Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-04-14
THE OTHER SIDE
Continued from First Page.)

them. Now candidly friends, as a
business proposition, does it not seem
more reasonable that we should first
make arrangements to pay our pres
ent Indebtedness, and even pay it,
before taking on additional obliga.
tions, and especially such as will be
a burden on us and our children for
the next quarter of century as now
contemplated?
Referring to the article of Mr..
Bowers in the journal" of last week,
wherein he questions the correctness
OF my claim, that after water works
are constructed they must be self.
sustaining, &c, and by way of reply
thereto, | can only say | was led to
such conclusion by the reading of the
following statutes:
See Municipal Code, pages 1901
and z:
Sec. 2411. r. S.-"For the purpose
of paying the expenses of conducting
and managing the water works, the
trustees or board shall have the
power to assess and collect from time
to time water rent of sufficient
amount in such manner as they may
deem most equitable, upon all tene.
ments amd premises supplied with
water, &C.
Sec. 2412, r. S.-"If there is any
surplus after paying the expenses of
conducting and maintaining the water
works, the same may be applied to
repairs *the payment of the
interest of any loan made for their
construction and the amount
authorized to be levied and assessed
for water works purposes shall be
applied by the council, to the crea-
ton of a sinking fund for the payment
of the Indebtedness incurred for the
construction and extension of water
works, and for no other purpose what
ever"
Sec. 2429. R. S.-"For the purpose
of paying the interest on the money
borrowed for the erection and compile
ton of water works during the erec.
fore they shall have been put in oper-
alton, a tax of sufficient amount shall
be assessed and collected ="
Sec. 2430, r. S.-"For the purpose
of paying the interest on any loan,
which any city or village may here
tofore have made, or may hereafter
make for the erection or extension
of water works, and after they shall
have been put in operation, and for
the building of machinery, a tax of
sufficient amount may be assessed
= y"
1t would seem from the reading of
the foregoing sections that the law
makers had taken more than ordin-
airy pains to provide and require that
the plant must sustain itself or close
business. They make no provision
for the collection of a tax to pay the
operating expenses, but they have
provided by said section 2411. from
what source the trustees or boards
shall realize funds with which to pay
them. and they have provided further
by section 2417 R. S. that the trus-
tees or board shall make no charge
! for supplying water for eXtinguishing
fires, and for many other purposes.
Now, friends, if after giving the
matter such consideration as you
think it's Importance demands, you
come to the conclusion that under all
the surrounding circumstances, your
| interests and the best interests of
our village require the erection of
water works at this time, you will
vote accordingly, but if on the other
hand, knowing this is not the only op-
portunity we can have to vote on the
question, and that by deferring action
on the matter for a few years until
we shall have reduced our present
| indebtedness within reasonable lin
it's, and thereby saving to the tax
payers the payment of large and
entirely unnecessary amount of addi-
tional interest in the meantime, it
seems to me our better judgment
should dictate that we vote against
the proposition.
| d K. IIENBECK.