The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-08-18
COUNCIL SESSION.
CONTINUED from First PagoJ

families-25 cents month, but when you
take into consideration the additional five
mills tax. the saving to the taxpayer is not so
apparent. The man who owns "roOkeres"
and tenement houses has a bonanza, while
the laboring man who has only his own little
home pays the fiddler and, fortunately, or
unfortunately, the latter are in the great
majority Say the laboring mans house is
assessed at 81 900. He pays yearly water
rent OF 81 and, in addition thereto, a water
tax of five mills, s., making his total water
tax SS. Previous TO the establishment of the
borough plant he only paid 50. He, therefore,
is the loser.
Now look at a different picture. As an
illustration, man owns a block Of twenty
tenement houses which are now assessed at
$1,000. For these he pays for each of the
twenty families a water tax of only 10 cents,
and a water rent of 50, or q total of S310
The taxpayers can drawn their own con
Cluson.
The members of Council, and especially the
taxpayers Of the borough should give these
matters their serious attention. That the
plant at present is not self-sustaining is fully
proven. The remedy should be derived from
the people who vested the authority to erect
the plant in the hands of Council.
That we need an additional supply of water
is beyond dispute. Many propositions are
presented and discussed, but nothing tangible
has as yet resulted. The people, fortunately
are in position to dictate terms, and will
never again he ''at the mercy of the grasping
proclivity of cOrporation," if members of
! Council are faithful TO their trust
Among the propositions is one to lease the
plant for period of ten years, at a yearly
rental of say 81, 900, with bond to main
tain the present rates, with the privilege of
increasing the family rate to 90 cents month.
At the end of that period the total borough
| Indebtedness would he wiped out with the
to hOrOuph
and no extortionate rates from the people as
a result.
Others favor the purchasing of the old
water company plant at say 500, 900, in yearly
payments of $4,000 The argument is used
that in ten years it would be paid for, and
the borough would have no competitor The
revenue derived from that source in dupli-
cate, would equal the yearly payments. Be-
sides, it would only be necessary to run the
pumps, at the highest, two months in the
year, thus saving in coal, freight, hauling,
engineers and firemen's salaries and in
cidentals, about $4,000 each year. Then,
again, 1t is claimed the borough could not
build dams, holding the same capacity, foI
| 500. .000
Still another proposition is TO build storage
| near the present reservoir at BrandOnville.
Council has already fully discussed this,
which resulted in an Indignation meeting by
the taxpayers who objected to further ex-
penditure along these lines such as was
proposed at that time.
We submit these various propositions, with
a true and exact condition of affairs as they
exist in this department. without recon-
mendatOns on our part. With a view to al
improvement in this department. and a relie
| to the already burdened taxpayers, we would
urge upon Councilmen as well as the people
| generally, to give these matters their seriou,
consideration. Whatever action Council
deems advisable as a relief, should first b'
submitted to vote of the people for a fna
decision Respectfully submitted,
| G. T. STRAUGHN,
j. P. BoEHM.
After the paper was read Mr.. Tracey sai(
the report was a good one and, had it beer
presented at the meeting of the water com
mittee last Monday night, he would hav
signed it. Mr.. Straughn replied that a pT
vate engagement prevented him from at
tending the meeting.
Mr.. James moved that the report be &C
cepted and filed, and the motion was oarriet
unanimously.
An invitation to participate in the Soldiers
Monument picnic and peace jubilee oil
Labor Day was accepted with the under
standing that Council participate in a body.