The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-01-05
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
Shall the Borough Have a Sewer
System.
A PRIVATE FRANCHISE BEING
SOUGHT.
Other and Better Methods Pointed Out, Along
With Suggestion That if They Are
Not Adopted Private Franchise May
be Granted, After it is Once Seen That
This is the Only Way That Sewer
System Can be Secured.
EDITOR HERALD:-

EDITOR HERALD
The two great needs Of Somerset in the
way of public improvement are a good
sewer system and cleaner aud better
streets; and, of the two, the sewer system
is the most needed.
In most parts of the town about the on
ly outlet there is for the waste and filth
that gathers on the lots of the people, is
in the cutters and water tables of the
public streets. There is no other source,
and their appearance here is a source of
continual complaint and annoyance to
the municipal officers; and the time must
come when there must and will be
change. Why not have it now?
Then occurs the question: How may so
desirable an improvement be brought
about? Well, there are several ways;
one would be for the municipality to con-
struct a sewer system that will meet all
the requirements of the situation. But
to do so out Of the ordinary surplus rev.
enues of the borough as these would per-
NIT would be slow work, and it would
take years of time to accomplish it. To
do it at once the borough would have to
make a new issue of bonds i'm order TO Sc
cure the means 10 make the improve
ment. This means increased taxation.
There remain still one or more other
resources. There is a law under which,
if majority of the property owners
along a street will file petition to the
town council to do so, they, ttown coun-
cil) may proceed TO construct the sewer
and assess the cost thereof on abutting
property Owners-on the nOn-signers as
well as the signers.
This would shin the burden of pay
ment on the parties who are to reap the
direct benefit of the improvement, and
certainly is tre most equitable and just
way of procedure, aud is the plan that
should be adopted. The cost would not
be so great as many would suppose. 1t
is not at all likely that it would exceed
sixty-five cents a foot, perhaps not over
fifty cents a foot of any ones lot frontage.
The work once done in this way, the
municipality would have TO keep il in re-
pair.
The property owner would have a way
for dispOsing Of his waste without its be-
ing a nuisance either to himself or his |
neighbor, aud need give himself no
further concern. But it does look as
though a great many property holders
are not disposed to take this view of the
matter, as it would be to their interest to
do 50, certainly. Several attempts have
l,o,,, ,,,a.Ra 20 .aor,r. tho ,,a.aso.r,- ,,,r,,
ber of signers along certain streets to
have sewers constructed under this law,
but each time it has ended in failure.
The people who so far have held back
will do well TO reconsider this matter
Then there remains yet one other way
of obtaining this greatly needed improve
ment. That would be by granting a
franchise to private individual or cor
poration, who would construct the sewer
and collect an annual tax or license fee
from every one who might wish to use it {
as a means of disposing of the waste and
garbage accumulating on his premises.
As this would bJ an undertaking for
gain, it would be conducted on business |
principles, and the rates for usage would /
be high enough 10 earn interest and keep /
it in repair as well as some profit in ad- |
dition.
We are in a position to say that there
are parties who, seeing the possibilities
such an investment of capital being made
a paying one, are even now seeking for !
and privileges of this sort. !
To this some will answer, LET them |
build their sewers if they wish to do so
those who want to make use of them can 1
do so and pay them for such privilege.
We are not in it." 1t remains to be seen |
such parties may not be in it be-
fore they are done with it.
1t is admitted that we know of no law
under which property owners could be
directly made to connect with such sewer
lines; that is, compelled to do
seekers of these franchises are shrewd
enough to see, that once the sewers are
the people may have to con
meet their premises with them, whether
they desire to do SO or not.
The ordinances and regulations relat-
ing to nuisanees are not enforced just
now as they ought TO be and would be it
here were any outlets within reach. Il
IS only when these thinss have become
and are seen to be so, that
any serious effort is made to abate these
nuisances; for the municipal officers also
see that in many cases people can not
help themselves, even if they desired to
remove the cause of complaint. But let
outlets once be provided for all the waste
1f property, and should complaint he
made thereof to the board of health,
hings will be different in this line.
These officials will not hesitate to order
the abatement of nuisances that are now