The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-07-03

way to raise money for enlarging, and
| the only way provided by law, and the
/ reporter without any suggestion from.
US interviewed the mayor, the scommis
sioners get back on their dig litv and
say "breach of courtesy! We want to
say to these courteous gentlemen that
no "breach of courtesy" was intended
Now. then, as to the statement. The
only way provided by law for raising
money for enlarging the plant is to vote
additional bonds, and let the people say
what they will do. To increase the rate
is only to make the people pay addi-
| tional without their consent, for the
council cannot pay it except they get it
from the people. We do not believe the
people would vote any more bonds after
the sewerage experience. There are a
great many people who believe there
was waste Of money in the construc-
tion Of the sewerage. There are a great
many people who believe our sewerage
saystem, such as we have, cost more
than it should and more than it would if
there had been different management
Nobody believes there was a misappro-
priation or anything Of that kind, and
we do not for one moment desire to be
understood as saying anything Of the
kind. But with the belief existing as
it does we do not believe just at present
an" additional bonds would have been
voted. The belief may be entirely erro-
neous but it does exist and that is one
reason we suggested some time ago the
advisability of publishing a statement
Of receipts and disbursements and why
we criticized the unsigned statement
printed some time ago. 1t gave no in
formation.
| We had something to do with putting
in water and lights. We had something
to do with voting bonds for sewerage.
We took the petition around and got the
people to sign it and the statement was
made in good faith that the amount
asked for would put in sewerage over
the city though it did not include Mol
lohon mill That statement was based
on an estimate made by Mr.. Davis, the
engineer who built the water works..
His plan showed covering more Of the
city than our present system and com
templated emptyng into Bush river and
was to cost only $4,000. We voted
$25, 600 and have only small portion of
the city severed and it empty into
Scott's Creek.
We state this as a reason why we dc
not believe any more bonds would have
been issued and the commissioners
have done the only thing left open tc
them-make the people raise the
money whether they want to or not.
The part that comes out of the town all
the people will help to pay. The part
that comes from individual consumers
will have to help furnish additional fire
protection for those who do not use the
water and lights. That we suppose
they will do without much kicking be-
cause they cant help themselves.
a 600. 900 gallon reservoir may give
additional fire protection, but as the
water for fire protection comes through
the same pipes that furnish the drinking
water will it not give us stale water fol
drinking purposes? That is matter
we should consider. for heaven knows
there is a suflicicncy Of stale water
around this system now. This is moi
meant as discourtcsy but is asked in
the interest Of public health and public
comfort.
During the six years we have had the
system we have handled successfully
every fire save one and that one coult
have been handled, we have been told
If the whole force of the water direc
from the pump had been put into the
mains, instead of continuing the STREAM
into the regular channels. We have tn.
statement from an officer of the fire
department that phone message wa.
sent to the superintendent at the power
house asking him to make the change
SO that the company could get the great
est force. Nothing was done and ;
message was sent to the power house
and still nothing was done. The stream
had no force and the fire consumed the
building. On previous occasions wher
the change was made and the Who'll,
| lofce gwen, tTt company had no trouble
whatever in hanc - fires.
We may be somewhat of crank OF
the subject Of drinking water but W,
have had number of cases of fever ir
families which used this water exchl
sivcly, and it is used for drinking ever,
day, and while fire protection is impor
tant it is not as important as health.
We regret that the commissioners
! have taken anything we have said o.
published as a discourtesy because il
had only the best interest Of this com
liunity in view and have not intended
!, to be personal, but as an humble mem
, ber Of the public of this community W,
fGGl thnt hauG q liuht q rl,nnL u.,.