The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-06-10
ISSUE
AND LICENSE
With License Money Cut of
Writer Says Interest Can
Not Be Paid.
(Ry a cttizen.l

Wy ~ SlbAEtHsJ
notice our city council Is arrang-
ing to submit to the vpte of the peo-
pie a bond issued forS S225, 900. See
ing that thus far there has been no
comment on the merit OF the prop
osition either on the part of the city
papers .or the tax payers, deem It
quite proper to agitate discussion,
which may bring forth some express
sions from our people on a question,
which at this time is OF so great con-
cern to US all.
To be as brief in the matter as pos
sible. | avoid details and state in the
first place this will approximately
give us an interest bearing debt of
$3.50 or more, at five percentum,
making the interest annually in the
neighborhood of $4,000. II every
one were acquainted with the situa-
ton and would think seriously, this
statement alone would be sufficient TO
Justify the writer to close this article
abruptly.
What does 1t mean for us to pay
this $4,000 year and where are we
to get it? It means that when once
this burden is put upon US and we
have this interest, 1t is practically
equivalent to burning that amount.
Crudely estimated 1t would pave a
section of Main street from the EN-
pire building to the Water street
bridge every year. In few 1t would
erect city building as good as the
county jail.
Where is 1t to come from? is the
question asked. From the same
source which we have now to raise
1t and, perhaps. we may not have
quite as good in the future.
The city at present is receiving an
amount almost double this from sa-
loon licenses. This source of revenue
appears to be doomed to close in the
near future, and can We not profit by
the condition of FaIrmont, which is
exactly the situation, in which we will
be when this debt is made and license
Is defeated? / say the situation will
be the same. Is 1t not starting on
exactly the same lines? Has not Mr..
Mills. the Prohibition organizer, al
ready announced that he is coming
here to organize tbe business men of
Clarksburg as he did at Fairmont.
Mr.. Mills is one of the most power
full lecturers in the country and uses
the most irresistible and convincing
argument to show that the business of
the city will be improved, when once
this evil is thrown out. He gets a
hold of the merchants and the people.
who have property to rent. and shows
them that the old idea is false of IL
L.. 4. -sNf ffHN
The writer takes no sides in this
paper on the whiskey question further
than to say that If we are going to
decrease our sources Of revenue, IN
the name of common sense let us not
increase our debt, especially, to a
point of dishonor and bad credit. Let
us see little further about raising
money. Suppose we wanted to raise
sinking fund of $4,000 or more
year to have and to hold and to be
used for some good and needfal
purpose in the future instead of tell
ing 1t to go up in smoke, can any one
figure out how we are going to do
this even now with all our opportu-
mites? Well, we will have/to figure
some way after the debt is made and
remember that amount Is gone in
stead of having any improvements 70
show for it. The voucher will have
on it that green and most hated
word interest" like the $1,000. in
interest paid on a small part of the
city debt at the last session of the
council.
Dangerous debt. VIII we ever
hear the last of 1t? Let us think
awhile. Buzzing in our ears come the
obligations of the Old Dominion,
which were incurred before the birth
of our state.
Fellow citizens, make all the pri-
vate debts you wish, but please do
not give us any public ones. H.