St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-08-05
WHAT A Sewerage
SYSTEM WILL DO,
And WHAT IT
WILL COST.
Insignificant In Taxation, and
A Life-SaYer In Effect.--
Some Figures.

Considering that the medical
or sanitary authorities are agreed
that the time has come when it
is imperative to the health of our
little city that sewerage be in
stalled within its limits, the only
other question that arises in re-
gard to the matter is the mode
of securing this much-needed
public improvement.
Our Board of Aldermen has
created a Sewerage District and
a Sewerage Board has been cleo
ted by the property owners resi-
dent within the district, and this
Board has presented to the citi-
zen-taxpayers a plan by which
sewerage can be had without
delay.
This plan provides for the levy
of a two and one-half mills lone
quarter of one per cent? tax on
the assessed value of the prop
erty included within the lines Of
the district, for a term of years
necessary to meet the principal
and interest of the sum required
to install a sewerage system.
There is no doubt that if the
tax is voted the money will be
raised without delay to pay for
the improvements, which then
become the property of the city.
It is therefore up to the people
who reside in the sewerage dis
trict and who own properly
within its limits to say if they
want this great public con-
venience this important means
of guarding them from sickness
and epidemic.
We feel convinced that no citi-
zen who has she welfare Of his
town at heart-no parent who
desires to protect his family
from sickness will, after re-
Election, vote against this propo-
sition. The insignificant amount
which each taxpayer will be
called upon to pay in the event
that the special tax is voted
should certainly not stand in the
way. The poorest tax payer can
pay it without feeling it.
To the man or woman who is
assessed for $500, the tax will
amount to but SOC per annun1;
he who is assessed for $500 will
only pay SLIPS each year; and the
person who is assessed for $1,000
will contribute but $3.50 every
year to the cost of the system.
Surely, this small tax should not
deter any one from voting in
favor of the proposition.
AS to the cost of installing the
sanitary fixture in the homes of
our people, we are assured that
this viii not exceed $50 or $35,
depending on the distance the
sewer pipe will have to traverse
to tap the main. Of course more
expensive outfits can be had, but
the above sum will provide a ser
viceable one. We all know that
anything worth having costs
something, and this great con-
venienee is worth as much as
anything else that cost as much.
It is not only a comfort and con-
venience to the housekeeper. but.
the sanitary advantages thus Sc
cured and the protection to-
health thus afforded are well
worth the cost of installing the
fixture.
When it is considered that
there are many places, such as
hotels, restaurants, saloons, etc,
which will be required to con-
meet with the sewers first, and
that there are many other per-
sons who are anxious to get this
service and therefore will be
given the preference, it is easy
to see that those who are unable
to have the work done at once
will have ample time to prepare
for ito save the necessary
to pay for it. The men
IN charge of this work are rea-
sonable and will not enforce an
ordinance against those who are
unable to pay the cost of making
the connection as long as there
are others who need the service
more or who are better able tol
provide it. We can see, there
fore, that it will be a long time
before those in the district who
1esire to delay can be given at
sention.
Busy Days at Local Machine
Shops.
Owing to the anticipated crop