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

rate sutiif i6rt 90 Fey interest On
bond, snd provide sinking fund to
pay Il the bonds
(bj he council msS levy aud cd
lect tex not TO exec ed six-t.nll,s OF
one ptr cent per snnum to pay inter
est on bonds.
Argument on Hrst proposed change !:
The present charter does not allow
tbe income from II water system to go
toward paying off the touds. 1t pre-
vides . tb'r that property must be
fnxei tu nigint In tha plaUt aud ray
for IL To change this so that water
rates ebOUli maintain the plant Is In
accurd vi'h the plan IN other towns
II places the credit account right
az r0ss the prge from its debit &C
ccEut. Is there aus special reason
Why II 'od Riser should not do ss
either towns IN this businessY
Can any reasonable man object to
tbisl OF course il takes the thunieT
oat of the tax threats II destroys
any fnrtb'r gsbble about two pisuts
running here In competition. For
when tax payers see that IL they dc
not ett8ch To the city mains they are
more than likely to keep up the plant,
a connecting rlGut will soon pull out. .
We believe, h0s ever, the present
council will offer for the present plant
what IL Is actually worth to the citS
IL this works out as carefully and
eqiutabIy planned, no such eoDtin-
gency can arise.
Argument on change No. 2.
This nhanna 10 m fodnoa fha nraoa 4
necessary two thirds vote on bond
issue to a majority of free holders.
The wording row is: "snd tso
thirds Of the vote upon the question
OF their issuance be found to Re In
favor thereof.
As changed Il will read: "and
majority OF the vote upon a quest ion
OF their Issuance to be found to be
In favor thereof; provided. however,
that nj person sbsll he entitled to
vote ehO Is net, In addition t. the
other necess ~ qualifications, Iee-
holder 10 said city OF Hood River"
Argument Que.
Other towns OF the siZe Of Hood
River who are responding to the pub
LEFTY. con mittee's inquiry have car
ried their election by majorite. a
great many towns make it "a majority
CT legal voters" In Hood River the
vote on bonds IL TO be limited 10 those
actually holding property. No reason
appeared why Hood River should be
peculiar about this matter Indeed 1t
has been urged thst In limiting the
vote to "majoiity OF tree holders"
We have been especially ron .ei vative
The reason for this will appear later
In the argument.
Argument Two.
Indeed any other plan than ma
Jori.y allows n minority to rule. The
two thirds vote as provided Tor 10 the
U. s. Consultation. In state constitu-
tioDs and in city charters are largely
for eGualizing the power OF veto.
A President, Governor or Mayor
may veto the viii CT a majority, but
two thirds vote may override even
veto.
A majority Of ouC mude Hamilton
vice president. A majority of one
annexed, If We remem ber rightly the
Louisiana purchases, and majority
OF one annexed the Philipipnes-all
events quite rs important as a water
system for Hood River.
Argument three
The experience of Hood River has
shown that majority is wise. Too
long certain local interests have run
this town with a minority. The pres
ent sale of the Newsletter Is tsir il
lustrstion OF the method aud it's re.
tusal to rrint simple, plain srgume ut
for be majority.
ln the petition for water one year
ago the necessary two-tbirds we're sl-
ready secured for a new water plant,
We do not forget that while one ele-
ment OF this minority--trying to re.
gain their lost hold-caIled us to the
Commeroi Club rooms, another part
OF the came element was before the
city council urging the city to put in
lire hydrants In the business district |
at 81, 600 per annum.
The News Editor may yell harmony
to us until he 10 black in the face. |
What we want is common honesty, |
common sense and fairness Reply |
Ing to JAB, who "fears to put the |
power of voting large sums into the
hands of small taxpayers when a |
greater portion Of the burden will fall |
on about one.third. We ask is this
true?
In the reports from many other
water plants thus tar heard from,
not one has levied cent OF direct tax
to repay the bonds. The water pay.
ments have paid out the bonds
Suppose for example JAB we're a
wealthy man of Hood River. He will
pay Tor his water at the same rate as
John Smith, possibly teamster.
John Smith might be renter and |
hence not voter on the bonds at all
out il he used as much water as JAB
he would pay au equal amount toward
interest and bond payments fJAB
Is some foreigner We can excuse his
argument, hut il not we refer him to
The controversy over the public school
question.
Such ideas we're not very popular
even forty five years ago.
Replying to the News Editor we ask
Tor the privilege Of removing gloves.