The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-03-18
Arguments ON
SPECIAL ELECTION
Answer to Communication.

What is the president OF the water
company having such fright over the
cost of municipal water plant for at
this time? The question before the
citizens OF Hood River at the coming
election is to change the city charter,
so that II there is municipal water
plant put in Hood River at any time,
the water consumer can, when he pays
his water rent, pay for the system,
and at no greater rates than the pres,
ent rates. Also that majority can
Iule. That is all there is to the com.
ing election.
Regarding the cost OF municipal
liant, where The water will be brought
from, what city will pay for the pres
ent plant, and all other questions Of
this nature, are not an issue ut the
coming election, and are matters to
be taken up aud decid d on when the
question OF municipal water plant
comes up. II the president of the
water company considered the recent
charter as fair to the public as it is to
the company would he object to the
proposed change?
And ut this time | ask, who put
these two unfair, Ito the public, "
conditions in the charter, the water
company or the publicr
1t IL always safe to assume, that
the public will treat with as much or
more fairness, honesty and justice,
the company that 1t is dealing with,
than the public have received from
ho priuaka narnnratinn A anoI roao
on why the bond holders OF all private
corporations look to she management
of the corporation on which they hold
bonds.
Does. tho Offering of reward for
ccunciImen tend to iavorably adver-
tise Hood River. What has knocked
Hood River 40 much as the famous
COR Infamous letter from the presi.
dent of the Light Il Water Company,
the Davidson Fruit Company, written
by him to the Hood River News Let.
ter, from New York, last fall, regard
ing prospects aud prices OF apples
grown in Hood RiveIY
This article would indicate that the
Hood River council aud mayor we're
gratters or were in danger OF becom.
ing such.
All of the cities that have installed
municipal water plants, have suO-
ceeded, and have not had to resort to
any tax, even when the cost of the
plant has been greater than ours will
be in proportion to our population,
and with water rates no larger than
we are now paying. Does the presi-
dent OF the water company think the
average intelligence of the people OF
Hood River is inferior to that Of 9th
er cities, or does he think the danger
OF graft Is so much greater here? |
understand conditions have changed
il Hood River since December, 1904,
and none of the power company
officials of that time are on the coun.
Gil
Regarding the per capita late, IL
all plants aud companies paid the
same rate as other plants in other
cities pay, the total earnings of the
water plant would show material in
crease in Hood River. In other cities
they take gross receipts from all sour
ces and divide by population tor per
capita rate. This includes water
moter service, besides ice plants, etc,
they not being related to a municipal
water plant
lie finds fault with the bond hold
ers complaining They usually look
to the officers of the private corpora
ton tor just, fair and honest 'reat-
ment The public not being party
to the transaction, can not be held ao-
countable. If they we're, the public
would be held accountable for all
solts of wild cat and high finance
schemes where the public are treated
with little consideration and fair.
ness, and common honesty, with dre
respect, there is no danger of the put
lie doing any great wrong, even from
the view point of bond hol er, but
the first duty Of selfrespecting put.
lic is to protect itself from any Of the
above conditions and Hood River will