The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-02-18
The Water Question.

The Water Question.
Take for example home that is as
sessed for $500. The present years
Tax is Hs follows: State tax at 4
mills IL Sl.90; county tax at milIs Ii
$500; the city tex being 10 mills and
at least one. half Of this Is for bridge
and street improvements, leaving y OF
mills for city government. or S2 so
making total of 81. 40. That il for
purely governmental purposes. When
the year has passed and gone, the
$40 is gone, and all we have for the
same Is the condition our state,
county and city are in morally and
socially to begin the next year. The
making sl2. GO for school purposes.
This il never lost II the school is
managed in such way that We get
something like a dollars worth on
the dollar, of facilities for our child
ren or our neighEor's children for an
education. Then there is the 5 mills
of city tax, or 81 80, for bridge and
street Improvement. This with the
Sl2. GO school tax makes Sl5 10 that we
get permanent benefit from. To
this add the ST. 10 governmental tax
and we have So. so, the total tax on
$500 assessment.
Now take the water tax on this
home: sl.00 for house use, 25c for
bath, 25o for toilet aud 25o for hot
water boiler, or Sl.75 per month,
making for the year S2l.00, to say
nothing OF lawn or garden sprinklng
What kind of tax Is thisr OF what
use is 1t after the year has goney
Only the fond recollection that you
have put up your part to help
strengthen the water company, which
with all this cannot or does not keep
pace with our city's growth; and this
with no fire protection. Think of it,
Tao and s2l 90, making S2S.40, to
SIS 10 that has a lasting benefit to u3.
How does this compare with mu-
aiclpal water plantY With the same
rates municipal plant would pay for
the cost of the plant In 10 years, and
each year every tax payer will have
paid l-15th OF the plant, at which
time the water rates will not be NOR
than GO per cent Of the present rates.
Also during this entire time the city
Will have reaped the benefits of
thorough fire protection, in the re
duced insurance premiums and Sthe
protection to all of th, uninsured
property aud stocks, and ample water
for lawns and gardens, all of which
lend to heautify our city. With a
thoroughly up to date municipal
water plant and fire protection, the
values OF real property in the city
will inhance as taken together three
times at least more than the cost OF
this plant. Let me ask you, what
could do our city more good, in the
way of making 1t desirable place Tor
n home than an abundant supply of
pure mountain spring water, aud
that at low price, owned aud oper-
ated by the people, for the people and
our visitors. Let us wake up to tho
situation. and show to ourselves and
the outside world that we are alive to
cur conditions and can and will make
use Of tbs exceptionally favored con-
ditlons that nature has given us, ty
voting to change the charter, so that
the water user can when paying for
his water rent In few short years, at
the same time and price pay tor the
plant aud own it. Also who will say
that a majority should not rule?
None hut person who thinks that
select few should be elevated to 20.
sition by which it would require at
least two OF us, or who they no doubt