The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-08-24

Knows All aDouf Il. and 10 say anything
10 him aboutit would be a work Of super
srogation. Bat to Taxpayers fellow
water cousufaers who have not seen
proper to rush into print because they
were admonished not to waste water we
willsay that the water service atthe court
house and other county buildings IS not
a metered service. bat is paid for at the
Hat rate Of sI7g per annum. All OF this
"Taxpayern might have told himself,
but his excellently nice sense of fairness
did not permit him to say anything else.
except a cnnningly worded iusinnation
that the official whose business it is 10
read the meter did not understand its
intricaeies and would likely make fail
ure Of il. Those consumers whose SER
vices are supplied at meter rates can tell
him differently.
Taxpayer wants 10 know why the
same consideration has not been shown
the Hotel vannear and Somerset House
as has been shown to the new hotel.
Well. We are not able 70 say just how
much the Hotel yanDear people appre-
ciate .rsxpsyer's'' efforts TO create SYM
pathy for them along this line. bat it is
said of the Somerset House man that
broad smile lit up his face As his eye fell
on Taxpayers disquisition. Why bless
his kind heart, the Somerset House is no
consumer of borough water. that build
Ting for years past having secured its
water from a private source, aud as the
proprietor of that house appeared before
the council as one of a committee from
the new hotel 70 ask to be supplied
with water, il is pretty safe to say that
Taxpayers" sympathy for the Somerset
House is about as badly wasted as some
of his water has been. AS 10 the Hotel
Vannear, there is no discrimination
against them-they pay the schedule rate
on the water they use. True, they pay
water tax on the assessed value of their
property. but in so doirg they are part
owners of the water works, as is every
other citizen of the borough. and any
profit from supplying this water land we
assert that il is supplied at a profit in
ures to their benefit TO the extent of their
investment SO does it inure 70 the BEN
eft of all other taxpayers, each one ac-
eording TO his interest.
The waterworks now has gross rev.
enue that rests on basis of considerably |
more than = 900 year. The right thing |
for the waterwOrks to do is TO earn all it
can. 1t pays better 10 sell the water than
TO waste it. The greater its earnings. the |
better for the owners, the people of the |
town, for these earnings will help pay |
the debt all the sooner and so wipe out |
the water debt entirely, years before it
would otherwise be. and the water debt |
once paid, our consumers can have the |
cheapest water of any town in this broad |
commonwealth Aud we would remind |
Taxpayer that they have already |
helped towards the payments that have |
been made The law expressly provides |
that outside parties may be supplied If
Taxpayer really believes that we are |
giving them water at loss, we wish he |
would labor with the hotel people aud
convince them OF the fact also. Tax
payers question as TO the additional
cost of supplying this water is proper |
one a1d at proper time it will be duly
answered.
This controversy started on water
waste, and in exeusing it Taxpayer
sees proper TO lug in matters entirely |
outside of that. Among other things he
charges that large part Of the borough
revenue has been squsndered in scatter
ing stones over some OF the streets. Pray,
where has this been done? IL is to be
feared that his specs had so much water
splashed over them that his vision is
somewhat obsenre8 1t is true that about
2,O00 lineal feet OF streets have been COW
cred, not scattered, with broken stone to
a width of from Is TO is feet and with a
center of from TO u inches, and these
Stone have been carefully graveled so as
to bind them into solid aud compact
roadbed. VIII Taxpayer please tell
us whether he has heard any complaints
since these streets have been 50 repaired.
If he will call upon the Burgess he viii
learn that from complaints heard from
other taxpayers 1900 feet more Of streets
can easily be found that need this same
treatment
What constitutes permanent repairs in
Taxpayers opinion. anyhow? We
would like to know whether he has any
thing new to offer that would suit the
needs and means of the town. Perhaps
be thinks that cur streets should be
paved with vitrified brick or Ligoaier
block II this is what be means a1d
wants, has he ever figured the cost of it?
In his first article he says that he has a
front of some twenty feet II such
street improvement as that were made
along his frontage, il would be under the
paving law which assesses two thirds OF
the cost npon the admitting property
owners and one third 90 the borough,
and Taxpayers share OF it. at the low
est possible figure at which good work
can be obtained, would be about si5. and
maybe $40 more Would he be willing
to pay such a sum along with his share of
general tax, and then lay good sidewalk
70 match it, as he would have TO do? We
assert without hesitation that there is no.
a 81 lewalk in town that would not have
to be torn up and relaid.
Most OF the criticism Of our present
methods Of improving the streets rests
upon the fact that some of our people
really think our streets should be paved,
and they have allowed themselves TO be
persuaded. and in turn are trying TO per-
snade others. that any Of our streets can
be paved with brick or blocks at cost of
but little. if any. more than it costs to
cover roadbed with stone ballast.
If this were a fact, then the criticism
would be well placed; but it is not a fact.
II everything is To be counted in. it could
hardly be done for ten times the cost Of
a street made with the best stone ballast
obtainable.
We have carefully looked into the cost
Of street paviag elsewhere aud at soms
time ia The near future we propose TO
tell just what srch improvements viii
really cost. 50 that our constituents will
be able 10 do lheir own figuring, and at
least know what they viii be asking for.
Our streets are subject 10 heavy haul
ing aud there are many bad places in
them, and, as before stated, about 1900
feet have been given a solid bottom this
season. That more Of this has not been
done in the only manner within our
means is certainly not the fault OF the
writer. COUNCILMAN.
Sewerage and Public Building.
It is announced that the qualified voters
Of the horooqh of SDmerset will be given