Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-07-17
More Light" On The
Light Plant.

The Town authorities seem to have
a hard time to determine whether or
not to buy any current from the II.
& F. Railway or to incur further
indebtedness of at least $4,000 with
which to install an auxiliary plant to
help out in dry seasons.
The writer learned that day or so
after the meeting was held last Friday
night that meeting had been hurri-
eddy called asking the citizens to come
to the Town Hall and tell the Board
what to do. From what we can
gather they have not been told, and
the meeting was sparsely attended
and the discussion was principally
between two statesmen who wanted to
sell the town an Auxiliary Plant,
generator, etc.
In the first place if the town wants
to provide against darkness in case
of low water this year they have
but one thing to do and that is to
purchase current, for no auxiliary
plant can be installed in time to take
care of this situation, and further
more, the Town Board should know,
or if they don't know, then should
be advised that they have no au-
thorty to contract further indebted
ness without legislative authority.
As to mourning further indebted
ness to have the taxpayers further
burdrned, someone ought to take such
legal steps as might be necessary to
prevent it unless the taxpayers of the
town awake and demand that no in
debtcdness be incurred or contracted
unless first submitted to a vote.
Sp aking of voters. we recall the
agitation that took place when the
people were hypnotized into voting
for the present light plant and the
stand that The Clarion then took
against, which stand we We're, in the
light of what has happened, fully JUS
tilted in taking, and if we recall cor
rectly only four votes We're cast against
the Bond issue. If the same hypno-
tic influence succeeds in lulling the
taxpayers of the town into the same
state now as was then, any old bond
issue will be approved and our taxes
will still go skyrocketing to help out
the Electric Light Plant.
The original plant, the people were
told, would only cost 81 200, but as
a matter of fact it cost over $23, 900
and tn" deluded taxpayers smiled be-
cause they were promised great re-
turns in earnings, but no one took
into account the fact that the plant
wonld not run without water and
hence we are now facing an addition
al plant for at least $40, 900 addition
al cost which is to do one thing only
and that is to save buying current
from the H. & F, Railroad, which
saving would not amount to so much
as the interest and wear and tear on
the new machinery. This sounds
like economy, don't it? OF course.
There was a town meeting some
time ago held for the purpose of get
ting sentiment sounded as to whether
or not a new contract should be en-
tered into with the III. & F.. Railway.
A committee of citizens were named
who with the Board were to assemble
at a later meeting. This later meet
ing was held and the unanimous de-
cision of the Board with its Auxiliary
Committee was that the contract with
the ii. Il +. Railway be not entered
into, that is, the contract which the
Railway then proposed, which was
to furnish all the current to the town
for one year and the town plant re-
main idle for this time, so that it
then could be determined whether it
was more profitable to the town to