The Grit-advocate., 1906-03-30
TELEPHONE NO. 10.
The Opposition To The Bonds.

The Grit-AdvOcate is advised that
there is considerable opposition to the
proposition of voting bonds for wate.
works and electric lights, although no
one has ayai!ed himself of an oppor-
tunity to publicly express his opposi-
tiOn through the columns of our pa
per.
We understand that those people
who oppose the proposition do so
chiefly on the grounds of increased
taxation for maintenance of the
system Granting that taxes will be
increased for Il year or two. or until
such time Us the system Will become
self-sustainng which should not he
longer than Two years the decrease
in the rate of insurance which will
follow the establishment of the water
works system will more than Offset the
increase in n'taXeS.
People in the business district now
pay 5000 pCr $4,000 for fire insur-
nnce. With watrrWorks in operation
this rate should he cut at least 81. 90
per 800 %, or SO 60 on every $1,000. 90
worth of insurance carried. The
saving to insurers alone Will more
than pay the interest on the bonds.
even if the rate is cut onl y > per cent.
And in all probability it will be re-
duced more than , per cent.
Besides the saving in insurance ev-
cry user OF wa er VII be able to Sc
cure water from The town much cheap
er than he can furnish it himself. Amy
kind of windmill water pant will cost
not less than $4,000. The interest
on this sum at 10 per cent amounts to
$1,000 per year. Add TO this So 90 per
pear for repairs. and you have So %
per year for water from private
plant. This amount would buy su1i-
cient water from the town to supply
an 8-room house, stable and good
sized lawn. And you would have
water when you wanted it and at the
time you wanted it, regardless Of the
action of the wind.
The fact that the owners of about
800 acres of farm land lying within
the town limits are seeking to have
this land withdrawn from the corpora
lion is used by some as an argument
against voting the bonds. The reas-
,n for Withdrawing this land is that
it is already bonded for $3.50 per
acre for the reservoir and an addi-
tional bond would make too much of
u burden upon the owners Of the land.
Moreover, the benefit TO this land
bEoiA "u1ctNOthS aho SiCSUtlS ilShpS
would he only indirect. The assessed
value OF the land to be Withdrawn is
S., 10000. More than six times this
amount of taxable property will be
added to the tax roll by the opening
of the First National bank and the
completion of the brick building on
Front and Cedar streets. Hence it is
easily seen that the value of taxable
property within the town will be great
er next year than it is at the present
time, and this argument against the
bonds loses it weight.
In attempting to meet the supposed
arguments of the opponents Of the
bond proposition, We have confined
ourself entirely to the waterworks
feature. We presume that those who
oppose the waterworks likewise Op-
pose electric lights. Probably on the
ground that they are luXuries and the
Town cun get along without them.
This istrue, we admit. But it is equal
ly true that kerosene and ga,olenc
lamps are luXuries, and we could pos
sibly get along without them also.
But who wants to do without them?
Who would be willing to go back to
the dark age of the tallOw-dip?
Julesburg is on the up grade to an
era OF great and lasting prosperity.
and while electric lights are not alb
Solute necessities. they will serve to
help herald this prosperity to the sur
rounding country. Therefore in the
language of the prophet we say: Let
there be lipht!'