, 1906-04-09

THE FUND
MR.. HOLIDAY CHARGES FRAUD
BY IMPLICATION TO COUN-
ClLS AND MAYORS NOT
YET ELECTED.
to Him "By Citizen Who
Has Had Extensive Financial Elk.
perience That Sinking Fund Would
Be Good Deal of Money for Future
Councils to Juggle With"-Present
Council Might Change Plans.

To the Editor of The Republican.
Before attempting further answer on
the bond n water question, permit
me to refer briefly to The Republican
editorial on the 7th inst: Next Tues
day the people Of Laramie will be call
ed upon to vote upon the issuance of
$4,000 in bonds for the building of a
municipal water system. Those bonds
will be sold at 4 per cent" Now this
indicates a greater faith, On the part
of the editor, than the mayor and coun.
ell have ever manifested, else why
the limit of AZ per cent as now provid-
ed in the election proclamation?
Editorial Quoted Again.
Further on, the editorial states, "The
cost to the individual lot owner would
not exceed so cents per month, and
who is there among our people who
would not gladly pay this pittance to
have his water service changed from a
poor system to a good one?" Does this
imply a tax of Sc per annum on each
of the "1,794" lots as he town is now
plated, or is it intended as a justifca-
ton for a household tax at any time in
the future The voters will pay
the cost and therefore ought to have
their choice.
Call It Remarkable Statement.
Quoting further, There is but one
plan before the people at the present
time, and that is not arbitrary. 1t is
susceptible to change as the wisdom
of engineers may dictate" Further on
in the same paragraph the reader prob
ably observed this reather remarkable
statement: "The preliminary plans
have received the endorsement of some
of the best hydraulic engineers in the
entire west" If the present plans
have received the endorsement of
some of the best hydraulic engineers
in the entire west and yet the plan is
mot arbitrary what grade of n.y.
draulic engineers viii determine the
change?
Left to the Mayor and Council.
Isn't it probable that the board OF
engineers that may change the plans
after the bonds are voted will be the
mayor and city council? Thus it is
evident that nothing definite has been
decided upon except to have a vote on
the $4,000 bond question. 1t will re-
main for the mayor and council to de-
termine how this immense sum Shall be
expended.
The foregoing is not intended for
sarcasm or abuse" 1t seems in
cumbent on the writer to make this eX-
PLANTATION because persons young in
public life are very apt to magnify a
gentle breeze into a West Indian hurrl-
cane.
Lien On Houses and Lots.
To enter more seriously into the fur
Their discussion of the $4,000 pond
question; | now say that there has not
been the candor and %frankness in deal
ing with the water question that the
proposed investment of $4,000 Of the
peoples money demands. Whatever
the amount in bonds the voters may
authorize, such amount will become a
lien on all the houses and lots in Lara
mic. An annual property tax of from z
to 8 mills would be required to pay the
accrued interest. A still greater tax
would be gathered from the family in
comes in the way of a household water
tax, to provide a sinking FUND for the
final payment of the $4,000 bonded in
~debtedness.
Meters Not Considered.
Their has been no intimation that it
will be necessary in the mean time 10
pay off a part of the present bonded in
debtedness of the city. 1t is claimed
that the meter system of controlling
the distribution of water and thereby
stopping waste has not been consid-
cred in connection with the proposed
installation of the new system of pipes
and laterals.
Now, no one would accuse the mayor
and council of a lack of ~forethought
lin the important matter of controlling
the distribution of the water from a
new lateral system so that each lotown-
err would feel that he was getting all
that he was entitled to and no more),
as a justification for not taking the
people into their confidence, with the
same candor hat ought to exist be
tween the people of a town and their
agents, the city trustees.
M%asnifyine Defects.
In every reference that has been
made to the present lateral system, it
has been spoken of as a rotten and
wholly inefficient system every refer
ence to the proposed bonds has peer an
implied promise that the $4,000 ID
bonds will be ioated at 4 per cent
In fact, from the opening to the close
of this bond campaign, there has been
a disposition on the part of the mayor
and city council to magnify each defec
in the $40. 1000 to $4,000 worth of lat
eral work that has been done, and tc
avoid any explanation of how laterals
fron.inued on page 81