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Show LIGHT PLANT AI PAPER ILL SITE, Company Is Suddenly Active. Manager Campbell Says He Is Carrying Out Old Plan. Councilman Bolloves Company Is Trying Try-ing to Forco City to Terms on. Franchise. Announcement was mndo yesterday that tho Utah Light and Railway company com-pany Intends to construct a power plant on tho site of tho Granito papor mill. It. S. Campbell, general manngor of the company, Informed Tho Trlbuno yesterday yester-day that tho work now being prosecuted up tho canyon was being dono with that end in view. Mr. Campboll denied that this was a now scheme, conceived In vlow of tho do-mand do-mand for a fifty-year franchise extension. exten-sion. When questioned by a Trlbuno representative rep-resentative he also denied that tho present pres-ent activity of tho company Is unusual. Not a New Thing-, Says Campbell. "For tho last hIx years." ho said, "wo havo been carrying out our plans with regard to thoso rights. Wo havo dono work every year around there. Ever since I becamo manager, our plans for the rights wo own on that creek havo bren tho same. Wo propose to utlllzo wio power lor an auxiliary plant. I am not awaro that wo sent out any men specially on account of tho llllngs mado by Salt Lake City and Its agents." ' Then if tho city granted you tho franchise, fran-chise, you would relinquish tho Idea of a power plant thero?" was asked. "I'es, wo would give up tho plan, of ccurse." Mr. Campbell was asked If his men had been constructing any temporary plants around tho site of tho old Granito paper mill. Ho replied: "Why, we havo been working around thero right nlong. I am not aware that wo sent any men out suddenly this week." Just a Few Coincidences. Mr. Campbell furthor said that the work was not prosecuted moro vigorously vigorous-ly In previous years becauso tho company's com-pany's plans wore not rlpo before. it is a colncldenco that tho company's plans arc becoming rlpo Just at tho time when tho filing rights thero ore being questioned. ques-tioned. It Is also a colncldenco that tho plant Is going to bo built Just nt tho t.mo when tho company wants to float somo bonds. . During all this week tho company's engineers havo been unusuallv busy around tho slto of tho old Granite paper mill. They aro digging ditches and preparing pre-paring for a canal, making a show of getting ready to construct tno new power plant. City's Engineers in tho Field. In the meantime, City Engineer George W. Rltcr has two Held parties making preparations for tho big conduit that will conduct the city's new water supply. The City Engineer made threo additional filings for the city on tho water In Big Cottonwood last Tuesday. Ono of these Is for tiro water of Spring creek, the others oth-ers on Big Cottonwood. Under tno rights conveyed by those togoihcr with tho filings mado last summer. sum-mer. It is expected that the city will bo able to invalidate tho rights claimed by tho light company. These llllngs aro to tako tho water "below tho tall race of the lowor plant of tho two present power plants of tho Utah Light and Railway company." "Would Tako Water From Old Mill. Mr. Rlter wns asked about these filings li-st night. Ho virtually admitted that yiej nuum iuku uiu wuicr-rigut avoy from tho old Granito paper mill. IJo also testified to tho unusual activity of tho company's engineers, explaining tho pcsitlon of tho canal they aro preparing to dig. Thero promises to bo a vory pretty fight between tho city and the company boforo tho matter Is flnallv settled. "Ono safeguard for tho city." said a Councilman last night. "Is tho faet that tho Water committeo has had tho advice of a lawyer who has moro knowlcdgo of tho Intricacies of water-rights than any other man In threo States. Tho peoplo peo-plo who represent the city know what they are doing all right. "Cut tho hand of tho light and railway company Is being gradually shown. If it can delay tho committee report on tho iranchlso, and construct its power plant and get the city In tho holo. It will bo a hard matter for public opinion to prevent pre-vent tho company getting Its franchise." Must Be Decided by Courts. In speaking of tho matter last night, Mayor Morris said: "Tho wholo question ques-tion Is ono that will havo to bo decided by tho courts. Our conduit takes tho water through tho company's ground and If the court decides that wo nro entitled to the water, tho Granito paper mill will be out In tho cold ' The Mayor said that tho recent tilings mado by City Engineer Rlter wero mado to cover the surplus of water. Tho llllngs of last cummer wore mndo to covor all posslblo uses of tho water that Is wanted. want-ed. This week Mr. Rlter fllod on tho surplus sur-plus and tho flood water. Thinks Company's Hig-hts Lapsed. Tho Mayor was asked If they had counted on tho company's rights having lapsed through disuse when they mado tho filings. Ho answered: "Yes, wo tcok that chance. It would seem that thero 13 .something in It, for tho company has been prosecuting tho work around thero lately. Mr. Rltor and I went out thero the other day and saw the men cleaning out tho channel nenr tho old mill. Tho man In charge told mo that they wero doing tho work by tho advlco of their attorney." |