Connecticut western news., 1906-08-02
SEWERAGE SYSTEM
DISCUSSED BY BOARD OF TRADE

Petition for Special Meeting of Fire
 District-Belief That no Special Tax
 Would Have to be Levied to Pay for
 the System-To be Partial at First.
 A enthusiastic meetingof the Canaan Board of Trade was held on Friday eve ming of last week at the law offices of A. T. and J. H. Roraback for the purpose of giving further consideration to the question of sewerage system for the fire district. ..
 President Eddy addressed the meeting briefly, reviewing the preliminary work already accomplished and outlining what, in the judgment of those most active in the sewerage agitation, ought to be done.
 Briefly stated, the following oonclu- sions were reached during the meeting:
 A petition was signed asking for special meeting of the fire district to vote on the proposition to add to the purposes of the district that of constructing and maintaining sewers; that a second meet ing of the fire district should be called to appoint a committee to investigate the ISftoIUllibJ O1 CSNCAtt6NH fs1N~AosAA SOSN, etc; that third meeting of the district should be held to receive the report of this committee, inspect their plans, etc.; that the fire district should vote as to just how much money shall be expended and just how much of the district shall at first be sewered;, that the entire dis trict should not be called upon to pay for sewering portion of the district, but that sufficient rental should be charged those who make connections with the mains to pay the interest on whatever bonds it may be necessary to issne, and then, when the entire district has been severed, the fire district could take charge of it in the same manner that It looks after other public utilities, and everyone would be given free use of 1t.
 We give below the remarks of several well known Canaan men relative to the project, to show that the general feeling is favorable toward sewer construction. In addition to the men mentioned, 1t can be said with absolute truthfulness that nine tenths of the business men favor such system, and that, so far as the Board of Trade has been able to deter mine by general inquiry, 1t is favored by a majority of the property owners.
 H. K. Lyles, acting as spokesman for the committee appointed by the Board to investigate the matter, said: The committee favors making start at sew craze, putting in what we can The work should be so laid out that the sys- tenn can be extended at any time so as to cover the whole fire district if it seems desirable
 s. A. Eddy" The situation seems to be, as reported by the committee, that to install at one time a sewerage system embracing the entire fire district would be so expensive that it could not be un- dertaken. It is something that will have to be worked up to by degrees. The greatest need for sewerage now is ill the center of the village, and it seems as If it might be possible to lay out oompre- hensive system which could be extended as the district felt able. It is generally conceded that we are in trouble here and there is necessity of sewage disposal both from sanitary and business point of view. Both the health and the business growth of the village are threatened by a lack of it, and the conditions will grow more serious rather than less as the years pass"
 Wallace w. Burghart-"It is an en- tirely feasible proposition. It can be done There is a slight grade, and whatever system is installed here will have to be done in the very best manner possible, and the proper thing to do is to install the system so that 1t can be added to if so desired"
 J. Henry Roraback-" As understand the matter, the proposition from the committee contemplated one thing further Of course, everyone is aware that 1t wonld not be exactly fair prop osition for the fire district to build a sewer serving only one part and have 1t maintained at the expense of the entire district. The proposition is that the sewer be built, so far as practicable, for the amount of money thought best to put into it and serve the most congested portion of the village, and the people served by 1t should be charged for its use on some fair basis, enough to pay the interest on the money which it would take to build and operate it. Assuming that it would cost S10,00O to build it, and that the interest would be say $500 per year, sufficient rents could be charged to pay the interest and leave a surplus, and the entire fire district would stand behind the project. Even though our immedi- ate properties may not be served, we will all get an indirect benefit from it which would warrant us in joining the enter prise and let the people who are getting the benefit pay the interest charged. New lines can be added from time to time, and when the entire fire district is served, then 1t could be put on the same basis as are other utilities, and give every body the free use of it. This seems to me to be the only feasible way of reach ing this matter. We cannot at first put in sewerage that will serve all the people ill the district do not believe anyone will begrudge being an endorser of the proposition to raise this money and put in the system.".
 s. A. Eddy" If the matter can be carried out in this way, by assessing the charges on those who are to reap the benefit, probably the cost will not be any larger to them than they are now paying to dispose of their sewage ill some other way"
 J. H. Roraback-" The way to get the matter started is to call meeting of the voters of the fire district to vote to add sewerage to the purposes for which the