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Show Vol. 4; SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH , DECEMBER 17, 1904. No. 45. Water Scheme a Delusion ! It is to be observed that the effort of the city officials to work up sentiment in favor of the proposed million dollar bond issue to secure the shadow of some water rights is not meeting with flattering success. Some of the pertinent questions that citizens are just now asking, are: If the proposed plan should prove a failure (and there is no guarantee whatever of its success) what would the city then do? If the bonds are voted the debt of Salt Lake is raised practically to its limit. Another issue of bonds to remedy a possible or probable wrong cannot be public-spirite- d made. What has caused this sudden determination to spend an immense sum to secure, not the title to an increased water supply, but the privilege of a exchange in which the city tets all the worst of the deal? Only one-side- d a year ago, in his mayor explicitly 1 annual report, the stated roubles and litigation that .the arising from ttia bartering for Parleys canyon waters, precluded the possibility of securi- ng in like amount the waters of Big Cottonwood. Why does a less advantageous; and more unjust exchange plan now meet with favor? Omnipotent Farmers. Are the farmers of Big Cottonwood sc omnipotent that they may demand of the city the power to arbitrate among themselves all disputed questions to which the city is a party? If they are, would it not be well to look elsewhere fcr our water supply? If the entire city is at the mercy of the farmers who have only a secondary interest In the city, we need a set of men bigger and broader-mindeat the helm to conduct our municipal d affairs. When the mayor and Councilman Fernstrom appeared before the Real Estate association to explain sition, both of them sition to evade and their po- showed a dispododge the most pointed of the queries that were fired at them. For instance, so many words Fernstrom stated in tnat there had never been any trouble over the exchange cf .water in when the canyon, Parleys court records and the memory of every fairly d testify to the contrary. well-informe- citizen will enagain. Fernstrom declared that it was the that the contract with understanding the farmers did not hold the city for cumulative damages, notwithstanding that is the plain interpretation of the instrument, and Attorney F. s. Richards has so stated. - Mr. Fernstrom knows enough to that no verbal agreement can alter the terms of a written contract, and when trouble arises, as it certainly would over the question of sieged damages, the Big Cottonwood un-f.ersta- nd larmers would naturally say, net so nominated in the bond. It Is Disadvantageous Contracts. Why should men make contracts for the city that they would not think oi making for themselves in their private business? The most incompetent lawyer in Salt Lake would not bind himself or his client to so d a contract as the majority of the city council purpose to bind the public to. The little clique of water experts also advance the argument that by voting for the bond issue the citizens do not bind themselves as to the manner of the expenditure of the money derived there from. That, they say, is optional witl. the council. But the majority of the council has already committed itsel. to the proposed plan, for reasons known to no one else who care3 to make them public. It is often beyond the comprehension of ordinary persons to understand the workings of a small mans mind, but this furnishes only another arguone-hors- e one-side- , sell-style- d ment against entrusting the citys have men who demonstrated at best only very The business medium ability. most striking ability shown by the pre.cnt administration is to increase the working expenses of the municipality without any increase in its efficiency. The extraordinary ability of a majority of the members of the administration for graft, legitimate or otherwise, and the grace and facility with which they ignore legitimate obligations are matters which the people should take into their careful and prayerful consideration before entrusting them with the expenditure of a million or more dollars. Profit by Past Experience. The public should, before authorizing the issue of a million dollars of bonds, remember what became of the $250,000 realized from the sale of water bonds a few years ago. Before that bond issue was authorized, the then administration and a number of citizens of standing pledged themselves that the money would be applied to specific purposes. Were those Not by any redeemed? pleuges means. The money was frittered away and the people received but little benefit from it. The city practically got no increase of water. A new pipe line was laid in City Creek qanyon at a cost of $60,000 or $70,000, where it was not needed. A sufficiently capacious and pipe line was then in existencesecond a for need more no there was a pipe line in City Creek canyon than wagon has for a fifth wheel. The two either pipes now parallel each other, to sufficient carry the one of which is water coming to the city from that source. New pipes were laid in other was places and a part of the money affairs with . . , spent for very doubtful and very small acquisitions in Parleys canyon. As a matter of fact the city received very