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

up or the bonds retired that at the enc
of certain period (about 20 years. We
would have no plant and have our bonded
interest yet on our hands.
This fact cannot be wiped out and
should not be overlooked. Each year the
machinery will need more repairs and its
dead certainty the lines will need re-
pairs and renewing with hundred and
one smaller things requiring renewals or
repairs, so that we can't deceive our
selves. We might as we'll face the facts.
Don't look at your gross income gentle
men, it matters not what your gross is,
your expenses eat it all or nearly all up,
the net is the thing you want to see built
up.
How can the net be increased?
1t was developed that our town is hav-
ing it's streets lighted at very small
cost as compared with other nearby
towns We agree that the price of $500
is not sufficient, it should be $1,000; but
this will not get you any where, as it
means the taxpayers will pay to their
own plant out of the taxes this additional
sum to light the town annually.
Thurmont has 81 60-c. p. lamps, all
night service, and is charged $500; Mid
dletown has % COS, II zoos, 8 l5Os, 8
25O's and consumes about 200 watts more
than Thurmont and pays $1,000; Emmits-
burg has 80 COS, moonlight schedule, and
pays $456; Walkersvile has 40 COS, mid
night schedule, and pays $3.50. The min
imum here is 60 cents per month to con-
sumers, whilst all the smaller towns is
$l.0O, and this would. it seems to US, be
the more nearly correct amount; this ad-
ditional 40 cents doubtless would raise
more revenue.
There is one thing that is wrong. and
that Is. that the general taxpayers who
do not use electric current should not
have to bear the extra burden of the ten
cents that has been added on to his taxes
with which to pay off the bonded indebt-
edness created on account of the power
plant. If he pays his proportion on ac-
count of the better igh.ed streets, that
is all that should be expected of him.
The electric plant should be made to be
not only self sustaining, but it should be
made to produce revenue sufficient to
make necessary repairs, set up depre-
citation fund with which to eventually, at
the end of certain time, renew the plant
and sinking fund to pay off the bonded
indebtedness. If this can't be done, then
Mr.. Creager's question will have to be
answered that we have an elephant
on our hands, unless our genial and OPP
tomistic friend who took issue with US in
our editorial of May 1916, in which he
said that if the town was not satisfied
with its plant that it could be sold for
every dollar that It has in it. To that
article we replied that we hoped that it
would be sold quickly, and we still ad-
here to the belief that IL there Is anyone
who will pay US all we have in it by all
means let someone else have it for it
don't seem to US that 1t is or has been or
will be profitable investment, especial
ly in view of the fact that we had to
place an extra ten cents on every hun
dred dollars of our total taxable basis of
$500, 7l3 with which to help it out.
The H. & F. Railway was the object
of some thrusts on account of the con-
tract which was given to it to furnish
current several years ago. We are per-
sonally very greatly interested in the
Railway Company, as well as interested
in Thurmont, and believe that the Rail-
way would be glad to furnish all the cur.
rent that the town distributes, and while
we have no authority to name any fig
ures, we believe that it is within the
range of the possible that if it could fur
nish all the current that a price from
8 to 81 cents per k. W, could be secured.
If this is possible, it is our conviction
that it would be to the interest of the
town to purchase the current. This ar
ticle will become too lengthy to discuss
this feature but when the commissioners
final report is made in detail, we will en-
deavor to justify our contention, basing
it on the above hypothesis.
The meeting before adjournment went
on record that it was the sense of the
meeting that the present board secure
the services of an experienced auditor
and have their books and accounts audit
ed and the same published i'll detail with
their statement. and that all future
board likewise be instructed to have their
books and accounts audited and the same
published at the end of their term. This
met the unqualified approval of the board.
Mr.. Stanley R. Damuth was nominal
ed as Secretary of the Board, Mr.. Mar
tin having declined. Mr.. J. Irwin Mack
ley and Or. z. C. Kefauver also declined
as commissioners.
1t was pointed out that the town was
sadly in peed of pew charter.