St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-11-01
THE WATER SITUATION.
How a Small Taxpayer Views the
Questi0n.


Question.
Editor OF the CALIFORNIAN: - a
The attitude of some of our voters on
the water question is rather hard to
understand.
St. Johnsbury has two systems OF
water supply: One of these systems, the
river supply, known by all to be source
of contamination and menace to the
health OF our townspeople, to that degree
that the system has been condemned by
the State Board OF Health, is still upheld
by some of our voters as fit source OF
supply; while the other system, the
Aqueduct system, which is pronounced
by the best experts of the country to be
an excellent water TOR all domestic pur-
poses, flowing from one of Natures
natural reservoirs, fed by innumerable
springs, entirely free from anything OF
contaminating nature, never condemned
by any expert, is practically condemned
by some of the same people that uphold
the officially condemned system.
Now when such condition as this ex-
lists, it is obvious that something more
than the condition of the water influences
some of our voters. We are altogether
too small community and suffer tax
already too high to let prejudice influence
our voting to our own detriment. Inc
facts are, notwithstanding the prejudi-
cial statements made by some, that we
have usually, an excellent water supply.
The water from Stiles Pond has always
been regarded by those who know about
and have to do with many of the water
supplies of New England, as one OF the
very best. This water has always, bar
ring a comparatively few months, been
considered and analytically proven to be
practically pure, soft, wholesome.
Within a comparatively few months
New England has had many off its water
sources either entirely cut off or threat
ened. Springs, said to be never-tailing
have failed to give forth their usual flow
OF water; many and many have ceased
, to flow. Many rivers, ponds, and even
lakes of great size have refused to I'll
their banks to the usual levels. Natur
] allv, during his period when Nature re
fuses to give to these ponds and lakes
the usual supply from thefeeding springs
: something OF the nature of that which
: has, undoubtedly temporarily developed
e in manX water supplies, would assert
itself. It has not been of a contaminat
ing nature and the supply has not beer
n cut off; let us be thankful for that. Car
q we not afford to wait little, as many
y Others are doing. and see whether Natur'
is to cut off or affect our water supply
e bv diminishing the flow from the feeding
IS springs or restore to them their usua
Is abundance. Present conditions certainl,
= point to a restoration of usual norma
conditions. l, for one. believe that thi
'e condition which we have experienced vii
soon be a matter OF history, that W
a shall look back and recall the time whel
y the water supplies all over New Englan
'l were threatened, and temporarily affect
S. ed.
,e Let us not vote to increase our take
a unwisely. st. Johnsbury must hav
another system of water supply, let u
D. at least consider place and water
comparative purity, and not spen
-, money to extract what purity remalr
- in contaminated. condemned stream.
ne ONE OF THE SMALLER TAXPAYERS