Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-04-03

5,b00 cubic feet, per quarter while
the Electric Company and the Tele-
phone Company have raised their
rates several times. The main rea-
sons why We do not make a better
showing, are, first, We pay too
| much for the power for pumping, and
second. We have too many water
mains that bring in no returns. We
have about eighteen miles OF water
mains, in all.
Who is to blame for all this? Is
| it the Superintendent, the servant of
the people? No! Is it the Common
Council? No, They are the servant
/ of the people 1t is the people them
selves, in most cases, who are to
blame. They ack the Common Council
to put in water main on their street
and all the way from one to twenty
OF them sign the petition, agreeing
to take the water as soon as the pipe
is laid. But after the pipe is in,
then they say: Il don't want it
now. Maybe next year. and perhaps
out of the ten or twenty signers, one
or two take it, and sometimes none
at all. Who is to blame? If the
Common Council don't allow the pipe
to be laid, they are mean. selfish and
mprogressive. They say: I'VE pay
the tax, and want the pipe" Who is
to blame?
The Grand Rapids Electric Com
pany goes before the Common Coun-
ell and says: I'VE would like to fur
nish you with electric power to run
your pumps, and light your streets.
We will do it as cheap or cheaper
than you can do it yourself. We
don't care to make much money, and
if you will pay our rates nov, we vii
turn the whole plant over to you
as soon as We are out of debt, and
all you will have to do, is to pay
the stockholders for their stock,
and the plant is yours" This is a
very tempting offer. They say: I'VE
, have promised you much, and we
; mean TO do the right thing. Every
thing Will be all right in the end"
We wait patiently for twelve years for
We are firm believers in all good
things coming to those who wait
: When the time is at hand to receive
all the good things, We find that the
/ charter has been changed, or some
: thing else, but are told: IF you want
: the plant now, you must pay a good
t price for it." What about the plant
we so generously helped, and without
: which the City Contracts perhaps
could never have been started at all.
D We ask: What about your promises
e And are answered. ''Oh, that is no
:, thing. We can make plenty more just
d like them" Is the Common Council
: to blame fer having trust and conf
Vt dence in their own home people? Mo-
:, Then remember, No Wrongs are jus
d titled or Sanctified by Success.
S But as all human institutions are
5 more or less defective and unstable,
e | trust that after all that has been
( done and said, and after we bump on
1t heads together a few times more
e good sense will prevail, and every
J. thing will be all right, for where there
II is will there as way and all is
d. well that ends well.
II To the Grand Rapids Electric Com
q pany, l would say: Don't try to re-
form the City, before you reform your
e self, and to the City would say;
e Don't reform the Grand Rapids r.
: lectric Company, before you reform
y yourself, and get water as soon as
It you can, to stop the trouble.
f Fred PREFER,
10 Superintendent of Water Works.