The Semi-weekly leader., 1919-08-30
MORE GOOD AReUMENTs FoR
SEWERAGE.

Editors Br0okhaven Leader: There
appeared in the August 23rd issue
OF your paper a letter from one OF
the most prominent men In the COM
munity which for the sentiment ex-
pressed is greatly to be deplored,
coming especially as 1t does from
one who is supposed to be leader
in all that should make for the well
fare and betterment of the city. !
refer to the letter OF Mr.. C. s. But
terheld regarding the matter Of sew
erage.
Mr.. Butterneld asks the question
If we do not think 1t unwise not to
say foolish to undertake the work
at this time. In asking this question
he either presumes the entire COM
munity is ignorant of conditions as
they exist today, or he himself is.
1t is true that labor and material
never were as high and as scarce as
they are. now, but that is no indica-
tion that they will grow lower or
more plentiful in the immediate flu
ture: in fact all conditions point to
the fact that they win likely go high
er and become less plentiful. For
four years 00,0OO,000 people were
engaged in a war Of destruction, the
worlds shelves are bare of goods and
the world must come to us for un-
|precedented amounts of our produce.
to quote from recent magazine ar
ticle I'VE are the darling of the
gods" We used to sell to other
countries so that we had an annual
average balance in our favor of 500,-
900, 900 dollars a year for the decade
preceding the war, but during the
present year we have seen this ex-
port balance reach the stupendous
amount of $400, 100000 in a single
month. Yet in the face Of these facts
and he certainly must be aware of
them, or he Is not posted as he should
be, he asks community to wait for
lower prices meanwhile endangering
the health of every citizen therein.
Why If the building of that sewerage
system at what Mr.. Butterfleld
considers the enormous cost Of $685.
100000 were to save the city one epi-
demic of fever 1t must be considered
money well spent. In one industry
alone, the lumber industry, stocks on
hand in the South per mill April LIST,
1917 were S,376,0O0 feet; the stocks
on hand per mill June 1st, 1919 were
4,357,000 feet, a decrease of nearly
50%o, yet Mr.. Butterneld says let US
wait a year or two until prices get
back to normal; there is not a well
posted business in this country who
looks for prices to go to pre- war
levels in that length Of time, and If
Mr.. Butterneld considers those values
as normal he has lost the meaning
of the word, for what was Normal
in 1916 will not in our time, If ever,
be considered normal again. In
proof of this one Of the largest cor
porations in this country today, the
Western Union Telegraph Company
is preparing to spend not 126. 10000
or 300,000.O0 dollars, but based on
present values Of material, $125, ,000,-
10000 for improvements.
Mr.. Butterield states that the pro-
posed system will cover only about
half or at best two thirds the area
of the city. This statement is erron-
eous, as the proposed sewer system
will cover the entire territory now
covered by water mains including
Pearlhayen, and will reach every
white resident in the City Of Brook
haven.
To wait two years, or even one
year for conditions so far as prices
of material are concerned to reach
lower level is to endanger the life of
every citizen of sthis community, as
the writer understands that there is
hardly cess-pool in the city today
that If the strict letter of the law
were followed should not be con-
demned.
Instead of waiting, let us follow
the example of towns and counties
of our Sister State of Louisiana, and
go ahead with improvement. You
can hardly pick up the issue of any
papers without finding that some
town or parish in that state is is
suing bonds for good roads. schools,
sewers and other public utilities.
Let us go to the polls on September
first and vote for this issue, put in |
the sewerage system, and let 1t not
be said, as is the case now, that |
is the largest town in
the state without this modern and
absolutely necessary service.
s-''A VOTER"