The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-11


Water Supply - Says Municipal
Water for Carbondale Is Certain.
The municipal water project was dis
cussed anew last night, when John j.
TIarte, of Scranton, delivered u talk of
over an hour in the Academy of Music
under the auspices of the Municipal
Ownership league.
The attendance was probably the
largest since the formation of the
league, and the gathering was stirred
by greater enthusiasm than any of the
preceding meetings. About q half hum
dred persons, some of whom were not
members of the league, made up the as
semblage.
Mr.. Harte said that the question of
municipal ownership of water was not
new, it was not experimental, but was
an old question and fact in nearly every
large city in this country and Europe.
tle affected great surprise ut the sug
gcstion that it was a new proposition,
and said it was his opinion that it was
nothing short of criminal on the. part
of any community to give to any pri-
vate corporation, actuated by self in
terest, those rights of citizens that give
them the authority to own and control
the supply of water, a necessity vital
as the air we breathe. Scranton, he
continued. was the only city of it's size
in the country which had never at
tempted municipal control of anything.
Philadelphia, he claimed, was the only
city where the municipal control that
was aimed at was lost. This was the
IL
ed by the actions of the hrelings of
councilmen who betrayed their constit-
uents.
Scranton Mr.. Harte went on to say
''is getting 'the same kind of a dose
as Carbondale.' There the consumers
are paying eight dollars per hydrant,
the same as charged by the Consoli-
dated Water company. This latest
move of the Scranton Gas and Water
company, through it's president, w. w.
Scranton, has raised howl of indgna-
ton, and from the least unexpected
quarter. Even the 'aristocratic board
of trade he said, was on it's mettle,
and now the interest and agitation is
directed TO municipal water supply, q
matter which should have been taken
hold of years ago. III this connection,
Alr. Hart said he would like to point
out that this agitation or interest on
the part of the Scranton board of trade
towards q free water supply, was the
direct result of the imposition of Il tax
on the receipts of the corporations Of
scranton. When councils imposed this
tax, President Scranton, of the Gas and
Water company, retaliated by increas-
ing the water rates 80 1-3 per cent. This
actlon aroused the people, the board of
trade passing the most stirring resolu-
tions on the question of municipal own
ership of water. This move on the
part of the citizens, Mr. Harte claimed,
was due to the fact of the imposition
OF a tax TO which the city was long
ago entitled, but which had been ne
elected.
Mr.. Harte discussed the advantages
of a municipal water supply from a
financial standpoint. incidentally laving
stress on the sanitary standpoint as
suggested by Bishop Hobun, of Scran-
ton, in the debate before the Economic
league. He gave it as his opinion that
municipal water for Carbondale was a
certainty, basing this opinion on the
decision of Judge Hulsey. He also de-
solidated company's plant could be an
praised and purchased ut II cost that
would be comparatively nothing. The
dividends now paid by the Consolidated
company, $4,000 annually, he said,
would pay for the plant in three Years,
Respecting the reason for supporting
the Independent candidate for mavor.
l., A. Roberts, as opposed to the other
candidates, Mr. -Harte said it was nee
essary to continue the fight, no matter
when municipal water would be an es-
tablished certainty, and that it would
require an avowed representative of
municipal water, one whosstood on that
platform alone, to fill the office 'or
mayor one, according to his opinion,
VINO would be alive to the interests of
the project. For these reasons he asked
that the Independent candidate be sun
ported, also because it has never been
the history of either the Republican or
Democratic party that one or the other
ever stood on II platform that was
squarely for municipal control of any
thing.