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Show Civic Accomplishments and Plans Told by Mayor Ferry I Work of Police Department Emphasized; Traffic Is Well Handled. By JMAYOK W. MONT FERRY. I HAVE been asked to present to Tribuuc readers a brief survey of things accomplished by the various departments of city government during the past year and an outline of future plans. Lack of space will compel the omission of many things, so, in the interests of brevity, mention will be mado of only the most important accomplishments ac-complishments and the .most pressing problems. Second to no other department in the interest of the public, is the police department. de-partment. With an area of fifty square miles and a population of approximately approxi-mately 125,000, Salt Lake City has fewer police officers than almost any other city in the country of like size, but during the year, through reorganization, reorgani-zation, a slight increase in numbers and the adoption of systematic methods, the department has been brought to an enviable degree of efficiency. The number of major crimes committed commit-ted during the year has been remarkably remark-ably small, and the public should know and appreciate that 'this has been due", in no small degree, to the activity of the department in apprehending major criminals and impressing them with the advisability of going elsewhere. The surveillance of criminals and the prevention of crime are more important than the capture of criminals and their punishment after the crime has been committed. Silent Feature. This feature of police department work is one regarding which the public hears little and so it knows practically nothing of the good work of this kind done by the local force. From observations in other cities and from comments made by those who travel extensively, I am satisfied that our traffic problem is being exceptionally exception-ally well handled in the business district. dis-trict. The great danger to be contended con-tended with lurks in the residential sections where paved streets and the too often realized safety from police control entice auto drivers into recklessly reck-lessly endangering the lives of pedestrians pedes-trians in their mad desire to "speed." With so much territory to cover and so few men available, we cannot hope to successfully cope with "speed demons" de-mons" and criminally careless drivers without the active co-operation of the public. We are most anxious to curb those drivers who run ,by street cars taking on or discharging passengers, who endanger school children and pedestrians pe-destrians with their speed, and who run with mufflers open. The department depart-ment will gladly respond to the reports of traffic violations, and the name of the informant will be kept secret if desired. de-sired. ; Perplexing Problem. The elimination of those evils always present where the undesirable elements of society congregate, as thev do in large cities, has been and continues to be a perplexing problem. The department depart-ment will have the united support of the commission in its efforts to minimize minim-ize these evils and protect the moral conditions of the community. Two large fire losses at 'the close of. the year robbed the fire department of a chance to establish a remarkably low record for per capita fire loss for one year. But though denied such a distinction, dis-tinction, the officers and members of the department may take justifiable pride in the work accomplished in fire prevention and the reduction of fire MAYOR W. MONT FERRY, FER-RY, who tells of civic accomplishments in 1916 and outlines problems of the future. hazards through the very extensive and thorough system of inspection that .has become an important feature of the department's de-partment's activities. Attention is called to the fact that during the past year, and for some time previous, there have been no fires of consequence in the business district, where the large property values are. The inspections made are, in a very large, measure, responsible re-sponsible for this condition. Added Efficiency. It is the expectation that, motor-driven motor-driven equipment will be' placed in all fire stations as rapidly as conditions will permit. This will result in added efficiency, enabling the department to cover more territory and cover it quicker quick-er than is possible at present, and result also in a marked saving in maintenance expense. The continued advance in the price of hay, grain and other articles necessary when horses are used, makes the contemplated change desirable from a business standpoint, even if there were no other considerations involved. The manner in which the public has co-operated with and responded to suggestions sug-gestions and advice from the health department de-partment has been most gratifying. The department's greatest field of usefulness useful-ness is in bringing the public to an appreciation ap-preciation of, the fact that the provisions pro-visions being enforced have as their purpose the removal of conditions that jeopardize health: they are preventive measures designed to secure protection from disease arising through ignorance, carelessness, selfishness or willful neglect, neg-lect, leading to insanitary conditions in and around homes, stores and sources of supply. Enviable Position. ' AH reports and statistics touching on municipal health indicate that Salt Lake City occupies an enviable position among the cities of the country, and our citizens may rest assured that' the work of the health department will in no wise be hampered by lack of support from the commission. The improvements made on the streets during the past year have not been confined to those coming under the head of "special improvements" and done by contract. The street department depart-ment has done a large amount of work throughout the residential sections through its own organization; this including in-cluding graveling and grading twenty-one twenty-one and one-half miles of streets, building build-ing a large number of new bridges and flumes, repairs to paved streets and cleaning out miles of drainage ditches on unpaved streets. A series of experiments have been conducted having for their object the finding of a method of treating deteriorating de-teriorating macadamized streets so that their life may ,be prolonged and the necessity of repaying avoided. These experiments have produced satisfactory sat-isfactory results, and if expectations are realized, as in all probability they will be, several miles of streets will be restored to first-class condition at a very reasonable cost. Climatic conditions have had much to do with retarding work on paving contracts, consequently several con"- , tracts on tins year's programme have had to be carried over. Prominent among them is Beck street, which is to be taken up as soon as the frost is out of the ground, and pushed to completion. comple-tion. Paving completed in the eastern portion of the city has given us additional addi-tional links in the "Wasatch boulevard." boule-vard." and it is hoped that the re-i re-i maining links may be connected up next j year. i The department of waterworks has j continued throughout the year a pro-i pro-i gramme designed to secure a pure, safe j and adequate water supply for the citv. j This programme contemplates provision : for the future as well as the present, and under this feature come the reser- voirs and storage