Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-08-04
Slippery Rocks New Water
Works.

There seems TO be a number or opln-
ions about bonding the town for the
erection Of new water works and the
following statements are given to call
to mind some facts concerning this, be-
fore the vote is taken:
What does this town most need,
water or sewerage2 Almost any intel
ligent person, after moments Thought
would say, sewerage. This would GER
tainly be so if they would go through
some of the alleys of this town or go
near some of the foul smelling ditch
drains where everything is drained
into the street. We have more water
now than we can dispose of. 1t will
take every cent the town can raise to
put in new water system. Then,
when will the town get sewer? Not
until the bonds for the water are paid
off, and in town in which only about
one hundred families would take water
even if they supplied it to all who are
at present taking it (Which they will
not.) / am afraid the youngest person
living in town now will not live to see
a sewer here.
Who will pay the interest on these
bonds? Every tax payer. whether he
uses the water or not. We hear it said
than at present There can be no
grounds for such a belief as the council
has not said what they will furnish it
for. SO all talk is only a guess. The
present rates are one dollar per month
for hot ana cold water all through the
house, a closet, bath and lavatory The
same in Butler costs sixteen dollars per
year. Others say that Slippery Rock
can afford town water supply as well
as Grove City. Grove City is at least
four times as large but the expense of
running the two plants will be pratical-
ly the same. Four hundred families
may be supplied with water for nearly
the same as one hundred. The reason
is plain-one man and one pump can do
either Again, Grove City furnishes
water for the railroad. and for this the
town receives more money than the
water rents of Slippery Rock will ever
amount to. People say that insurance
rates will be lowered. This may be true
if we have an organized fire company.
But suppose the rates are lowered one
fifth, how much difference will that
make to nine tenths of the people in
town My house at present costs two
and one-half dollars to insure it for one
thousand dollars. With an organized
fire company it would probably be two
dollars. Fifty cents year saved by
paving three or four times that much
tax on bonds. OF course the four or
five stores that pay heavy premiums
would be benefited and if the majority
of citizens of this borough wish to pay
several hundred dollars interest on
bonds each year in order to lessen the
fire insurance rates of five or six of the
citizens | can stand it, and | can also
stand the filthy cutters and other un-
pleasant results Of the lack of drainage.
But there is still another view to be
taken and it is-the most serious to he
considered. The council by a former
action granted Mr.. McGonegal the
right way by an agreement to sup
ply this town with water for domestic
use, He has performed his part of the
contract and If the town goes ahead
without some understanding tie courts
will have to decide whether the borough
will have to fulfill its part. When MIR
Patterson drilled a well on Patterson
Heights. he had great difficulty in find
ing any one to take it Every one said
it could never pay, in town of this size
The first year not more than hve
families took water. The next year
there were five or six more. but for
long time he had only twenty-five or
thirty families This did not pay ex-
penses and even now there are only
about one hundred houses connected
with the line, but some of the more sell
fish ones gay that if it is going to pay
the town should take charge of it and
so they have brought it up in connec-
tion with sewers (Which every one
wants. and have proceeded to take a
trial vote being careful not to give the
citizens chance to vote on water and
sewerage separately. 1t was asked. DO
you want water and sewerage2 The
vote had to be simply yes or no.
Now vote is to be taken on bonding
the town for water alone Sewers are
left out altogether and IL the people
ever expect to ever have a sewer they
will have to vote down the water bonds.
Some women who own property in town
remarked recently that they were m
able TO find ont much about what was
being done but if they had vote they
would not vote for the privilege of pay
ing dollars of interest on bonds so that
they might get their insurance few
cents cheaper when S9wers are needed
so badly The town might i.aye had
large line in before had there been any
effort made to have it done but the
council has never made any mention of
the subject to the owner OF the present
water works. / know whereof | speak
in this matter for ! have made inquiry.
A CITIZEN.
CI;,,ar,v Docl Do AnCuat 4 1904