little benefit fiom the expenditure of the $250,000. Mr. Dooly at that time held the office of chairman of the board of public works. As a matter oi fact Mr. Dooly ran the whole city government. He dominated the mayor, the city council, the bond of public works and every other branch of the city government and he ruled with a roa of iron. Only two men in the Councilman whole administration, Buckle and City Engineer F. C. Kelsey, had the nerve to oppose him. All the others made themselves his slaves and Buckle and Kelsey, although absolutely right, were worsted ai every turn. The people should think of the $250,000 before voting $1000,000 to a more pusillanimous, more extravagant, and more incompetent administration Gan the one that handled the $250,000 deal. While Truth thinks that Mr. Doolys objections to the present water plan are in the main well founded, it does not vouch for Mr. Doolys disinterestedness at all. One of Mr. Doolys suggFtons is thatto a commission should be appointed begin, perform, and complete the work necessary to obtain an additional supply of water for Salt Lake City, Truth suspects that Mr. Dooly would not decline the position of chairman of the commission. Too Indefinite. Another objection to the proposed Who scheme is its indefiniteness. of water not or the knows whether and Spring Creek, a pumping plant the Granite paper mills are included in the proposed deal or not? Nobody knows what the status is regarding those three expensive propositions, not even the promoters of the plan. The manner in which the plan is presented is sufficient demonstration that the administration has not the business capacity to carry it out even if it were a leasable scheme. The mayor and council appear to have closed their ears to all appeals of the taxpayers, and seem determined to force the proposition as they have figured it cut regardless of results. It is a certain fact that the proposition as now submitted means endless trouble, expense and litigation. We warn the taxpayers now, that if they vote the bonds for this water scheme they will never regret it but once, and that will be forever This scheme will follow the fate of the mattress factory deal and the reservoir scheme, for which Fernstrom was godfather, chief pusher and orator. If this scheme succeeds, just as sure as the sun rises and sets the next year will see an increase in taxes. It will add half a hundred men to the pay roll. . The canal will have to be deepened and widened, endless .flumes, headgates, etc., will have to be made and taken care of which have never been figured upon, and which were Price 5 Cents concealed from the taxpayers and not referred to until Truth smoked it out. I et the taxpayer understand and consider that out of $850,000 mortgage which he puts on his home, to be paid li taxes out of his hard earnings, $500,000 is to be paid out for a lot of exchange and trading contracts. After the last dollar is spent the citys limit of bonding will have been reached, and all it will have on hand will be a conduit and a collection of promises to deliver water contracts, each contract with several dangerous strings securely fastened so that not one of them can get away. To force this scheme upon the taxpayers through subterfuge and misleading representations and arguments is a wrong to this municipality. The City Needs Water. The city wants water. It doesnt want promises and trade. The people are willing to vote the bonds for a business proposition, but if their good sense prevails they will vote this present plan down and notify the administration that nothing but a straight business buying preposition will go. The taxpayers should arouse themselves and demand that if they are to pay their money for water it should be a straight buy, not a lot of papier mache imitations in the shape of trades, exchanges, barters, etc. No business man or set of business men would invest $850,000 in such a crazy quilt scheme. A scheme depending upon the will of a hundred men, all of whom have to be satisfied. Some fine morning these hundred men might be found strung along Cottonwood with their picks and shovels and under their agreements proceed to break down the citys head gates, flumes, etc., and take the water, leaving the investment city with its $850,000 worth about 30. cents. But the promoters calmly smile and say they are assured we will always have enough water. Wonderful men. They seem to have forgotten Farmer Gabbots raid and how nearly the city came to losing every drop of Parleys canyon water. We are told where $350,000 would go, but where does the $500,000 go? n Stand up. Mayor Morris, and Hewlett and Fernstrom and explain how that $500,000 is to be spent. Who is to get It? How many contracts are to be let and how many of cur celebrated $35 councilmen are to have a finger in the pie? There is another feature which has escaped observation. It has been announced that Mr. Doremus is to be consulting engineer with Mr. Snow. If the judgment of these engineers upon a water proposition is no better than it is; on grades for sidewalks and streets, God help the taxpayers. If thik great water wrong is successfully pushed through and the bonding limit of the city exhausted, when in the near future the city is left, as-i- t will surely be, high and dry, with Its Cottonwood A water gone, we ask to re-the then taxpayers Coun-cilme- |