Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-03-31

water or not; those who use water will have
water rentals to pay in addition to the mort
gage bond tax and should water rentals be
reduced under municipal ownership the rev.
enue would be proportionately reduced and
the taxpayer would have the difference to
pay by taxation, whether he used water or
not. The debt would haye to be paid some
time. You can not pay debt with prom
lses and then say as an excuse your calcula-
ton did not hold out.
The unjust "bil" introduced in the Legs
lature provides for this increased. taxation;
read for yourself Section of this bill which
says, "that in case the proceeds from said
water service shall at any time be estimated
to be insufficient for the payment OF the in
terest on the bonds aforesaid, as well as the
amount to he placed in the sinking fund for
the redemption of said bonds at their NATL
rity, the estimated deficiency in said interest
and sinking fund shall be assessed pro ratu
against all the taxable property ao'th'n the tao
able limits Of said toaon according to its assess
ed valuation, including all improvements
(now listen what it further says,) "sasa tao
to be in addition to tho tao already authorized
By lao and shall be known as Water Bond
7ar and shall be levied and collected as other
taxes against such property"
Now that is what the bill says (see copy Of
same in CLARION Of March 10th) The poor
deluded stuffed prophet and interpreter of
the golden rule says to the people of Thur
mont it is not true; that taxes can not be in.
creased and that the article in last weeks
CLARION was all "absurd" and intended ito
scare" He takes il for granted the good peo
pe of Thurmont are too ignorant to read
and will take his wilIful or ignorant misstatc-
ments without Investigation.
The absurdity of his statements concern
ing the Emmitsburg Water Company rates
Is too apparent to write about. Is 1t not
true that the worth of any plant is the net
return or profits you derive from 1t let the
cost be what 1t may; If the property is there
and you get good returns does that not es-
tablish its valuep He admits we are lower
here in water rates, but he says Emm'sburg
cost 100000 whilst ours cost only $4,000
and consequently our rates are much too
II.
the Emmtsburg Water Company and they
have acquired valuable paying property out
side of the water works which they have
pad out of their earnings; their income is
much greater than ours and their dividends
also much larger. The absurdty of saying
! we nav more for water here than Emmits-
burg because theirs cost them more can be
! illustrated in the purchase Of any mcrchan.
disc. If you bought suit of clothes from
| your merchant al q lower price because he
was fortunate in getting it Mt half price,
would YOU feel wronged because you did not
| nav more to another merchant who paid a
| higher price than the first merchant for the
same suit? Is not the water IN Thurmont as
good as in Emmitsburg? We boast we have
the best on earth.
Now, how would it work If the corpora
| ton owned the water works and cut their
rates according to the statement of the writer
| in last weeks CLARION! Where would the
sufficient revenue come from to pay the in
terest on the bonds and the bonds them
selves? Out of his great imagination, |
suppose. and he might say sometimes, VI
| did not lie about this thing, but my calcula.
tons did not hold out" Why it is simple
| for any one knows that there is where that
"Mortgage' Water Bond Tar' anouH come IN
or in other words make "aN the taxpayers pay
for the ESTIMATED deficiency" Make all the
taxable property pay for this deficiency ana
"in addition to the tar already authorized 6y
lao and shall be knoun as the Water Bond
| Tar"
This would.be prophet, Judge, fnancer
snd eXpounder OF the golden rule, can and
does know that the writer Of this and the
| preceding artc.h is a citizen, taxpayer and
a stakeholder in the Water Company. do
not know or care what he is, but to show
how far he comes from stating the truth in
his article, will refer you TO his statement
that the Water Company has paid per cent
| dividends for the pas, ten years |. has paid
| per cent all the time, excepting the last
three years, 7 per cent. His statement of
the surplus of the company is also incorrect
and shady" He arroCates to himself the
right Of naming price for the Water Com
| pany and must confess that | am totally
unable to tay what 80 shareholders would
| value their stock at-they are the owners.
can say, however, that do know what
some individuals sold theirs tor and | can
also state that the threats, CLUB methods
and misrepresentation will not prove 3 fac
tor with them to part from their holdings
which they have honestly acquired and
which no law can take away from them
Compare taxes in the following towns
owning Water Works with those who do
| not:
Middletown owns Water Works, lax rate,
40 cents.
| Frederick owns Water Works, tax rate, 81
| Hagerstown is Stock Company. tax rate,
80 cents.
Thurmont is Stock Company, tax rate,
30 cents.
Emm,sburg is a Stock Company, tax rate
% cents.
To conclude, will say will enter INTO no
further discussion on the subject. The bill
introduced in the Legislature speaks for it.
self and all can Judge if they read it as TO the
merits or dement's OF the same. The authors
of it 40 doubt feel happy il knowing it was
an attempt to njure the tom AMI especially
some individuals and that their attempt fail
ed
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