The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1908-01-31
The Northerner's View OF the water
Question"

Inc NOrJuerueT III ltS issue Oh
the 18th inst. criticised the ac-
ton of the village council in re-
fusing to make concessions agree
able to the X. l.. S. Il G.. Ry. in
regard to water rates. w. j.
Thomas, president of the coun-
Gil, through the columns of the
Courier last week, discussed at
some length the merits of the
question from his point of view.
At the outset we desire to state
that the Northerner did not in it's
criticism refer to Mr.. Thomas or
any member of the council as a
"knocker. 1t is a conceded fact
that they are, and always have
been public spirited men, always
active in the promotion of any
project that would further the
interest and welfare of the vii
lage. We believed at that time,
however, that the president and
some members of the council
We're taking a wrong view of the
"water question: that their &C
ton was not for the best interest
of the village; that it would not
meet the approval of a majority
of our business men and tax pay
ers. aud we are still of that
opinion.
In his intimatiOn that 1.-The
Northerner man did not write
the article in question and that
We were willing to father any
thing, provided it came from an
advertiser" Mr. Thomas has
taken an erroneous view Of the
matter and has done the North.
erner an injustice. We welcome
the discussion Of all public ques-
tons through the columns of the
Northerner, if the writer's sig
nature is affixed to the communi-
cation Indeed, we would have
been pleased to give Mr.. Thomas
reply space 10 our columns, had
its au thor given us an opportun-
ity. The Northerner's attitude
editorially on matters of public
interest however, is always indie
pendent and our policy is dictat
ed by no one, advertiser or other
wise. We felt free to discuss the
councils action with reference to
the water tax, the same as we
would any other question of pub
lie interest, and did so in the
most friendly spirit. Of course
we are only human and therefore
not infallible. 1t might be pos
sible for us to be on the wrong
side of the question. but if so,
the editor and he alone is respon-
sible.
We do not think Mr.. Thomas
has touched the real point to be
considered in the question of
water tax. The one and only
question in our opinion is, is the
fact that the K. l. S. and G.. Ry.
have established their headquar.
ters here and have caused ID or
more families, with a pay roll of
from 81 1000 to 81, 200 per month
to move to Paw Paw worth
anything to the village? If so,
then would it not be proper and
just to meet them on an equit-
able basis? If it is not
worth anything to Paw Paw
then they should pay the same
as private individuals are paying
for water. The fact that Mr..
Grant did or did not submit
proposition to the council in
writing would seem to us poor
argument. At the time the rail
road company were trying to de-
termine as to where would be
the rest location for their head
quarters, a representative came
before the council asking for
free water, provided the round
house should be located here and
a motion to that effect t0ds made
and carried ut that time. 1t was
thought best, however, by some
of the council not to make the
motion a matter of record until