Arizona republican., 1903-12-12
PHOENIX. ARIZONA, DEC. II. 1903
A 1omentous Day.

This is the day appointed for the
taxpayers of Phoenix to decide whether
they shall vote upon themselves a
bonded debt of Three Hundred Thous-
and dollars for the purpose of duplicat-
ing the system of waterworks now
under construction BY the Phoenix
Water Company.
When active agents of a doubtful
enterprise approach a business man
and urge him to mortgage his prop
erty and join them in their scheme, he
reflects carefully before he takes their
advice. A very active junta is urging
the people of this little community to
vote a great blanket mortgage upon
themselves-a mortgage which would
call for six Hundred and Seventy five
Thousand dollars out OF the pockets OF
the taxpayers.
This amount would be lessened, of
course, by the net receipts of the pro-
posed duplicate water system. But
there wouldn't be any nets receipts
from such plant when it had to di-
vide the business with another plant
And within ten years it would be nee
essary to have another bond issue to
get money for new mains throughout
the system.
Fuel at the rate of $1,000 per month,
and wages and repair bills would take
up all the receipts.
The great debt would have to be paid
by extra taxes.
For these reasons the cautious bust
ness man will be just as much opposed
to saying yes" to the bond proposition
as he would to the proposition that he
give a personal mortgage.
The bond proposition should be de-
feated by an overwhelming majority.
1t has no basis of reason under it, ana
so far as it's supporters generally are
concerned is founded on honest preju-
dice and the grQundless presumption
that the city would have a monopoly
of the business.
When it was ascertained beyond
question that the existing water sys-
tenn was to be fully reconstructed,
Nybv was rbera S,,ct, n S,,erjcio,,s b,-+o
to vote a bonded debt on the people
before the completion of that recon-
struction? Why was it impracticable
to defer bond election until next
spring?
1t was clear tc every man that if the
water company should for any reason
fail to put in a thoroughly modern and
satisfactory system. it would be the
sole loser. The people would vote for
municipal plant, regardless of the
expense and loss entailed.
Everybody knows that if the water
company were to act in bad faith with
the people on this work of reconstruc-
ton, the vote for the bonds at the next
election woul be practically unanimous.
Then why this outcry for a bond is
sue and the committal of the town to
a losing venture in the very middle Of
this reconstruction work?
What are the motives behind this
imperious demand that the taxpayers
walk up to the polls like lambs and
surrender their own convictions?
Who is to benefit from this scheme?
great majority of the people behind
it are without Interior motives, I'M
qucstionably, but what are the hidden
reasons for this determination to force
the city into an undertaking which
any citizen individually would reject
without hesitation?
There might have been forcenn
reasons for carrying the bond prop
osition, had it provided for the pur-
chase OF the present system without
graft and at its actual value. But the
call under which people must act to-
day contains no provision for anything
but the construction of a new system
by the city.
The leaders of the bond movement
admit that it is their purpose to ig-
more the present plant and install Il
duplicate system.
And it must be remembered that no
discretion is left to the council II
must issue the bonds and proceed with