The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-03-11

new water system there VIII be nc
difficulty about twOthlIds nt tht
property owners supporting IL, nut II
the present safeguard against un'
necessary bonded Indebtedness Is lost,
| predict that We will always be ouhd-
ed up to the limit, at heavy Cost to
all tax payers large aud small
The disgusting reports OF stealing
and grating in so many Of our Ameri-
can cities is the result OF liberal laws
for increasing indebtedness. Nheh
large sums for bonded indettedn'ss
are authorized it Is m easy matter Tor
bankers and dealers in certain clss,eF
of mere haDdise aud politicians to make
deals aud secure johs to Offset thelr
extra taxes many tines over. AS an
illustration: Some years ago ~ a
neighboring city SlOO. COO worth OF
bonds were sold so that city could
engage In the water business, and tie
money deposited in n bank. Tie
mayor was the banker It laid there
seventeen months and as 1t was a
national bank, u per cent or 5io,VOU
could he loaned back to the dear
people who were already paying taxes
to pay interest on the bonds. The
bonds drew 6 per cent or $4,000 per an
nun. The banker might charge 10
per cent but under the circumstances
could afford to let it 90 to the needy
at 8 per cent and collect another S6UOO
per annum. Making s12, per an
mum, or 81, 900 per month, the neat
sum Of S17, 900 cost 60 the dear public,
who voted for the bonds seventeen
months too soon Who got hitY The
rich man or the man who worked for
daily wages aud had to go to that
bank to borrow money to ray his
taxes? And this brings us around to
the tax matter. Have you paid
yours? Are they high enough 1t
you are satisfied that they are high
enough, don't vote for any change IN
the city charter now, and II enough
others do vote to change it do not
vote for any bonds OF any kind until
you know and the ballot should show
what the money is to be spent tor,
and when.
am interested in the water bust
ness and do not want to zee my
property contiscated and do not want
competitive system built tor many
other reasons. If the city should put
in an independent water system with
out buying up the present existing
franchise and plant, much different
conditions will exist from those exist
| ing iE other cities reported IN the
columns of the Glacier. No Ciy can
afford to go into the water or light.
ing businss with franchise in exist.
ence for competitive plants to Cp'
crate, AS it Is not only coutiscRtiou al
| legitimate Investments, but Is bound
to end in financial disatser, and thest
costs must be paid either by direct
tax CT by "a service charge sufficient tC
cover such costs. When a city takes
up all outstanding franchises it cal
operate any business which carries
with il necessity or convenience
| (as light and water at a profit, tut II
cannot be done where competition
exists and both interests are striving
for the same buiness. ln such con.
test in Hood River the present com
pany has the advantage OF any Other
system to the extent of an investment
sutflcnent to bring the water from
the source Of supply to town where
the present supply comes trom the
ground, which is bound to be $50, OOC
to 500, 0UO according to where 1t Comes
from. This means an extra interest
account Of, say, 81, 500, and depre
citation account of par cent if wooden
pipe ia used, or 81, 500 more making
$4,000, to say nothing OF the cost Of
changing connections and laying pipes
the new system from the block line tc
the mains, which costs from IS to 81.
per house No matter what the loss
to the present company might be, the
loss to the city and tax payers would
be moro in proportion to the ad.
ditional cost Rs shown above, of not
less than $4,000 or So, 900 per aunum.
How could this money be collected
for service with competitive rates fgr
below the municipal plant rates.
How many small home owGets would
pay 81 80 to $500 for water service
when he can get it for 70 cents tC
81 0OY The large tax payer then
comes in tor paying the taxes aud the
man who contemplates investing In
buildings to rent or use, or the man
who wants to build manufacturing
plant in Hood River equal in yalua.
tion to all the other tax hle property,
! will look at something besides sec.
tion LOG before he makes the invest
ment. In fact, no investoI cares tC
invest money in town that Is con,
tiuually advocating Contiscation OF
| legitimate Investments, and the agi.
tation that has been going on Is now
having bad effect on investments
! in Hood River The bonds OF the
Hood River Electric IlRht Power 4
Water Co. are scattered among many
capitalists, and the recent articles
! that appeared under various uom.de-
plumes in this paper have reached
many of them and done more damage
the growth and development of
this little city than all the money
spent Ey the commercial club has
done good, and the effect viii last ten
tinIe' as long An Investor has real
interest and discusses such matters
with friends
Ii a small percentage of the expense
and effort necessary to produce a
cOmDetltlNe wafer system were spent
immediately to provide necessary lire
protection to keep the city from
burning up, and to mako soma re
pairs in the almo t impassabla .treets
and strsi9hten up side walks, etc "
could offer some encouragement to
tho thousands If homo seekers who viii
come vest this summer In Port
land, public meetings are being held
protesting against the excessive tax
alton. Can Hood River afford such a
condition. 1t will not take much
added to the present load tc bring it
about, but the Vcters have a chance
March 20th, and the result il being
watched from many sources with more
interest, perhaps, than many imagine.
So tar as rates are concerned, the
gross charge per cpita is the real basis
foi comparison and are as follows: