The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-07-09
THE BOND ISSUE
BEFORE THE PEOPLE
Valuable Information Gathered From
Other Places For Elkton's Guidance
On The Vote

On Monlay next the people of Elk
ton will be called upon to decide whe-
ther or not they will lond the town
for public works. There has been
comparatively little discussion of the
subject. In fact, t is not matter
which calls for debate. so much as it
calls for accurate information and the
most practical judgment 1t would be
most unfortunate for the town to load
itself up with heavy bonded ndebt-
edness unless there were some pretty
certain assurance, that il would be a
benefit to the town. in the wav of pub
lie service and in the way of inanca,
intelligent judgment of this subject
the WHIG has undertaken to get in
formation from our neighbors Vi
have had experience in the matter OF
municipal ownership of public works,
and that information is certainly very
much against the scheme Newark,
for instance has tried its own light
and water plants, and the trial has
been most unsatisfactory from every
standpont-in fact, the town has re-
Gently closed up its electric light plant
and has made contract with pri-
vate concern. Meanwhile the towns
bonded debt has increased and the
town tax rate has gone up from so
cents to $I.oo on the SToo. Mr.. T. F.
Armstrong, who was a member of the
Newark Town Council, when the water
plant was installed, writes us as fol-
lows with reference to the matter:
"A great many thought, then. it
would be money maker, but we have
found out, to our sorrow, the great
mistake we made in not letting the
private company own and control i
The strongest advocates. then. for
bonding the town, now admit theii.
mistake. and we would glsdlv sell our
plant if we could get out whole and
let private company own it. \
change of Council every two years,
gives us new members, and we find
what is everybody's business is no.
body'S buslness-some do not go near
the plant and do not know much about
it when they do go. The same is true
OF our electric plant when we con-
slider the expenses OF superintendent
and assistants coal etc, etc. we find
we can have light furnished cheaper
than we can make it, and we can save
money by letting our plant stand idle
and get the light from some water
power company. Our bonded debt
has increased and our tax rate is 81 90
on the SIoo. Before municipal owner
ship the rate was so cents. IF II
WAS TO DO OVER AGAIN. | DO
NOT THINK THERE IS A CITI-
ZEN IN THE TOWN THAT
WOULD FAVOR BONDING THE
TOWN AGAIN FOR WATER AND
ELECTRIC LIGHT"
The same sort of testimony comes
from Middletown where municipal own.
ership has not only doubled the tax
rate, but furnishes T." sinking fund
for the plant. Mr.. Martin B. Burris.
attorney ataw. and member OF Mid
dletown's light and waite commission
says:
Il am not i'll possession OF precise
data in reference to the electric light
plant of this place. but desc" pm
of the situation here can be made in
word. The municipal ownership las
doubled the taxes. We have nc.cr
been able to accumulate anything what
ever towards a sinking fund iDi he
replenishment cf the plant or the paw
ment OF the bonds issued to install !.
As business proposition on the pa t
Of the town it is failure.
Mr. Burris says IF somebody would
come to Midd ctown and steal TIL
plant. the town would be glad oi it,
Mr. !. :. FOraCre. editor Oi the
MiddlCtown Transcript. writes as iCl-
lows:
"The cost in Midd'ctuWn for light
and water is. according to the reports
for 1900 and 1910, $2oSS.o2. This, how
ever. does not include the necessary
charges for the annual wear and tear
depreciation OF the light and water
plant, which must OF course be added
to our fixed annual charges Of the town
which owned the plant. As per tinan
cial Statments sent you, it will he seen
that the plant is valued at SOL $50 9I
Call the true valuation by reason pre-
vious depreciation not deducted
100000, and the annual rate OF deprccia
tion but 5 per cent or probably 10 per
cent and YOU would have to add the
further sum OF $I5oooo to the above
amount. making total cost to Mid
dletown for light and water annually
$4I3S! This for town but one-half
as large as Elkton is not a superb
showing. being propo btionately per
capita, ABOUT TEN TIMES AS
MUCH AS YOU PAY! Then. upon
general principles, municipal owner
ship is for many reasons political and
otherwise. a notoriously unknown
quantity as you know.
OUR TAX RATE QoIo) IS SIPS
PER $Ioo VALUATION: BEFORE
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP THE
RATE WAS 70 CENTS PER $Ioo.'
We need not multiply the testimon-
les. These are simply statements of
facts-and facts which have been learn
ed bv the unhappy experience OF our
neighbors and from which it would
seem wise that our own town should
profit.
1t would be easy enough to enter
into an elaborate argument as to the
inadvisability OF our undertaking this
big bonding project. We think, how
ever, an ounce of experience is worth