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Show WOKSE AND WORSE IMBECILITY I ' The absolute surrender of the Morris administration to the Smith Light and Railway company Is seen to be the more abject, tho more there Is found out about It. It was. known that tho administration ad-ministration was obliged to prove false to Its pledges It made to the people, to utilize the fall at tho mouth of Far- ley's canyon for light and power purposes; pur-poses; it was known that the city had surrendered Its sovereignty and erected that monopolizing corporation Into nn Independent government within the city, which -the municipality has no right to Interfere with; it was known that the city had given up its right to declare forfeit the franchise granted. no mattor how flagrantly It might be violated all these things were known. It was realized that tho city reserved no remedy, no matter how outrageously the Smith monopoly might abuse Its privileges, save only the long-drawn-out possibility of a suit in tho courts, a remedy of doubtful Issue, and certain of being too late to meet the specific case on which the suit was founded. But It was not known that the Smith concern, oj? though to emphasize its contempt for the city's rights, reserved to Itself a clause of forfeiture which it demanded that the city should agree to. It put In the conveyance of Its alleged al-leged water right and land going with it, a forfeiture clause; that If the city should ever do anything the company might construe as a violation of Its side of the contract, the company would revoke re-voke Its deed, resume possession of its land and alleged water right, and render ren-der the expenditures made by the city to get this water so much absolute waste. , It Is an ingenious whip over the city, which gives the Smith company the upper hand at every turn, on pain of the forfeiture of a million dollars. The company holds the city In bond to that amount, to let it alone to do as it pleases. But if the city does any act displeasing to the company, that It can construe as a violation of Its franchise contract, tho city can be at once punished pun-ished by the revocation of the deed and the shutting off of the water supply. The harsh conditions of the options and contracts which the city signed with the farmers, were the subject of much criticism, and even indignation, in this city. Those contracts give the 'farmers the right to shut off the cltya supply arbitrarily, If for twelve hour:, the water promised by the city to be delivered to them through the canal' falls. That was bad enough, in ail conscience. con-science. But here is a grinding stipulation stipu-lation far worse. It is practically a bond the city gives for its good behavior, be-havior, to the company. If the city acts to the satisfaction of the monopoly, monopo-ly, letting It without question exercise the Independent sovereignty and uncontrolled un-controlled oppression It wishes to, then the city can take that water which the company has claimed. If not, If the city In any way undertakes to help it-self, it-self, or to relieve tho public from the onerous exactions of this xrasplnir and siy monopoly, then the company will resume possession of the water, and the city will be helpless. It was hoped, that the depths of Imbecility Imbe-cility manifested by tho present administration admin-istration in Its dealings with the Smith Light and Railway company, had been sounded. But It Is shown that there was an unsuspected and deeper depth of Imbecility, that the public knew not of. And now, knowing it, the public can do nothing but hide Its face In shame that the people's Interests should be so shamefully betrayed. The company has the city foul, In this bond for non-interference with the light and railway concern: what bond has tho city .for the performance by the company com-pany of the things It has engaged to do? None. And this marks the difference between the alert, unscrupulous, crafty concern presided over by Joseph F. Smith and the careless, reckless, indifferent, ignorant, ig-norant, and stupid management of the affairs of the city, as presided over by Mayor Morris. It shows an inefficiency so enormous that one cannot possibly speak of it without Indignation and disgust. |