Connecticut western news., 1908-01-09

paper sometime sInce, the Company asked an advance i'll price for the rental of the twenty two hydrants to $25.00 per hydrant year, ia view of the fact that the Company had expended large amount of money for more than doub- ling it's capacity.
 Many in the district felt the advance was too much and the Company as a compromise offered to reduce the amount to $20 per hydrant, which is be- low the average i'll Connecticut and far below the average in the United States. Some people say: ttWe rarely have fire. Why have the hydrants?" Then why do you insure?
 AS there has been some correspond ence between the Fire District Com mittee and the Sharon Water Company it might be interesting to the people of Sharon that this correspondence be pub lished that all may fully understand the situation. It seems to us that the Com mlttee are acting in good faith, as will be seen by the correspondence. They have called meeting of the voters of Sharon fire district that they may vote upon the question by ballot. The meet ing is called for January II from 300 to 8:00P. M. This gives everybody an op- portunity to express his wishes.
 The correspondence referred to is as follows:
 Sharon. Conn, Dec. %, 1907 To Henry M. Hoag, George s. Kirby, Joseph J. Ryan, William Klebes 1 William Hotaling, Fire District Com l mittee:
 I/ Gentlemen Sirs:-Is it your pleasure to call meeting of your committee to meet me as representative of the Sharon Water Company that a plan of adjust ment may be presented to you for fire protection for the coming year. We feel confident that an agreement can be made or formulated that will be acceptable to you and the people of the fire district.
 SHARON WATER COMPANY,
 By I. N. Bartram, Supt. and Rep.
 The reply to the above communica- tion is as follows:
 Sharon, Conn.,, Dec. 26, 1907. The Sharon Water Co.,,
 Gentlemen:-Yours of the 25 inst. at hand. A district committee meeting was called and voted not to accept pro- position offered by your representative, MT. Bartram, at $20 hydrant per an num. We are willing to contract at for mer price BIO hydrant per annum, but further we don't feel at liberty to do. Yours truly,
 THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE, H. M. Hoag. Chairman.
 The Water Company issued the fol- lowing ultimation on receipt of the com mittee's letter.
 Sharon, Conn. Dec 28, 1907.
 Gentlemen:-Your favor of De- cember 27th received in which you refuse to accept our offer of $20 per hy- drant for % hydrants. We regret that you did not call a meeting of the voters of the district and lay the matter before them for action. Yo1 also state that you are willing to contract for the hy- drants at the former price of $10 each per annum. We respectfully decline to renew contract at price offered by you namely $1O, per hydrant. Therefore we say with regret that on and after Janu- ary 1st 1908 the Fire District will have no claim for the use of hydrants and water for fire fighting purposes.
 Yours respectfully,
 The Sharon Water Company
 by order of it's Directors.
 W. Baker, Secretary. On receipt of this letter, the Com panY addressed the Committee substan- tially as follows: Gentlemen of the Committee:
 It Is perhaps lack of understanding as to the condition that people vary so widely as to the proper price the dis trict should pay for rental.
 When the fire district was established there were IA. In 1892 the district was enlarged, adding six hydrants. Later two more were added, making 8 total of g, which the district has paid $l0 each per annum for, or $220. It was started as a trial. the Water Com pany owning the only 50 feet of hos C and one nozzle. The scheme met with much opposition, claiming that the company had the fire hose and should furnish the protection. Even at the first meeting a strenuous effort was made to dissolve the meeting without the cleo tion of officers or any proper organiza- tion, but the people of the district thought best to organize under the char ter and have fire department as pro- yided by law. Four hundred feet of hose were bought. also hose cart.
 Very soon after the representatives of the board of underwriters re-rated the district, giving the hotels and business places very much lower rate, but to all more or less of reduction. The total amount of reductions thus made exceed ed $700 and at this time must be a larger amount.
 As the whole matter was an experi- ment, the price was first made $10 per hYdrant. This low rental has remain ed these long years notwithstanding the $700 saving to the insured. or net say ing of $480 per annum. This net say tug would make in the past twenty years $9600
 The Water Company asks that this rental be-Faised to $25 per hydrant $55O per year. This gives the insured a net saving of $150. The Water Company vao1,octf111xr Ao ha