Show THAT WATER TAX the recent action of the city council in enforcing the new powers given them by tb the e last legislation 0 in assessing a tax of J of I 1 per cent for water purposes is raising raiding a furore among some of the citizens of the town some of the citizens have an altogether wrong impression regarding this matter they look upon the whole thing as simply a raise of their property tax now such is not the case A short time ago an ordinance referring to this matter and consequently giving due notice of the fact that such tax would be assessed appeared in the nr the ordinance referred to says that for the present year 1888 a water tax cofone of one half balf of one pcr cent shall be levied on all property made taxable by the law of the territory of utah to be used in supplying said beaver city with water for do and ii gating and for making and keeping in repair dutches da dams n as or any other A her means used in bringing 0 water to said city and regulating and 0 the same now it has been argued that there is not water sufficient coining into beaver for the use of the landowners this tax is for the purpose of supplying 23 the necessary quantity There therefore forc the city council say they visited lake puffer with a g view of purchasing the same to increase the water supply of beaver no we are wrong here the committee went to see the improvements at lake puffer but be that as it may the city council visited lake puffer to see eee if any increase of water wafer could bo be obtained fi from om that source dource whether it can or not is till idill a matter of question the city council having 0 made the ordinance referred to must do 10 something before trying to enforce its provisions to 0 show the people that they were in earnest in this ibis matter or they would have bave been piet with the remark we dont tee bee any plane boang adopted bythe council whereby to increase the water supply and why therefore should they ask us for a tax now the city council have shown that they intended to furnish moro more water to the people by going to puffer lake to see sec the improvements there chev what more do you want it is said that tho the lake puffer company want tho the modest sum of 1000 for these improvements if wo we buy them will they furnish us tho necessary water will the tax of one half cofone of one per cent buy those improved improve improvements i bents on Lak Puffer for 1000 and then must we pay one half of one per cc cent nt extra because tho the water r supply of beaver has been increased ifju if so wo we will find that instead of paying one haaf of one per cent the te people would bo be paying about one and one half per cent on their taxable property we have no cedre to bo be understood as endeavoring to oppose the city council in this ne y assessment but wo we are emphatically icalla op posed to taxing people unnecessarily if it were demonstrated that the to people I 1 would ran actually illy hecei receive the benefits er designed by this assessment ses and that the waters of the beaver river could bo be increased by it there would not be a dissenting voice but when it is ia realized that nil all tho the water that there is is already in the river it cannot be understood der stood haw any increase can be made only as the heavens are propitious in their supply tho the latter part of tho the ordinance strikes us its as being what is needed the keeping in repair of cf ditches dams etc and regulating and con broling the same by theeo means no doubt the water may be increased As it is evident that large qua quantities of water go to waste each year through neglect if the assessed tax is for this especial purpose it would be difficult to baiso a objection because we must all recognize tho the fact of abo neglect ca in this regard there is 19 another point that is brought up in this connection the people of beaver are called upon to pay a water tax to increase the water waler of the city tho the waters for this city flow first in the river now if this his tax increases tho the waters of the river who will receive the tha benefit bens fit the citizens of beaver city or of deaver county it is claimed by those hose who knew know that the more water that runs into bea beaver ver ca city t Y effects the other settlements to a greater or jess degree if as is claimed and hoped all the settle merits ments aro are benefited then why not transfer the matter to the county court and let tho the burden fall equal ly upon all persons interested the people of beaver city cannot see why they alone should bear the whole expense when the people of other places sharo share equally with them in the results |