Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-30
THE WATER sUESTION.
Weili Known BusinessNsn Takes Up
 Cuddel for Factories an Trolley.

Editor Evening Democrats:
 Dear Slr: In reading tn, article ont trolley extension in your las evenings paper, 1 don't think that tl thinr iss put In fair light. I mean thsreferencei TO the merchants and tht Statement mat they think the factoris. ought to Set city water free of chs,o. do not believe there is single prson in Waterbury who thinks sucht, thing. and l also believe our factoIes want I to pay for what they get justa, muca3a as any other. citizen does. }1t. fhei policy Of asking a factory or nyonoi else to pay for what they donfa1se -si wrong. What the factories objrt tos paying for, l understand, is fo1 the water which they do not use iii heir stand pipes and automatic fire e1fn- gulslers. This tax is too short sigled for city that is as up to date as fa- terbury is. Suppose the factories wre to do away with these fire-fgftag methods. There are several instanes i'll recent years where the entire plafs of some of our mills here would ha4 been totally destroyed were it not fr the energetic little automatic sprinkies mat immediately put the fire out. Mt even a fire alarm sounded. Had tn spr1nklers not been there the fire de partment in wear and tear on its aps paratus would have been put 10 an exj pense of hun lieds of dollars. Untold quantities of the city water would have been used, sad not a cent of revenue to the city for it either Hundreds of people would have been. thrown out of work until new plants could be re- built. The city would have lost the taxes on the property for while any-l way and perhaps gome other enterprise ing efty would have offered better in, 2, ducements to locate elsewhere, causing our city permanent Joss of untold value.
 With lots of the automatic sprinkler systems and the stand pipes convenient for Use, the city of Waterbury mas an auxiliary fire department that is ever ready the second the fire nigh. break out and many and many a tine the fire department never hears of the fires that have been extinguiaaed in this manner. s
 Waterbury recently had the largest fire in the history of the state. Had there been good sprinkler system at work it never could have happened. We all know there was nothing Of the kind at the start. and the plant of the Waterbury American was saved by, one little sprinkler that fought back the flames every time they took a frGh hold. Waterbury lost more throusll taxable property destroyed than a tax on sprinklers would amount to in al indefinite number of years. I'm sprinkler and stand pipe tax was never charged and I think I am right when Il say that ill nearly two million dollars worth of new buildings and merchang io.<. has been only two stand pipes put in, to fight fire with one in the Meigs bui1dS ing and the other ill the Boston furnf- ture store and maybe one in the new American building. Had the taxes on sprinklers and stand pipes been re- moved believe every new building. in Waterbury would have been well sup piled. Waterbury is in shape to go through another big fire as far as in- stantaneous protection is concerneE I hope that the Democrat really do not think that these taxes are just. know I voice the sentiment of a great many people when say that We ought to have all these auxiliary fire depart mentg possible and that instead of tax ing them We ought to foster them and encourage them.
 Tn reference to the trolley extension let's bury the past and If the trolley company wants to branch out and give us better service, let's meet them good half way and treat them asS we would like to be treated were we in their place. Let's have for our watch word Progress" and every individual take up the word. for it will mean larger development, more employment for Waterbury people, more enjoyment for those who live here and all of us proud to. say, Waterbury is the best town on earth"
 Respectfully.
 R. WILLIAM HAMPSON. <