electricity must be
generated and used the very same second.
If dynamo stops for even one momens,
the light stops st the Same moment, and
there is darkness until the machinery
begins again. There is as yet no practical
way of accumulating stock of the
electric fluid to be drawn upon in case OF
emergency,
have carefully examined number of
electric plants and have always found
them to be far more expensive than the
article in last weeks MONITOR REGISTER
would lead us TO believe. One plant
whose bonds l have sold cost $135, 900
cash to build, for town of about $500
people. This plant is run by water the
greater part of the year, but engines are
used in the winter when the Ice becomes
troublesome. The statement of expenses
of this plant for one year are as follows: