Evening journal., 1911-02-25

make as good a proposition as the
offer We accepted.
In addition to the above yearly
saving, these arc lights are to be
furnished and installed by the leasing
company at absolutely no expense to
the town, making an additional saw
ing. this year of $500eto 5000.
At the published figures it will re-
quire 100000 gallons Of water per
year to flush sewers, IL would cost the
town according to the late Professor
Freudenberger. the sum of 13 1-2
cents per thousand gallons TO furnish
this water-beng an actual cost of 9
cents for pumping and an allowance
of so per cent for loss. which does
occur, or a total of S33750
Under our contract with the New
ark Company, the town will buy this
water at the rate of cents per thOus-
and gallons meter measurement, or a
total cost Of 1925, this item alone
shows a positive saving TO the town of
S212.50 per year.
Water for street sprinkling will be
furnished at the same rate. and will
No Effort at Secrecy.
There was absolutely no effort
made to keep the taxpayers in ignor-
ance of the terms of the proposed
lease; on the contrary, It was the
desire Of the committee to have full
and free discussion Of the entire mat
ter from the time It was first men
TONED, and the committee stood ready
and willing to give any information
at their command at any time-as
matter OF fact, criticism was solicited
by members Of this committee from
some of those who are making the
loudest protest-but they exhibited
no interest in the matter at that time
The matter was under consideration
Tor about two months before Council
look action and during that entire
tlme no effort was made by any of
tnose who are now protesting. to Sc
cure information from the Council as
body or from the signers of this
statement personally.
IL is a fact that those opposed to
tne lease, and most prominent at the
Indignation meeting. admitted at the
Time OF the meeting that they knew
nothing at all of the provisions of the
lease we had entered into, yet they
adopted resolutions cOndemning us
for not making a lease with the Elk
River Co.
There was no garbled financial
statement made at any time-and our
statement covering the operation OF
the plants for the last eighteen years
Is absolutely correct in every partic-
ular-and this statement is at the
disposal Of the opponents of the lease.
for examination by any accountant
they may desire to employ for the
purpose of auditing the statement
and further, the entire records of the
town are open to examination ana
audit in the same manner, and it is
our desire that the protesting citizens
secure an able accountant to make
entirely clear to everyone that our
statement was not only correct but
was far on the safe side.
Believes Deficit VIII Follow.
There is no possibility of error in
the statement referred to and it shows
that there was taken out Of money
received as taxes and dumped into the
Light and Wafer plants the sum of
$l5,61743 in Is years aud at the same
time the bonded and fioating indebted
ness increased IS 900, showing a de-
felt in the plants of S24.577.43, and
we know that if the books are pro.
lcrly audited over the period mem
toned a LARGER DEFICIT will be
shown.
Under the terms " the lease We
I 4. eI fs.N.,
net profit of over $500 per year
and this after paying a sufficient
amount into the sinking fund each
year to pay Off the entire bonded and
icliine Indebtedness of the town
amounting to S4Z5oG, before the OK
pivatiOn of 10" lease.
This figure do, 8 not conc inplai,
taxing any mole MI Of taxes for FIR,
protection and street lighting than has
always been taken I'm the past
Owing TO the extremely large anC
growing deficit i'm the Light and Water
plants. Council made a thorough in
yestgation Of the charges made, es
pecially for lighting in other places
and found that at MiddletOwn they
charge so cents per month meter ser
vice, 81 per month minimum and
cents per X. w. hour for current
The rates at Wyoming. Del, are L.
cents per X. W. hour, at Ridgewood
n j. 10 cents per X w hour; Jen
kintown, Pa, IA cents per K. w. hour
Philadelphia, 10 cents per X. w. hour
and Elkton, Md, 10 cents per K. w
hour.
From the above it can be readil!
seen that the largest permissible
charge under our lease is far below
any town of similar size.
Referring to Mr.. COoch's complain
| that there is a charge of Sc per veal
( for reading metersthis is not a charg'
/ for reading meters-this is not chargl
charge that protects the small user
! if a person uses 40 cents worth Of cur
rent under this plan his charge would
be 80 cents. and under the old rate
he would have paid 81.