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Trie CLARKE COUNTY COURIER.
VOLUME V—NUMBER 88.
ATHENS, GEORGIA, JUNE 16, 1905.
PRICE $1.00 A YEAR
Increase in The
Charge For Water.
The Old Tale Again of the Poor Man Pay
ing the Burden of Tax.
Ami so it seeuis that the water- Bire to make the waterwork* eelf-
works proposition has loomed up ■uataining, proposed to increase
again after all these tour years, ,he rate from 26 cent.
to 40 cents, and the price of water
considerably. This would have a
tendency to decrease the cousump
under the meter regime, and thsy
have just found out that it was a
losing deal—that the city has been
paying out of the treasury mouth,
ly large sums to help maintain it,
when in reality it should have
been paying its own way, and
would have done so had not the
people been foroed to pay for the
meters, a thing wbioh council
would not have allowed in a pri
vate institution under no circum
stances.
The history of this affair is
bright in the minds of our people,
as the Courier has always believed
it was not only unjust, hut an
outrage upon our people, to be
forced to pay for a thing they did
not own and could not touch.
The effect of putting the meters
in was that those who used a
great deal of water, got a con
siderable reduction, and those
who used a small amount were
compelled to pay nearly twice as
much as thev did before.
The effect was to cut out the
small consumer who was not able
to pay for the connections and
the meter too, and numbers who
used the service for years, dio- not
','Jgl justified in the outlay, a~id
the consequence was that they out
off altogether, they losing the oity
that much revenue, which cut
quite a slice out of the profits
from that source. The poorer
people who wanted to use the
city’s water oried out for relief,
but a deaf ear was turned to their
pleadings, a petition was presen
ted to council but it was belittled
and put under the table; the coun
cil ever since then have agreed
that it was wrong, individually,
from the mayor down, but no ac
tion was taken. Something like
$12,000 has been sent off to buy
meterB for private citizens, when
it might have been put iii the
treasury, or at least a large part
of it. The city lost revenue, the
oonsumer lost money and the ouly
man that made anything out of
the deal was a foreign meter fac
tory. Of course, the large con,
sumer is greatly beuefitted. The
payment for the meter has de
creased his payments, but the
small consumer must he taxed to
meet the deficiency, which iB not
right aud therefore not justice.
We believe the meter is a good
thing, but it should be owned by
the city and not paid for by the
consumer. We believe that in
the first place it was a great
injustice, aud that now the
city should pay back the amouut
to those who had to buy them.
We are sure if this was the case,
the consumption of water would
be at least double beoause there
are hundreds of our people who
would take it, and it would not be
but a short while until tho oily
would be reapiug a rioh harvest
for the outlay. Then they could
oharge a minimum rate of 50
oents to every consumer, which
would, in connection with the
surplus, pay interest and princi
pal, and everybody in Athens
oould have a chance at the water,
whereas now, only the neh or
those who are able can enjoy the
luxuries.
But the last meeting of oounoil
took the matter up and with a de-
tion of water on the part of those
who use it most and cut out the
small consumer entirely.
The fact of the business is that
we do not believe it is constitu
tional to foroe a man to pay for
the measuring pot and then charge
him for water that be does not
use, and we feel that the people
should resist such an imposition
to the last notch. If the city
owns the meters then they can
charge what they please for the
water, but we do not believe any
law on earth will uphold them in
the advance minimum of rates.
The fact is we don’t believe they
can collect the 25c minimum rate
if it was resisted.
So you see the best thing for
the city to do is to own its meters,
put one to about every four fami
lies, charge a reasonable mini
mum rate, say 50 ceuts a piece
and the city will get its money to
run the works, and all the people
the poor and the rich can use all
they want of this God-given
beverage.
Let’s look at it in a reasonable
way, aud not becauso we have the
power, grab a man by the throat
aud extort money from him for
which he does not get value re
ceived.
Tne Legislature Meets
The Latter Part of June.
On the twenty-eighth of this
mouth, the legislature of Georgia
will meet in general assembly in
the city of Atiant .
For the first time in numbers of
years the county of Clarke will be
represented in both the lower
house aud senate by two of her
staunchest and most repreaenative
business men, as heretofore they
have always been from the legal
fraternity.
This senatorial district will be
represented by Hon. J. Y. Caritb-
ers with the county of Clarke be
is a man of extensive acquaintance
and wide reputation throughout
this section of the state.
He made his home in Athens
several years ago and being of a
rial district may well feel proud
that they have placed this man
at the helm to help guide this good
old state We as well as the
entire county are proud of him.
