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


yer was made chairman and Charles c.
Waters, secretary of the meeting.
This meeting was of the usual kind
that Thurmont has been noted for in the
past when it comes to making nomina-
tions for town officers, and it drifted
along listlessly after Mr.. Joseph A. We'd
die and Mr.. j. Henry Cover had been
nominated for the Office of Mayor, and
Clayton Creager and Frank R. Martin
had been nominated for secretary OF the
board. A score or more nominations for
commissioners were made but not many
wanted this honor conferred upon them
and as result II decline" became rath-
err contagious, Messrs A. H. Etzlar, Sam
Long, DR.. E. C. Kefauver. Charles Speak
Irwin Macklcy and George N: English,
leaving their names stand as nominees.
Some of these declined later.
There was an attempt to get the
present Board to give some statement OF
the condition OF the affairs of the town,
but the secretary was not prepared to
make report and the treasurer simply
reported so much cash on hand, while the
collector of taxes and light bills stated
the approximate amount of outstanding
taxes and electric current bills. This be-
ing deemed unsatisfactory, it was then
agreed that the primary meeting adjourn
until Friday evening, 9th. at 8 80 O'Clock
at which time the board promised that
statement of the affairs of the town, so
far as they would then be able to give
them, would be submitted to the meeting
for its consideration.
The adjourned meeting of the primary
was called to order about 8 o'clock in the
Community Club Room, as the Hall was
engaged that evening. This meeting
proved to be one of much interest and it
showed an inclination on the part of the
citizens to take real "look-in" on the
affairs of the town in advance of the
usual published statement as was the
custom formerly, and the result of this
adjourned meeting to our minds was very
satisfactory from number of stand
points, principally however, from the
point of showing some interest in what
is being done by the board, with an hon
est endeavor to find a way to better con-
dtions which every one admits needs to
be done along a number of lines.
The electric lighting plant of the town
was the principal target of inquiry, Mr..
M. L. Creager leading in this inquiry by
insisting on being shown as to whether
or not the plant was "toy' or an "ele-
phant". He was from Missouri" and
insisted upon his being shown as to which
it was, if either, and if it was neither
"toy' nor an elephant" he wanted to
be shown that it was plant capable of
performing the service that it should per-
form for the town, and if it was not ca
pable of doing this then he wanted to
know the reason.
Mr.. A. H. Etzler, one of the members
of the board took the witness stand in
his own behalf and in behalf of what the
board had done and what, in his Judge
ment, had been accomplished since the
board had charge of the plant
He had read to the meeting certain
correspondence from the Public Service
Commission of Maryland and It's engi-
neers, which related to complaint that
had been filed by the writer of this arti-
ticle, which complaint was directed at
the abominable lighting conditions which
existed about eighteen months ago, this
complaint being filed about February
1916. Mr.. Etzler likewise had read to
the meeting an editorial of the CLARION
dated May, II, 1916, which editorial was
an arraignment of the lighting plant and
which directed attention to the fact that
the plant was not meeting its expenses,
but rather showing a deficit, and that
one of three things faced the town, that
higher taxes would have to be levied
(Which has been done) to meet sinking
fund requirements to retire the bonds,
or that the rates for electric current
would have to be raised. or that the pur-
chase of power from the railway be made
in order not to continually face deficit
each year.
After this Mr.. Etzler then gave very
full statement of what expenditures had
been made and how the plant now within
the past few weeks had been placed in a
position whereby 1t could serve all the
light and power users of the town and
cut down the current bills which have
been paid to the H. & F. Railway Co.
Mr.. Etzler was freely piled with ques-
lions which he promptly answered land
went into many technical details which
was understood by few in the room. He
also gave in detail the expenses of the
adjustment that had to be made at the
power house to remedy the conditions
brought out thru the complaint filed, the
total cost being the sum of $677.O3.
There are other adjustments that will
yet have to be made according to Mr..
Etzler's statement, and the reason that
the present board did not wish to under.
take them is that it would encroach upo,
the 81, $50 which he'd been turned over to
the board by the retiring board of 1915
Mayor VIM. j. Freeze was there anC
demanded of Mr.. Etzler and other mem
bers of the board to tell him what hat
been done with the 81, $50, to which Mr.
Etzler replied that it was still in the
treasury together with several hundred
dollars besides this sum.