To the Editor of the Norra-Cuina Datty News."
Srn,—The ratepayers' letter to the Municipal Council, appearing in your columns of to-day, in protest against the huge loan asked for by the Electricity Department, called forth much unsympathetic comment towards the latter.
What seems strange to "the man in the street" is just why the Municipality acquired the city's electric lighting, in the first instance, when there were things of a far more vital nature to be attended to but were ignored. Electric lighting is not a vital necessity to either health or commerce, even if the industry refused to stand on its own legs without government pap. The city has an excellent gas plant in competent hands that could be relied on to brighten things up; and even though we degenerated to Rockefeller fluid and the wax candle we would not\be in such dire misery or any nearer the gates of Bubbling Well Cemetery.
On the contrary if the Tls. 6,000,000 were asked for to acquire the Waterworks, I venture to say that public comment would be much more favourable. A city's water supply is of the very first importance and should never be left under private control, even when the city is unimportant and the source of supply excellent, neither of which conditions obtains here. Let pause to think what a complete stoppage of the city's water supply for a single day would mean—panic if not disaster. If the electric light failed for that. period it would not result in anything more serious than impatient exclamations and a visit to the compradore for candles or lamps. But fully as important as its quantity, is the quality of a city's ater and ours to-day is but liquid th at its source; and though the sible filth is removed by filtration and precipitation before it reaches vs, you may be sure the invisible organisms are present in hosts and actively dangerous.
Therefore. I would entreat, if "the powers that be" have the Tls. 6,000,000 by all means let go towards good water and keep our children from the bone yard.
I am, ete.,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.