The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-01
WATER THIS TIME.
Webster Contributor Has a Few Words
to Say About the Matter.
Webster, April 80.

Webster, April 30.
Editor of The Spy
| When the water commissioners We're
first appointed it was as the outcome
of an agitation for pure water. The
water we were then using was perhaps
| perfection itself for manufacturing
purposes, but mighty poor stuff to
drink, We all rejoiced at the incoming
of the water board and right royalty
| have they been supported. Many of
us did not believe that the land they
took later from Templeman and others
was necessary, but we were content to
take the say-so of the three commits
sioners, who, although they had made
mistakes, had apparently done their
level best. The reason the land of
Templeman and others was taken we
were told was to preserve the purity of
the water. We now have the purest
and best water in the state and when
We were told it was necessary for the
preservation of the water in it's pres
ent condition that the land should be
taken, the land was taken.
Then the water commissioners went
into the electric street railway business
and the land that was taken to pre-
serve the purity of our water is now to
the public down to the land in the
vicinity of the pumping station and
the water shed there, the result of
which must be to defile our water SER
vice. 1t seems strange that land
should be taken avowedly for the pur-
pose of for all time preventing the de-
hling of the water and that now that
the water commissioners are street
railway directors they are anxious to
nd will, Of
necessary to the purity of our water
supply, for the sake of turning a few
extra dollars into the Golfers of their
street railway company. 1t is too
cold-blooded to contemplate.
Webster has tackled its water ques-
ton. 1t is a fact that almost every
town and city in the state has to have
a similar experience. Within the last
few years Worcester has had to spend
cords of money in this same direction.
There is no water too pure for the peo-
pie and our water commissioners have
no business to imperil ours
Maiden, Medford and Arlington were
dependent upon the same source for
water supply and to preserve it's purity
they found it necessary to buy the
whole of the water shed all round the
lake which contained the springs.
We are all right now. Beacon Park
is already near enough to the water
we are to drink. 1t is contrary TO the
best methods to have people congregate
In the vicinity of places of this char
acter. The erection of the watchman's
house with its necessary sink drain and
outhouses was something that never
would have been allowed had the COM
missioners been infallible. But 1 am
not criticizing or finding fault with our
actions up to now. We are all right
now. But do want to call attention to
the fact that the Webster and Dudley
Street Railway embraces some 70 stock
holders, many of them are not voters,
but many of them arc. All our local
politicians are interested in the road
and in view of the recent confession of
one of them in The Spy, the road is in
politics for its own interests. OF course
these stockholders, many of them, will
vote for the sale of the land and pos
sible contamination of our water sup
ply-it will possibly mean a few extra
dollars for their road. But it will be-
hoove every good and true citizen who
does not believe in leaving his children
a legacy to tackle, to go all over the
ground again we have lately Travelled
in the shape of a defiled water supply,
to be present at the town meeting in
force prepared to act for the town ra-
Their than the Electric Railway Com
pany.
1t is no secret that at the time the
water commissioners seized the land of
Templeman and others, one of the
commissioners was pronouncedly in IA
vor of taking all of the Templemar
land, which is practically that piece be-
tween the water commissioners little
bridge and the continuation of Lake
street not owned by the town. He was
overruled by the other two. What was
the idea of this water commissioner if
not his desire to preserve the purity CT
our water supply? Now that he Is =
street railway man, are we to under
stand that his ideas have changed and
that the water service is only second tc
electrics.
One thing is sure, the electric com
pany is in politics and unless we profit
early by the experience of other towns,
God help Webster. BY the way, this
special town meeting it is proposed to
call 1t is not matter of such moment
to the town that a special meeting iG
necessary Is the town expected to pay
$25 for the use of Music hall for the
purpose of accommodating the electric
railway people, or shall we charge It to
Firemen's hall rental account? We I'M
derstand they run Fireman's hall about
as they please, and with the election OF
their creature to the board of selectmen,
were ready for pretty nearly anything,
but isn't this sudden? Yours truly,
Mechanics Street.