Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1917-04-12


| Uupaid tax bills prior to 1915. ---..------ 273.22
Unpaid tax bills 1915, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 248.42
Unpaid Electric Light bills prior 1915. 49, 1886
| Unpaid Electric Light bills 1915, ---.-- 248.l0
Total, S8l so
Mr.. Joseph Weddle, treasurer, reported
receipts from all sources ----.----$51S553
Paid out including all bills payable to date 1920 SO
Leaving a cash alance in his hands. .-- sl525.OO
To the above receipts from electric
light must be added the cost of lighting
the streets of the town which has been
placed at the annual sum of $500, which
would bring the total receipts from all
sources to $4l56.00. And another item
which should be added to this is the un-
collected light bills for 1916. which would
bring the grand total up to $4,000.
Taking this as the total sum, it don't
look half bad and it must be confessed in
all fairness that the revenues are i'm
proving, but with all this we must take
the matter of it being on a paying basis
as being extremely doubtful, certainly
not with the present or past methods
employed. For instance, 1t developed at
the meeting that more than twenty
houses were without meters which Mr..
Etzler admitted was entailing loss but
as an excuse for allowing the condition
to exist the Board did not want to spend
any more money for meters, as they
were high, and further stating that this
was condition handed to this Board by
the last one. The Union Knitting Mill
pays on an average between $50 and $55
per month on which discount of 10 per
cent is given for each payment and the
collector is given a per cent commits
sion on the gross bill in addition. We
could name others but our article will
become too long.
We might ask if it is proper or good
business to give discount to one GUS
toner for prompt payments and not to
all who pay promptly, and we might
further inquire why some modern method
is not adopted to insure the prompt pay
ment of all light bills; certain it is that
there should not be $24S. 10 of back light
bills for 1916, and 1913 IS due previous to
1916 The town can't afford to act as
charitable institution when she needs the
revenues with which to pay her interest.
This criticism applies with equal force
respecting the collection Of taxes, there
being $273. % uncollected taxes standing
prior to 1916, and $246. AZ standing of the
levy of 1916. The present Board is no
more culpable than Boards previous to
this one, but that does not excuse them.
1t ought not to be up to the Clarion to
point out the way to remedy this con-
dition.
Take the present amount paid for ex-
penses, salaries, extensions, ETC., of
$685. So, and deduct this from the total
sum above stated and we have balance
of $4,000 Then deduct the amount of
bond interest and interest on floating
debt, which is chargeable direct to the
Lighting plant, which is 100000, this
then leaves US balance of only $500. 90.
Now somebody is going to tell US that
this statement is not fair and that from
this time OH we could not expect to get
as large charge against the plant as we
have this year; that we will now serve
the Union Knitting Mill with power and
thus save the power bill to the H. & F..
Ry. Co., and that we will not next year
have to pay the sum Of $118l.00 out for
power house expenses, extensions, re-
building line, etc.
Very well, suppose we look at that side
of it little bit. You are going to serve
the Union Mill and this will leave you
free from the Railway expense. Yes,
but you can't save it all unless you got a
guarantee about your water supply hold
ing out, and you know from past expert
ence that every summer you have dry
spell, sometimes longer than others, but
it comes and will always come, our Opt
mistic friends to the contrary notwith-
standing.
This past year for the dry months the
current bills rendered by the Railway Co.
were as follows: Sept. $l7l.00; Oct.
s134 45; Nov. $l99. 35; Dec sos. 10; max
ing total of over 100000, Now the
other item of repairs, etc., we will say
that you wont have SO much to do next
year as you have given the plant pretty
good overhauling. But Mr.. Etzler ad
mitted that other repairs were needed
but would not be made on account of ex
pending this extra money. He also ad
mitted when questioned that the plan
would require a depreciation fund TO b.
set up each year as nothing bad yet beer
done towards that end and that the Pub
. lie Service Comm ission would require it
and that the net result would be that i
, the depreciation fund would not be se