Show INDIRECT INDIRECT TAXES TA ES ESThe The proposal to t Increase water rates to 10 consumers is only another way of ot increasing the burden of Qt taxation with without out Jut having It appear as a direct tax taz on the citizen a devious way of using the tho tho property of all the as a new means of adding to their already h I avy IY load Stated simply pl the waterworks of tle t p pc tAy c it ty has paid a profit in t years amounting to about Th The plan now no Is i s to use this waterworks system as a pr fit business instead In of o giving the consumers who with other property owners paid for tor the system the benefit of a service at close chose to cost The idea that a public utility belonging to the city should be used as a source of or profit is something new in municipal management Usually both in this i i country and abroad iU ft has been sup supposed supposed posed to be good management if It a pub public public lic lie utility paid for the cost ost of Its Us main maln maintenance with a surplus for repairs Im lm Improvements pro ments and depreciation If It a private private private vate corporation owned the Salt Lake waterworks and proposed to Increase Its rates when it was already making a handsome profit such as the plant now flOw makes the public would make a protest that could be heard herd all aU over th the i country Yet the present presen city council proposes exactly that same thing and expects the public to approve it com corn complacently complacently Another objection holds good goo against the proposed increase in rates It is intended to make m ke all alt the burden fall faU fallon fallon on consumers of ot water instead of on the tho ensure property of ot the city cit As Councilman Hall pointed out in his in interview Interview inter ter ew with The Herald He ld on Thursday the property of ot all Salt Lake is benefi ben efi ed by the fire protection of the wa water water Water ter system the general property pr perty hold holdings holdIng holdings ings Ing get the benefit of at street sprinkling street cleaning sewer flushing and other water service That Being the case it ft is only fair that the cost of maintaining the system including In tn Interest interest terest on bonds should fall faU all aU the property instead of ot on the householders and other consumers consumer alone f Only Onh one valid excuse can be offered for the tile proposed increase and that is ia the necessity for raising revenue be because because because cause of the city administrations ex cx extravagance extra tra gance Having about reached the limit of at taxation In other directions it itis itis itis is compelled to resort to indirect taxes like this water schedule and mulct the people on oni the plea that the new bond issue compels an increase I rates The same excuse was made for an increase In the general levy of last year ostensibly for tor the payment payment of interest Int rest but nobody is able to find out now whether the money has been used for tor that purpose of ot t not Generally speaking any discussion of or city finances mus be largely in the nature of a gUess because no one knows what the actual condition of or city finances Is but it Is safe sate to as assume assume assume sume that all the funds are exhausted now except such as are held In trust for tor street improvements and similar objects And until the city authorities make a clean breast of public affairs tell teU exactly how far they are in debt what the ultimate limit of the over oer overdraft overdraft draft Is and what economies are in con contemplation until these facts are made known there can tan be no approval of any plan to increase taxes directly or indi indirectly Indirectly roe Some of or these days the present ad administration ministration will have flae to make a con confession confession confession and appeal to the public for tor abond a abond abond bond issue or some sone other special meas measure measure measure ure of relief They may as well know now holy that nothing of the sort will be approved until they th r decide to tell the truth and all aU of it about the publics business |