Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-08-18
OBSERVATIONS
OF the Effort to Get Relief for Parl
of the City Overrun with Seepaee


of the City Ovcrrun with Scepage
The fact most apparent to an onlooker
who is familiar with the subscription list
in connection with this effort is that by
subscription" is not the proper way to
make a necessary city improvement.
While one party whose homo. and in that
all that he has n the way Of real pro-
perty, is being menaced will contribute
every cent he can possibly raise toward
the work. another with seven times the
amount Of property equally menaced and
to whom the actual benefit in dollars and
cents would be seven times as great con-
tributes one-half as much while still
another who holds title to property valued
at three times as much and under the same
conditions refuses to contribute anything.
II the subject is mentioned to someone
who is not in the district especially men,
aced, the reply is invariably: "Oh. that
isn't our funeral. You fellows who are
interested will have to take care Of that"
and some say: "lt isn't right to saddle
this bill onto the entire city because
the entire city isn't, interested. Those
who are interested say: with alkali
water in three -fourths of the ceilers ana
cisterns of the city and the fact that it
is next to impossible to build cellar or
cistern in Rocky Ford that will keep out
this seepage water, it is a question for
the entire city and is only a question Of a
short time when there will be call from
the entire city for drainage protection
and they might as well begin now where
it is most needed and take care OF it
gradually as it appears il taking care of
this seepage fountain head fails to pro-
tect the city as a whole"
Did you ever stop to calculate just
what this bill would mean to each indi-
yidual of Rocky Ford? The real-estate
men tell US that Rocky Ford has a popu-
lation of $500 people. To be eonseTva-
tive let's call it $500. Then il the en-
tire bill of approximately $500 should be
"saddled onto" the city as whole, it
would mean an average of 20 cents on
each resident. In consideration of the
great benefit to himself and his neghbors
that would accrue from this, if there
should be single objsctor to that bur-
den. he is the one man upon whom it
should be sadded legally so that he
should be compelled to pay 1t.
Such lack of local pride and interest
call to mind the lines:
"Breathes there man with soul so dead.
Who never to himself has said:
This is my own. my native land"
Revised locally this might read: This
is my own, my own home town." and if
tie quoter besone who would object to
his share of this expenditure, he might
add: Nevertheless, wouldn't give 20
cents to save 25 per cent of her people
and property from hell''-for from all in
dications at present, considering the rate
at which part of the town is going down
into that seepage soil. that is just where
they will eventually land if something isn't
done to redeem the sinuation.
On the whole it appears that there are
some very decided opinions on both sides
but whichever is right-or nearest right
now that the subscription list has been
set going, let US be wholehearted and II
we are asked to subscribe, don't quibble
subscribe what we can; and when the
list has been completed let the city coun-
Gil. acting for Rocky Ford as whole.
take up the proposition just as whole
heartediy and complete it, for;
There is so much good in the worst of
us,
And so much bad in the best OF US,
That 1t hardly behooyes any of US
To stand and talk about the rest Of u.s.
A CASUAL OBSERVER