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Show THE CITIZEN 8 giiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiMnMWMMMHiniwdniiiiininiiiimmiiniimiiiiiwHHiwwwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiwiMiiiMUUHiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiMiiiiiiiiHig OBSERVATION PLANE Highway Commission Neglects Roads many miles of concrete pavement on the county roads the most durable of all pavements neglect is beginning to cause disintegration. It costs only $100 per mile per year to keep these splendid roads in repair, but small defects are allowed to become big ones and the WJ ITH process of decay is accelerated. The concrete roads help support a Utah industry of importance the cement industry. The concrete road is, therefore, a home product and it behooves the authorities to see to it that the best obtainable pavement shall not come into disrepute as a re- sult of their neglect. inhas Governor Bamberger serted in the newspapers a convincing appeal for home products, and no doubt he would include the concrete roads in the list of home products. In fact, many miles of new concrete roads are to be laid and for this the people of the state are duly thankful, but the state can save thousands of dollars if the highway commission takes proper care of the roads after they are laid. Criticism of concrete roads is caused by a condition that can be prevented. The public has been delighted with these roads because of their superiority over other kinds that have been tried and found wanting, but it goes without saying that the cause of good roads will suffer commission unless the highway adopts the policy of a stich in time when making repairs. Take the State street road as an example. This is probably the most traveled road in the county. It has borne an immense amount of traffic every day for years. Earlier repairs would have saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars. The Beck street road, also known as the Ogden road, is a thing of beauty and a joy to all who travel it, but slight repairs are needed. The joints, which ordinarily were a fourth of an inch in width, have grown at the surface to half an inch. Steps should be taken immediately to prevent this road from pounding itself to pieces. A little expense will save a much greater expense in the future. South highway is The Thirty-thiranother case in point. There is one section of three miles of concrete near Salt Lake and another section of a mile near Magna. The section is already in serious condition for want of repairs. Both sections have been neglected as the result of an indefensible policy. d one-mil- e In Provo four miles of concrete road are in excellent repair. With commendable foresight the authorities have made repairs at the first signs of wear. The pavement looks as well today as when put down several years ago. If the state commission will consult the Provo folk they will find, we believe, that the cost of repairs has. been inconsiderable as compared with the cost of repairing roads which have been neglected. The state has had such an unfortunate experience with makeshift roads and the public is so well satisfied with concrete roads that it is most regretable that our best roads are not properly cared for. There should be a change of policy in this regard. When we get the best, let us do what we can to preserve it. nitude of the problem. Consequently our water system has been expanded in a picayunish fashion, bit by bit. No broad plan of water supply ever has been formulated and consistently to time. Buyer, after ordering a few tons of coal the other day, was informed by Mr. Dealer that deliveries might not begin for three weeks. But the country cant prosper on that kind of work," said Buyer, who happens to be a philosopher, despite the fact that he pays his bills Why not?" inquired Buyer. No labor, said Dealer. My force is all shot to pieces." I thought there were a lot of men out of work," said Buyer. Yes, my men are out of work several days a week," replied Dealer cryp- promptly. Dealer scratched his head. making, at least. Already there are symptoms of overcrowding at Liberty Park. It is difficult to keep such a park always fair and beautiful when it is the only resort of its kind in a big city. Hot Talk On Labor In Coal Office curious phases of the labor situation come to light from time Q OME Mr. tically. Why dont you keep your force working and send up my coal?" Dealer laughed. I ran my own business once," he said, but not now. I have given tip trying. There is so much prosperity that my men wont work long hours and they take frequent layoffs. Too much prosperity. Suddenly he pointed to a man who was strolling placidly in front of the office. Park in all its summer glory cannot but wish that Salt Lake had more like it. Liberty Park has been growing in splendor for years and is now one of the most beautiful parks in the country. We keep polishing our single gem as if we never were to enough men in summer and of all the additional men I needed in the fall. The men who worked on the sprinkling wagons would show up in my office after the first rain in September and say, how about a job? I would put them to work and they have another. A few weeks ago we remarked that was done. It was not until the indentations had become so deep that lack of vision was principally to blame Years ago for our water famine. they threatened to break the springs those whose province it was to proof every automobile which struck vide water for the future use of Salt them that repairs began to be made Lake failed to vision what was to be. in earnest. It was not too late, but Each succeeding official in charge of it certainly was not early enough. water supply failed to grasp the mag would work every day except Sunday and on Sunday in case of an emer- - fects were allowed to grow and, as a matter of course, the heavy traffic, in time, wore the small abrasions into ruts and holes. Even then nothing - VNE who has viewed Liberty - at-th- week, and this is Wednesday. In the good old days I was always Bure of Had the state highway commission seen to it that the first slight defe'i were repaired there could have been no reason for complaint These de- get enough money for a pleasant vacation of two or three days and then lay off. Why dont you discharge them?" You cant run a busi-nes- s said Buyer. that way." ' Who is trying to run a business? said Dealer, genially. Im not. The men are running it Every day I call up the yards to find out how much business I am permitted to do. It isnt a question of taking orders: I get more orders than I can fill. I try to dodge some of them. The men yards let me know each day just how much business they thmk I ought to do. And as for firing any of them I couldnt think of it except in the most extreme cases. I am lucky if I can keep any- one of my men a month." advocated. In our opinion our park commissioners have suffered from a similar lack of vision. Instead of one park of the size and quality of Liberty Park we should have three or four in the Thats one of my men," he said. He made so much money last week that he hasn't worked a day this More Liberty Parks Needed By City - ful to their work as they once were- especially the young fellows who are not married. They work until they i gency. "Mind you," he added, I dont want to convey the impression that I am paying excessive wages. I am paying the scale and I dont consider it excessive in view of the high cost of living. But the boys are not as faith - The country is prospering to such an extent just now," he responded, that my workmen take a day off whenever it pleases them." It cant last," said Buyer. The country will go down to perdition if that kind of thing continues to . I wish you would deliver that in the form of a lecture to my men," said Dealer. Here's a Little More Water For You T ITTLE drops of water from our city water supply are growing littler. Commissioner Neslen, as we indicated in a cartoon a few weeks ago, will be giving us water out of a bottle if the famine continues to progress favorably. As apportioner of our limited wate supply the Commissioner has been accused of discrimination. We have heard complaints from the West Side that it is discriminated against in favor of .the South Temple district by the simple device of fixing the hours during which the working folk find it impossible to sprinkle. Perhaps the Commissioner is doing the best he can. At all events well say he is, but while we are sayin( it we are curious. Why is it that a citizen .who pays twice as much for water as does his (Continued on Page 16.) e |