The Courier takes pleasure in
embraoing the flattering unction
to its soul that it was the first to
name Hon. J. H. Rucker to fill the
high and honorable position of
Repreaenative in the legislature
from this county and we are sure
that we will never regret this fact
and the fact that we used our
utmost endeavor to secure his
electicn.
Capt. Rucker has been all his
life thoroughly identified with
Clarke County and her enterests
He is a business man whose
most progressive nature he inves
ted his capital in enterprises
when it looked to others as if his
investment would prove fertile,
but with a determination to suc
ceed and build his town he pushed
forward with a zeal aud energy
HON. J. H. RUCKER.
Torture of a Preacher.
The story of the torture of Rev.
0. D. Moore, pastor of the Baptist
church, of Harpersville, N. Y.,
will interest you. He says: “I
suffered agonies, because of a
persistent cough, resulting from
the grip. I had to sleep sitt ing
up in bed. I tried many remedies,
without relief, uutil I took Or.
King’s New Discovery for Con
sumption Coughs aud Colds, which
entirely cured my cough, and
saved me from consumption.” A
grand cure for diseased conditions
of Throat and Lungs. At all
druggist; price 50c aud $1.00,
guaranteed. Trial bottle free.
If you will take your map of
Georgia and measure, you will see
that it is a direct line from here
to the coal fields of Tennessee
and if the Jefferson road is com
pleted, there will be another small
gap to fill of about 80 miles, which
would bring Athens a good deal
uearer these fields than Atlanta,
Look what great things we are
sleeping over. The idea of Ath
ens getting cheaper coal than
Atlanta is bard to believe, but it
is nevertheless true. This link
would be worth millions of dollars
to our oity. We hopo that Mr.
Baldwin will holdup to bis prom
ise and begin work at once.
Special Pillow Outfit,
Worth 60c for Only 25c.
Package contains 1 Tinted top
and back, 6 Skeins Romau Floss,
1 copy lesson in Embroidery.
Miss Rosa A. Yonder Leith.
We hope the voters of Third
ward will not be too hasty in
making promises to support peo
ple for aldermen, until you have
h ard the lull text of our argu
ment, whioh will be forthcoming
soon.
opionions have been sought by
this world for mauy years. He
has twice been mayor of the city
of Athens and has served as
seldom seen, and today the mag-, Alderman for many years, success-
nificeut proportion of this great fully and to the entire sat isfaction
and growing city may be attri- j of the people,
buted to him. He is a man of He is progressive, far sighted,
wise forethought and eminent most intelligent and is a man iu
capability and magnificent quality'every way capable of filling this
being true to himself and true to high office with honor to himself
and his people
More About The Bond
Issue By Clarke County.
Some Thoughts on the Question of Whether
Our County Should go Into the Money
Loaning Business.
Two weeks ago we wrote about | bounden duty to give what we are
the issuance of one hundred tbous- informed are facts, as our people
and dollars worth of bonds by the should know them, and if any-
county for paving purposes, and I thing here stated is incorrect our
noted the fact that the money had columns are open that they msy
his friends aud generous to his
enemies. He is a man in every
way eminently qualified to fill the
highest station where he has beeu
placed by an admiring con-
stit"ancy.
oiurke County and this senato-
With these two men to represent
us we feel that our interest will be
taken care of to the very beBt
advantage. We congratulate the
people of Clarke Couuty iu this
district upon their selection.
YOUR CREDIT IS GOOD-
Furniture and Housefurnishings
• Furnihii Youa Uomk •
ON CREDIT at CASH PRICES.
No Matter
What
Others
Promise
FLATAU
Sells
It For Less.
No Fancy
LONG'
i ime Prices
We Give You
Cash Prices
And The
Credit Too-
READ THESE PRICES
150 pair Lace Curtains at
74 large Smyrna Rugs at
R& 9x1a Carpets at
a5 all Cotton Mattresses at *
10 doz Dining Chairs, each at
Mahogany Rocker* at from
Porch Rocker* from
Oak JWssers from
RoorVoot Bed* from
Oak Kitchen Safe* from
to Leather Couches at
5 Vclorer Couches at 17.48,
Side Boards, Hall Racks, Chiffoniers, Dining Tables, 1
credit as for cash
Boot min the place, LUMPKIN ST., next door to Steam Laundry.
ARTHUR FLATAU.
- .8 cents, cs.h <
- fj.oo, “
$8 98, ••
- $3.98,
75 cent*, “
tSt.go to 8.00, “
Si.00t0.t50, ••
H.oo to 10.00, •'
♦5.00 to 11.50, “
$8.30 to 5.00.
$8.88,
been lying idle iu the bsuk for the
space of one year, doing nobody
any good bat the bank, who, of
course, was using it in loans and
discounts, making a handsome
profit, while the tax payers had to
fork up the interest on same.
