The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-01-30
H|NkLE TALKS
BOND ISSUE

Editor Record No town or city
the size of this, or even one of 5000
people, can healthfully exist without
the enforcement of strict sanitary reg
ulations. This is not a mere asser-
ton, but it is record and history The
first essential to a sanitary, clean and
therefore healthful town, is water.
1t is no secret that we had almost
an epidemic of typhoid here last sum-
mer 1t was not confined to any par
ticular locality, and cannot therefore
be attributed to a local cause other
than open closets In fact, it is uni
versally conceded by the physicians
that this is the cause, the germs be-
ing carried By flies. There is only one
way to remove this danger and evil
that is with waterworks.
Let not our shallow and abundant
aTtesian water be a curse instead of
a benefit. Why should we who live
within the artesian belt be SO mean
and stingy and selfish as not to vote
TO extend the rights of sewer and
cheap water to half our people who
live on the hills. We forced them in
the -ty limits, and against the wish
of many, and they have for years
been paying taxes upon bonds of the
present sewer without its privileges.
1t is not TO be disputed that if we did
not have artesian water we would
have long since had waterworks.
There is not a town in New Mexico,
or for that matter anywhere in the
West, the size of Roswell without a
waterworls sys, m. The need here
is just S great. and we are letting
little water convenient to a portion
of our inhabitants prove a curse. We
talk about another railroad. If one
should come tomorrow we would not
be ready. For with it would come new
people and capital and new industries
probably doubling or trebling our pop
ulation.
Both our greatest knocker and the
mossiest mossback concede that we
cannot take care of $4,000 people
without waterworks and sewers.
aid sewers and an up-to-date town.
we will get $1,000 population, and
with that there viii be no further
trouble about another railroad. For it
is history that railroads not only
bring people but go where they are.
We are making a great pull for fed
eral building, and will sooner or later
get the appropriation. But does any
one suppose the government will act
ually build hundred thousand dollar
building in a town without water
works. They never have yet.
Albuquerque is something of an
example for us. With not nalf the
natural resources or favors of nature
that we have, they have made a city
THAT IS A CITY. They do things on
a broad business scale, and their city
taxes are not any greater than ours.
Their taxes are not any greater now
than years ago before they began to
do things. So it will be with us.
1t is a matter of the necessity of
living within our income anyway.
This tax excuse is not only the old
est, but one of the oldest. 1t is said
that Adam objected to wearing sus-
penders because it would put tax
on his shoulders. 1t seems not to
have occurred to the old fellow that
he might lose his pants-or probably
he had none to lose. So it is with the
tax argument man. 1t is odd, and
mystery that the man who pays the
least and is most likely to receive
the first direct benefit can put up the
Adam, that looks to the little burden
and loses his pants.
There is no reason that water
plant cannot be made self-sustaining
within five years. After that it should
be source of income to the city. Ald
this will be the result here, for have
faith enough in the people of Roswell
to believe they will see that it is ta-
ken care of and well managed.
But conceding that it would be
necessary to tax, there would be
more than enough for this in the in
creased values and business 1t would
increase not only our city property.
hut the value of our farms and sur
rounding interests and of all in
comes. There would be etough new
property, new business and new peo-
pie TO more than pay this. This is not
idle assertion, but facts. and is prov
an by the results in any city that has
made municipal improvements. For