dams constructed and in course of construction. From the Cottonwood storage dam there was taken about 302,000,000 gallons of water wa-ter during the past year to make up deficiency de-ficiency of supply secured from streams. Various conditions contributed to delay de-lay completion of the Parley's canyon dam, but it will be finished next summer sum-mer beyond a doubt, and the available water supply in storage increased by millions of gallons. In the opinion of the department the installation of water meters has been a great aid in curtailment of wate! waste; these installations now number over 2000, and are continuing at a rapid rate. Improvement Plans. The department has in contemplation various plans calling for additional pipe lines and rearrangement of distribution, under which certain sections of the city will be assured better water supply than is possible under existing arrangements. That the people of the city lullv appreciate ap-preciate the juiblic parks is evidenced by the nisi'Mie-i. iii which thev have used them during th-ist season. On holidays. holi-days. SiuidiYys-.aujr ooMrt davs-the parks have all beeji f illdTSnr so great-has great-has been the incre.-.s-vm attendance it has been necessary lotuild a large K ""TV Perplexing Problem of 1917 Is Raising of Additional Addi-tional Money. number of seats and benches to accommodate accom-modate the people. The park department has continued its programme of improvement and beautificatiou at all the parks; new lawns have been planted, thousands of new plants pnt out, additions made to i the aquarium and zoo, and every step taken to make them the ideal play- I grounds for the masses. At Liberty park a new and commo- dious comfort station is being installed, which will be a distinct addition and thoroughly in keeping with the surroundings. sur-roundings. City Operating "Springs." After having been operated for thirty-five years by leasing companies, the Warm Springs property is now under I management by the city. It was taken over in April, buildings were thoroughly thorough-ly renovated; painted and repaired, additional addi-tional dressing rooms provided and the k water supply and heating system improved. im-proved. In all an expense of $8973 was incurred, but the patronage has been so generous and constant that a profit of $1050 has been realized in the eight months the city has operated the resort. This is satisfactory evidence that Warm Springs can be conducted as a municipal bathing resort on a paying basis. The park department plans the erection erec-tion next year of fl. lnro-n stirl onmrnn- dious bath house, having the latest and best features as demonstrated by the experience of other cities whose plans and methods of operation are being studied. While our wide streets, flanked on each side with rows of shade trees, have long excited the favorable comment com-ment of visitors, their beauty is being enhanced year by year bv the parking system established. The latest notable addition is on Sixth East street from Fourth to Ninth South street, where nineteen new sections of parking have been put out in new lawns planted and an automatic sprinkling system installed. in-stalled. Most Serious Problem. The close of each year sees the completion com-pletion of much municipal work; each new year brings the city government face to face with new conditions to be met, new problems to be solved. Undoubtedly Un-doubtedly the most serious and important impor-tant problem confronting the present administration involves the city's revenues. reve-nues. With the advent of prohibition the city will lose $228,000 now received from liquor licenses. How to replace this revenue is. a problem calling for the most serious consideration. The most obvious solution would be to curtail cur-tail expenses in exact proportion to the amount of revenue lost. luasmuch as the ordinary operating expenses of city government cannot be materially reduced, the, only other way in which to effect a saving would be to discontinue .improvements. This would be a short-sighted policy. A government, gov-ernment, like an individual, cannot stand still; it must continue to advance or it will go backward. It is true that Salt Lake City was late in starting its public improvements; only within the past twenty years have we been spending spend-ing money for sewers, sidewalks, paving, pav-ing, water supply, etc., and it is true also that we are even now behind many cities of like population and wealth in this line of work. We cannot, pause now or we will at once fall behind in the march of progress. prog-ress. Some other way must be found; we cannot pay the cost this step would entail. Prohibitive Tax. Were we to undertake to secure additional ad-ditional revenue through increases in licenses, and an effort made to so replace re-place the entire amount of $228,000, it would result in placing a prohibitive tax on industry. Any plan to in any way increase the tax rate should not be adopted without the most serious consideration and a full appreciation of the hardships such action would visit upon many of our citizens. We are hopeful that a plan may be worked out whereby the running expenses ex-penses of the city government may be properly cared for out of current revenues reve-nues that will be available. As for public improvements I believe be-lieve that permanent public improvements improve-ments should not be paid for out of current revenues, but from the proceeds of bond issues. Such improvements benefit those who come after us as well as ourselves, and their cost should be borne by them as well as by those who are here now. Let such bonds run for a term of years equal to the life of the improvement, and the cost will be fairly and equally apportioned among all those bencfitod by the improvement. I urge the citizens of Salt Lake to give this question of bond issues for permanent improvements the serious consideration it merits. Would Take in County. I would also direct attention to a plan wliich proposes the creation of the city and county of Salt Lake. Briefly stated, this plan contemplates a consolidation con-solidation of the territory now contained con-tained within the city limits into a county by itself, and the creation of a new county embracing all the territory outside the city limits and -within the present county limits. This would result re-sult in a consolidation of offices; a saving for the city's use of thousands of dollars in taxes now paid to the county government and spent out in the county, and make possible a more compact, rapid and efficient system of administration. The consummation of such a plan would bring with it "home rule"; the people of the new city and county would administer their own affairs af-fairs independent of outside influences. The amount of money that would be saved to our citizens that would be diverted from county to city uses would enable us to meet all our expenses ex-penses and, in all probability, enable us to make a marked reduction in our tax rate. At the same time, I am satisfied, sat-isfied, the territory contained in the proxsed new county would produce ample revenue for the proper conduct of its business. This plan is being adopted by the larger cities of the country, anil has everywhere been a relief to the people interested and a complete success in ope.-;mi-Jaiow-Iedge of its successful success-ful jpPt'raiionv ifclTre and an appre-ciati"' appre-ciati"' of 0I1,f ",,iwSn4 pro.b- |