Thus the bank was making money
both ways.
Since that time we are informed
that possibly ten thousand of this
has been need in the purchase of
machinery with which to get
ready to do the paving. Now
supposing that to be the case, it
would make $90,000 left that the
bank has the use of and the peo
ple paying interest on same
one year.
ooo
Now, then, that may be all
right for one year to begin opera
tions, bat suppose that only about
one road is paved a year at a cost
of aometbing like $10,000, it will
take ten years to do all the pav
ing. which would give the bank
the nse of a large amount of the
money for that time and the c*se-
ty still paying interest on it.
ooo
So far as a certain single bank
using the money is concerned, we
have no special tight to make,
provided the others were given an
equal show at the bonds and that
bank gave the best bid, and we
are informed that that is the case,
and they wanted the money kept
on deposit, and paid high with
such hopes. It shows magnifi
cent financiering on the part of
that bank—to buy $100,OCX? worth
of bonds aud then have use of the
money for quite an extended pe
riod of years.
ooo
But it seems to us if the couuty
did not need that much money,
that only enough mouey should
have been borrowed to run the
work for a year or two at the
time—that is if it takes several
years to do the work, which would,
it seems to us have beeu quite a
saving to the tax payers in the
long run. If we mistake not the
county has something like $20,-
000 in the treasury which could
have saved a year or two of inter
est ou the bonds, and not have
effected the legitimate expenses
of the county.
ooo
Thu brings us down to the pav
ing proper. It is generally con
ceded that the road which is to
be macadamized first is beyond
all doubt the best dirt road in the
county and the easiest traversed
the winter, while there are
hills in other most important
roads that are almost impassable
in winter. Yet they bring into
our city a tremendous trade that
must climb these steep grades be
fore they can reach the market,
and it is wondered why these are
nof paved first, or at least nut iu
condition which will relieve the
terrible ordeal of getting into our
city when the winter comes,
ooo
We being an umble citizen,
may not have any right to write
such things, bat we teei it our
be set right. But wo propose to
go deeper into the matter and
give oar people all the facts,
ooo
It may be a legitimate transac
tion for the con ty to issue bonds
and then placed iu a bank where
it can be used five or six years by
that institution doing the county
no earthly good, bat on the other
band is paying interest, bat, if
such is the esse it is au injustice
to the tax payers.
A Fearful Fate.
It is a fearful fate to have to
endure the terrible torture of
Piles. ”1 can truthfully say,”
writes Harry CoIbod, of Mason-
ville, la., ‘‘that for Blind, Bleed-
iug, Itching and Protruding Piles,
Buckleu's Aruica Salve, is thc-
best cure made.” Also best for
cuts, burns and injuries. 25c at all
druggist.
Our dispensary has beeu under
a cloud ever since it has been es
tablished, as all other* are. It is
strange that a people who think
it ia place where crime is engen
dered, not only from the drinking
of the whiskey, bat in the way of
sellmg and buying, would be wil
ling to hang on to it so long. Bat
the upheaval will come by and
by.
There are some atraDge things
going the rounds iu this section.
If we mistake not it was reported
that Mr. C. W. Cooper said that
if he did not move back to Athens
he would resign his position as
alderman at the last meeting of
council. Council met and Mr.
Cooper was not there aud nothing
was said. What is the matter?
See the pretty new line of Jardi
niere at The Huggius China House.
Large glazed and beautifully deco
rated from 85e up.
The family of Mr. Dave Miller
have nearly all beeu sick the past
week.
The cool aud warm weather
has tended to create sickness
among the children, and some
grown people.
When the new campus deal is
made you may look for some big
things in the way of building, and
that help* to make cities.
Mrs. J. E. Gardner has been
quite unwell the past week.
How would this sound, "City of
Athens, County of Athens, Ga ?"
Did you ever think that if a new
zouuty was formed comprising the
oity of Athens what a big thing it
would be for ns? Why not?
The winners iu R. Brandt's
prize conteetwere Miss Mamie Da
vis, first prize, Miss Miriam Hasel-
ton second. Miss Edith Hodgson
third.
Miss Miuuie Pledger, of Win
der spent several days with Miss
Nellie Gardner on Baxter street
last week.
Refrigerators, Ice Boxee, Fly
Fans and all other seasonable
goods at the right prices at The
Huggins China House.
Do you want to sell property?
Do you want to buy or rent property?
IF 80 WRITE OR OALL ON U8
DOZIER REALTY CO.
14 COLLEGE AVENUE ATHENS QA.
We buy, sell and rent property.
A trial is all we ask.
