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Show I NEW BRANCH OF THE WATER GRAFT I After Investigating both sides of the question, Truth desires to bo understood under-stood as unequivocally opposing the granting of a franchise to the Consolidated Consoli-dated Railway and Power company for a term of fifty years boyond the time of the franchise (about 40 years) under which it is now operating, or for any other term. This paper has not joined In the general clamor raised by the city papers, pa-pers, for the reason that it wanted to bo put in possession of all tho facts before expressing an opinion. Now that those facts have been submitted submit-ted there is no apparent reason why such a valuable privilege should bo given away, for that is what Is asked. The concession pleaded for by the Consolidated is worth a great deal of money. It would mean tho occupation of tho stieets of tho city as thoy are at present for nearly a century to come. It would mean that posterity would have to tolerate tho company with no just consideration at rates fixed by tho concern and would be binding our children and their children chil-dren to a condition that might bo very unjust. No ono can predict tho future of light and power as applied by electricity. elec-tricity. Improvements aro so rapid that wo can scarcely keep pace with them. Dy tho time this proposed franchise shall have elapsed there Is ltttlo doubt that electricity will bo within the reach of tho poorest and that Its uses will bo much more gen-oral gen-oral than at present. By tho time this proposed concession shall have elapsed electricity will no doubt bo not only in uso for lighting and power Purposes, but for heating as well, and the plan of distribution greatly improved im-proved and cheapened. But laying aside tho speculative and I turning to tho practical; tho con-; con-; siaeration offered by the company is 1 Iar frm being adequate. This fran-1 fran-1 chise, as proposed by the attorney for I nnLnporatlon ls worth at least $5,-I $5,-I 0;(00- When it is considered that eighty years ago New York City was I ?" y twlco tho present size of Salt 1 ' ,whil Philadelphia and Baltimore Balti-more had about the same population, MoT01,11 in valuo of a Privilege like tllls city can bo estimated with somo degree of accuracy. nf fetliFn for thls favor n the part I , c'ty tho company proposes to CnftnL0 . Clty Certain r)Bhts ,n B15 ti,n "wood canyon said to bo worth he LUS f, ?100'000- Granting that run n MeUon of the corporation is nish ?Sd at 11 w111 continue to fur-lent fur-lent ucly government Itself with. 'm as it does now, and that it will "m 1 pay a tax on each car used of $:.j per annum, the offer ls not an advantageous advanta-geous one. But the rights In Big Cottonwood aro not worth $100,000. Nor is it at all likely that tho company has any rights there at all, except in its plant that is located at "the stairs" which was constructed by Jones somo years ago. As tho matter looks to Truth tho whole scheme is the result of the attempt at-tempt on tho part of tho present administration ad-ministration to increase tho water supply. As ls well known the mayor has been trying to establish a record for himself. Truth believes that in order to lncreaso that supply tho mayor, as stated by Judge LeGrand Young in his communication to tho council, suggested that If tho corporation corpora-tion controlling the lighting and street railways owned any rights in tho canyon can-yon the city would bo glad to extend franchises in return for a surrender of tho rights. That on tho strength of those statements tho company decided de-cided to file an application for an extension. ex-tension. This entire water deal Is rotten. The conditions aro that tho city Is to got certain water rights now owned by farmers by exchange. Tho city is to give 25 per cent more of tho water of Utah lake for Irrigation than It will receive from the cold streams of tho canyon and from the source of tho proposed pro-posed supply which will be piped Into tho city as a result of tho recent salo of city bonds. In addition tlioro Is a bonus of $10 per aero to each farmer farm-er Included in the deal. It is a merry good thing for tho agriculturist, but a bad affair for tho city tax payer. Tho payment of tho sum of $40,000 or any other amount to tho owners of tho old papor mill, sltuatod, or which was situated, this sldo tho mouth ot tho Big Cottonwood canyon, Is folly. What rights existed there lapsed years ago. The mill stood idlo when tho writer came to Utah In 1890 and was dismantled of its machinery. It has sinco burned down. To hold water for power purposes, or other purposes, ono must uso it. This water has not been -used for power purposes for that term of years. It did not "even flow through tho channels designed de-signed to convoy it to tho mill boforo tho building burned and it certainly has not flowed through them sinco. To pay $40,000 or any other amount for something that does not exist Is throwing tho money nway and any attempt on tho part , tho council to do such an act ought to bo on-joined on-joined by tho courts. Tho proposed extension of tho light and railway company's franchise ls nothing but part and parcel of tho corrupt and senseless water proposition on which tho present city administration purposes pur-poses to squander a million dollars. The whole scheme should bo knocked in tho head. n |