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Show WMl PELL OF fflHVBL wm is mmm imm ; . : . Council on the Trail of an Industry That Pays Owners of Privilege $20,000 a Year and the City Only Gets $400 of This Great Sum. Now the gravel graft is to go. The City Council is investigating this industry by which the city receives a revenue of about $400 per annum, and the persons holding the privilege of supplying the city with gravel close to $20,000 per annum. .Not only this, but the city is compelled to maintain good roads over which the gravel is hauled. The civic beauty of Salt Lake is seriously menaced by the digging of these unsightly gravel pits. WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE TOE DEATH KXELIi TO THE SIAIX-TAIXIXG SIAIX-TAIXIXG OP GRAVEIi PITS OX CITY PROPERTY WAS SOUNDED MONDAY EVENING BY COUNCTL-MAN COUNCTL-MAN FERNSTROM AND OTHERS ON THE FLOOR OF THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. In an address before the Council Fernstrom made a strong argument against the Industry which now nets a revenue of $300 or $400 a year to the city, causes thousands of dollars' worth of repairs to be made on the streets AND NETS THE PERSONS , HOLDING THE PRIVILEGES ! CLOSE ON TO 920,000 'A YEAR. Not only is the revenue received by the city declared to be far inadequate, but the yawning pits ion the mountain sides spoil the civic beauty of the drives about the city. "I am in favor of revoking all the privileges given for gravel pits," declared de-clared Fernstrom. "It is not right that the citizens should give money to have a boulevard made and then have it spoiled by gravel wagons passing over it. "Are we going to allow people to take the gravel and ruin our boulevards? boule-vards? If we allow gravel to be taken from the North bench we are going to lose money for the city. It costs thousands thou-sands of dollars a year for the streets and many thousands of this could be saved If the gravel did not wash down the sides of the mountain. The people peo-ple should reserve that side of the bench. It Is the place that the entire city can see. "We are now getting between $300 and $400 a year to have that bench made unsightly and paying out more In repairs than we are receiving in tlio way t revenue. When the new boulevard is turned over to us. we cannot afford to pay out a large amount of money each year for the purpose of keeping this road In repair for the gravel wagons to cut up. "In order to be fair about the mat- ter I believe that there should be no gravel pits maintained on city property. prop-erty. There are plenty of places where gravel can be dug and the city will not be hurt. "Where are some of them," demanded de-manded Councilman Hobday. "Well, there is plenty of gravel up by Beck's hot springs." declared the Councilman from the Third ward. "The mountains can be dug up there as much as people please to- and the beauty of -Salt Lake City will not be spoiled in any way. "I am decidedly In favor of what Mr. Fernstrom says," declared Councilman Coun-cilman Ferry.. "The North bench Is being spoiled by the unsightly gravel pits. We are spending thousands of dollars In repairing streets and ditches and they are being spoiled by these gravel pita We cannot keep the streets on the bench In decent condition," declared Councilman Tuddenham. "As it Is now the sand and debris from the gravel pits washed as far down as Brlgham street. The ditches became full of sand as soon as a rain strikes the mountains and holes are then washed in our streets. "The gravel pits are a nuisance and I for one am against gravel being taken ta-ken out of th North bench. It will wash out the boulevard and ' cause holes to be dug by the heavy wagons." "I want every Councilman to look Into tliis matter," declared A. J. Davis. President of the Council this morning. "The matter will be taken up by the Council a week from Monday and at that time I hope every Councilman will have his mind made up and he will be familiar with the conditions. I for one am not In favor of seeing the city cut to pieces and the city partus a revenue for It Instead of receiving one. The $300 or $400 a year received from gravel privileges is only a menace men-ace to the improvements of the city. It gives the gravel dealers an opportunity opportu-nity to make thousands at the expense of the city. The city has to maintain good roads for them, and does not receive re-ceive enough to pay for them in re-turn." |
