The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-21

act, nor the compliance with it's pro-
vision by the city of Worcester, shall
be construed as an estoppel or waiver
of any claims that the city might
otherwise legally or equitably make
upon the commonwealth for com
pensation or relief, or assistance,
because of injury suffered or of benefit
directly or indirectly conferred by said
city upon the commonwealth resulting
from the action hereby required"
Mr.. Bates then called the attention of
his hearers to what has been done by
the commonwealth in the construction
of metropolitan parks and water works
and metropolitan sewers for other por-
lions Of the state than Worcester, for
which Worcester has contributed in
taxation. OF the metropolitan water
system he said:
And what has Worcester county or
the city Of Worcester to say or do
about It?
''Out Of the area of 11S square miles
fin Worcester county, in the nnetropoli-
tan water shed, 61s square miles are to
be flooded and forever submerged IN
der water.
Churches, school houses, factories,
stores, dwelling houses and homes are
TO be destroyed, and the territory they
now occupy viii be taken out of the
taxable property of the county; no
further manufacturing plants or kim
dred improvements will ever be per-
mitted to be constructed on any part
of the 118 square miles Of water shed,
included in the basin of this great met
Topolitan water system, except by con-
sent Of the metropolitan water board.
All this territory win hereafter be COM
paratively valueless to Worcester coun-
Sy, for the purposes of development
and taxation to aid and support our
county institutions.
Not only are 61a square miles of the
territory of Worcester county submerg-
ed, but there is to be erected a dam
one hundred and twenty-five feet high
TO hold back sixty-three thousand mil
lion gallons Of water, under great pres
sure-the high water level in the pro-
posed Clinton reservoir being 1856 feet
above high water at BostOn-and no
matter how well the engineering and
construction of this mammoth dam,
the great and threatening menace will
hang over the 1000 inhabitants of the
thrifty city of Clinton, who will live
directly under source of constant
dread and fear that the dam may at
any time give way, and the mad rush
of the torrent of water may destroy
everything in its path.
LAW UNTO THEMSELVES.
Not even our county commissioners
can raise any protest or have any voice
sn regard to the manner Of construct
ing this great work No manufacturer
dn Worcester county can build even a
small mill dam, without the consent
and approval Of the county commits
sioners, but a dam 125 feet high, hold
ing back thousands Of millions of cubic
feet OF water, can be built overhanging
one Of our most thrifty and prosperous
.tf 81
county, not even the county commits
sioners, nor the member of the gov
ernor's council from Worcester coun-
", can say a word about how this
most important work shall be done to
insure permanency and safety.
IF the cities and towns named in the
metropolitan water district wanted
such rights and privileges In Worcester
county, why did not the representa-
tives and senators from the city of
Worcester insist that before these ex-
ceedingly valuable rights and privi-
1eges were granted to these eastern ci-
ties and towns. just and equitable re-
endorsement for wrongs long since
committed by their representatives and
senators in the legislature against the
city Of Worcester and the towns in the
Blackstone valley, in connection with
the cost to our tax payers Of the city's
experimental treatment or disposal Of
its sewage. as per the provisions Of
chapter 831. acts Of 1856. This act was
in compliance with a recommendation
to the legislature by the state board Of
health. and the great metropolitan wa
ter board is a commission proposed and
recommended by the state board OF
health, and they know all about
Worcester's claims for reimbursement
Of the immense amount Of money paid
out by the city IN an endeav0r to obey
the orders OF the general court Of Mas
aachuHetts*