| OCR Text |
Show COMPARISON IS ABSURD. The Joseph F Smith franchise proposition. propo-sition. The Samuel Newhouse franchise proposition. These are the two franchise propositions proposi-tions new before the city. To compare tho two would be absurd. ab-surd. To contrast them is easy. The first asks everything, and gives practically nothing; It Is a clear Incubus Incu-bus on the city now and will be so for as long as it may have power to afflict the people. Its plant is scattered, disjointed, Inefficient, In-efficient, It confessedly cannot supply light and power cither as satisfactory In character or as cheaply as other plants In this State can and do. And et It seeks the consolidation and extension ex-tension of its franchises. Just as if It were a good and effective plant, and were supplying satisfactory service. But with a concern w hich is not able, to give as good service, nor at as cheap a rate as others give and charge, even now, what an infamous imposition it would be upon this city and Its people to compel them to stand for fifty years the debilitated service ser-vice that Is already out of date' What possible excuse can be pleaded for such an exercise of rank folly, the Infliction of such an outrage upon the inhabitants of Salt Lake0 But It may be said that with tho consolidation con-solidation and extension of the franchises fran-chises of this company, as Impudently demanded and insisted upon by President Presi-dent Smith for his effete monopoly, that concern would put In an Improved plant and give better service. We have all heard this sort of talk for years, and what has come of It? Nothing whatever. what-ever. There have been pretended improvements, im-provements, but they did not improve. There have been alleged reinforcements to the light and power capacity of the concern, but they did not reinforce In anv degree that the consumers could note But all the time, on the contrarv. there was complaint of bad ser Ice, and the plant became more and more run down. And all the time the permanent per-manent investment charge was far be-'yond be-'yond any reasonable capitalization, and the "fixed charges" were enorn.ous-ly enorn.ous-ly beyond what even a good and sufficient suffi-cient plant should have Inflicted upon it Beyond any question, the swelling of these "fixed charges" that the people peo-ple would have to meet in their schedule sched-ule of rates, would be the chief noticeable notice-able "improvement'' that the people would feel. And for this, the Council Is asked to bind the city for fifty years, not only to this infirm and greedy monopoly, but to refrain from any attempt to really enforce good service, or to help Itself by putting In a municipal plant. On the other hand. Mr Newhouse proposes to put in a plant sufficient for all purposes, one that w ill be up to date, will meet every requirement f.r light and power, at a ccst to the people of one-third below the present schedule sched-ule of the old monopoly. He agrees to get to work at once on hil great plant, and to pursue work upon It with diligence until It is finished fin-ished He agrees to confer upon the city genuine benefits equal to the sham benefits ben-efits which the Smith corporation pic-tc-nds to confer but does not. He agrees to make this scheme of his for the lighting of the city and furnishing fur-nishing power to It, a part of a, vast Investment which will put In an ore-reducing ore-reducing plant near the city, of far greater capacity than any other in the w orld. He agrees to pay a fair tax on tho gross earnings of his light and power business in the city, an3 to furnish an Immense plant which will be taxed also on Its fair appraised valuation. His scheme has the warm approval of the business men of this city, and of the people In general, precisely as the Smith scheme has the disapproval and has earned the disgust of tke peo- pie and of the business communu, m general. And there is the contrast. As we said at the first, it is not a comparison, for the two propositions, being -""' one being for the benefit and upbuilding upbuild-ing of the city and the other a mere parasite, troublesome and hampering, do not admit of being compared. We shall soon know which the Council Coun-cil prefers, the affliction or the benefit. But there can be no question as to where the business and the popular preference lies, it is with practically unanimous nnd loud-shouting voice for Mr New-house's magnificent proposition proposi-tion to help, serve efficiently and upbuild up-build Salt T-ke. |
