Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-04-21
AGAINST WATER WORKS
D. K. HoIlenbeck Continues his 0p-
position oWater Works.
To the Taxpayers and Residents Of
Perrysburg, Ohio:


in our village intending to vote on
the water works question at the elec-
ton to be held on Saturday next, has
by this time determined in his own
mind, as to how he will vote, yet in
view of the effect the result may have =
for good or otherwise on the future
condition of our village and the pros
perity of our citizens, | feel con.
strained to say parting word even
though as q matter of fact 1t NAV be
entirely unnecessary.
l wish in few words to question
the claims of the Improvement Asso.
oiation as published in it's article of
| last week, that municipal is more
| advisable than private ownership of
water works SYSTEM" and in sup.
port of this position l desire to call
the attention of readers to an article
lately published in the philadelphia
Record in the course of which 1t is
said, I'm spite of assurances, expert.
ments in municipal administration
are not uniformly successful, and Eng.
| lish cities which have had the larg.
est experience along this line are
showing signs of weariness, and some
competent and impartial students OF
| their reports believe the results to
have been much less successful than
| they have been represented to be-
Another writer upon the same subject
says, municipal ownership in Great
Britain Is failure. 1t is a synymous
with incompetence, extravaganza and
disaster. The taxpayers are holding
meetings on every hand to determine
| how their interests can be protect.
ed against the rising rates already
here and the threat of worse things
to come" Fellow citizens and tax.
payers, let us take warning from the
experience of others.
1t is but a few years since some of
cur citizens became infatuated with
the idea of municipal ownership of
our electric lights and water works
| and would not be satisfied unless the
question was submitted to vote of
our people. 1t was so submitted, and
after discussing the matter fully, If
| | mistake not, there were but 80 votes
cast in favor of the proposition. And
a strange fact in connection with the
present movement is, that some of
the persons who were then strongly
opposed to municipal ownership of
dIe HOW most SCrenus
ously advocating municipal ownership
of water works. Why this change?
Have they received further light?"
If so, why not give their fellow citi
zens the benefit of it that they may
thereby be enabled to consider the
matter more understandingly?
Fellow citizens, l had supposed that
we, the citizens and taxpayers OF
Perrysburg, as this is purely local
matter, and one in which we, only,
are peculiarly interested, would be
allowed to settle the question unin-
fiuenced either directly or indirectly
by persons who have no interest in
common with us. by persons who have
borne no part Of our burdens in the
0ast, and apparently propose to bear
zone of them in the future, by per.
ons who, although they profess to
feel a deep interest in Perrysburg
and very anxious to see 1t grow and
Improve as a residence town" and
who expect in the near future to
erect a permanent home lust outside
YOUR corporation, and will cheerful.
ly cooperate or render you any as,
sistance possible"
!, Knowing that Perrysburg possesses
all the advantages mentioned by Mr..
FIaney and Mr.. Barber and as we
} know even more, why did they not
locate in our midst and become citi.
J zens of Perrysburg. and thus help
1t grow" Why locate just outside
the corporation? Can it be possible
: our present high tax rate influenced
them to do this? We know it has
others. If they were thus influenced,
, by our present tax rate, fortunate in
! deed will it be for them that they
! are thus located. in case the vote at
the coming election shall be in favor
of water works.
: Some of the advocates of water
works, but | am glad to say not all,
: seem to be enthused with the idea
that the moment water works sys'
tenn is installed in our village. the
value of property will commence to
advance. May be so. We cannot
say what the future has in store for
us. But real estate agent, who was
recently visiting in our village from
Wauseon, o., where q water works
plant was installed in 1898, accord
ing to the report of the Improvement
Association, stated that he had not
yet observed that the values of prop
erty had been affected by it, and they
probably have not.
Now fellow citizens and taxpayers,
altogether it may be charged by some
: OF those who have recently
, become residents of our village,
that am opposed to any
: and all public improvements,
will grant that all such charges are
made through ignorance of the facts,
, knowing such charges cannot be sus.
tanned by the facts, and as this is the
last time 1 will probably be permitted
to call your attention to the matter
/ again ask you to give the matter
due consideration, and if you believe
with the past due and unpaid bonded
Indebtedness existing against our
village at the the present time, it is
your duty to add to our already heavy
Indebtedness, you will vote for water
works; but If ON the other hand you
believe 1t would be the better policy