Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-26

The people of Waterbury have some very important things to consider and pass upon during the next couple of weeks. Leaving aside the national election, there is the matter of peti- tioning the legislature for authority to issue $2OQOO0 worth of paving bonds. This idea is not new, but some of the aldermen who spoke on it talked as if they understood that the paving of the streets would reduce the items known in the annual appropria- tions as repairs and maintenance" This is not so. 1t costs as much and probably more to maintain a paved street as to care for a dirt road. One might not think so, but 1t has been proved time and again by actual de- monstration, so that the only benefit to be derived from the permanent inn provenent would be in the condition { of the streets, which would be far su- perfor to anything you can have in that line by any other plan, no matter [ what you spend. This, of course, is { the end in view and the officials are < not trying to deceive anybody by stat ing that the bond issue would make
 the burden of taxation lighter in any quarter. If the bonds should be or
 deTed Waterbury will have better ! streets, but the public will have to pay
 handsomely for them, even though some of the expense may be staved off
 long enough to compel the next gener-
 ation to shoulder portion of it. It.
 may not be necessary to add, but it
 cannot do any harm, that supposing
 the city gets the bonds. people will
 have to pay for paving as usual. These things are mentioned in order that ev- l erybody may be fully informed and go | +<,<
 subject with a full knowledge of the facts. So far 1t would seem from
 what one can pick up about town that public sentiment is i'll favor of the proposition, but it wouldn't be safe to l say much in that direction until after l Friday night
 Then we have the water question. l The cost of metering the whole city will not be far short of $1OO,OOO with a big annual outlay for inspection and l maintenance. Enough has already
 been said about the water in the .col-
 umns of the Democrat to convey a l pretty fair idea of the magnitude of the question and if the public fails to I give it the attention it deserves they
 cannot say that an effort was not I made at this office to put them wise in I time. While this matter is not men 4 tioned in the public hearing for next Friday night, it would not be bad l idea for the chairman to ask those l who may be present what they think l of the question of meters and if they,
 deem a revision of the water rates ad-
 visable and anything else in that line l which the aldermen and the depart ment of public works might like to get an expression of opinion on from 1 the taxpayers.
 A T I1-z -.yY v y l..
 well to bear in mind that the matter
 of sewage disposal will soon have to he met, whether people like it or not. Nobody knows what this will cost,
 but it is safe to predict that it will not be less than half million dollars l with an annual expense of S25,0O0 or l $3O,0OO. This and the other matters referred to make the principal items 4 of expense which Waterbury is now 'I Interested in. but they are by no means all The cost of maintaining
 the schools is constantly crawling up-
 ward, the fire and police departments need reinforcement which will have to be provided. It is possible to econ omize on street making without in flicting serious hardship upon the com munity, but it is different with educa- I tional facilities, police and fire protec- ton. These departments have to be kept up to date, no matter where the sinews of war come from, and the l opinion appears to be general that the .L expense of maintaining the mlunicipalf- Hty, with the exception of permanent l street making and providing water and meters, should be met by direct 1 taxation, so that when everything is taken into consideration it will be seen I that the situation is serious, especially
 for owners of ratable property, and re- I quires the unbiased judgment of every l thoughtful person in the whole city to I get the best possible results and do it
 in way that will put proportionate l burdens on all It Is not time to rail l at public officials and charge them \ with extravagance. What is wanted 1! is wise counsel from men who are fa-
 miliar with the needs of the time and
 who also know something about the
 ability of the common people to pay
 tax bills. Nobody is anxious to have his rate bills increased, but 1t should
 be remembered that while a small
 share of the people have means suffi-
 cient to enable them to pay higher rates, even though they might not like j to do so, it is different with the great
 mass of citizens and the greatest care
 should be exercised not to do any |
 modest holdings to the wall, or deter 1 working people from aiming to be-
 come their own landlords. It is not at
 all likely that this is the intention of
 the present administration, but in their zeal to do good there is danger
 of striking a gait which people of very
 limited means could not keep pace
 with, and if that should happen Water
 bury would quickly degenerate into
 what is commonly known as "dead
 town.' The. cost of living is so high
 at the present. time that many find it
 an uphill job to make ends meet with
 out putting anything by for the rainy day, and one need not be much of
 seer to conclude that it would be
 much better to own a home abutting
 on dirt road than occupy a tenement
 at an outrageously high figure front
 ing on a street paved with asphalt or | vitrified brick.
 i One of the largest real estate own