OCR Text |
Show Published Every Saturday. BY GOODWIN'S WEEKLY PUBLISHING CO., INC. F. P. GALLAGHER, Editor and Mgr. L. J. BRATAGER, Business Mgr. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: Including postage in the United States, Canada and Mexico $2.50 per year, 1.50 for six months. Subscriptions to all foreign countries, within the Postal Union, $4.50 per year. . Single copies 10 cents. Payment should be made by Check, Money Order or Registered Letter, payable to The Citizen. Address all communications to The citizen. Entered as second-clas- s matter, June 21, 1919, at the Postofflce at 8alt Lake City, Utah, under the Act of March 3, 1879. 3 Phone Wasatch 5409.. Ness Bldg. Salt Lake City, Utah. 311-12-1- NEW WATER PROPOSAL IS UNDER SUSPICION as the city commissioners virtually have confessed the engineers should pass upon the adequacy of the water supply. $3,300,000 bond issue scheme was a fiasco, the taxpayers They should take judicial notice of the fact that the estimates of the should view with suspicion any new plan proposed by Mayor Bock present city engineer, and, indeed, of other city engineers, have been and Commissioners Neslen and Crabbe. Having admitted that their almost unfailingly inaccurate. Whenever a bond issue has been first proposition was a blunder the commissioners and the city advocated the city engineers and other city officials backing the proposals have talked most volubly about the hundreds of thousands of engineer practically accuse themselves of bad judgment and inefficiency and they must expect that any new proposition they make people that the new supply of water would serve. In every instance will be looked upon with doubt and misgiving by the public. the supply has fallen far below the estimates and, within a year or have been placed on water rations and the Commissioner Neslen has borne the brunt of the criticism, but two, the home-ownethe mayor and Commissioner Crabbe are equally to blame. Mr. old cry for more wrater has been raised. If the engineers decide that the water supply will be sufficient Crabbe is a man of many poses and one of his favorite poses is to d business man. The business and that the city should close the deals for the water rights, they represent himself as a should then decide how much of a distributing system is necessary man pose, however, has been only one of Mr. Crabbes effective attitudes. He has been all things to all men, a little bit of for the immediate needs of the city. Is it not common sense to ask a Republican, a little bit of a Democrat, with a dash of socialism what useful purpose can be served by building reservoirs, dams and some other isms that have political values. We have not heard and conduits not needed at this time? If we have the water supply that he has whispered in the ears of the Reds that he has irresistible we can build the distributing system as we need it. The advantage tendencies toward Bolshevism, but Bolshevism is young yet and it of such a progressive policy would be that it would prevent the does not do much voting. expenditure of money during a period when prices will be higher We were informed that the Utah Society of Engineers would than ever before in the countrys history. One of the chief objections to the $3,300,000 scheme was that study the new plan which the commissioners intend to propose to the electors. We trust that the report is true and that the society will it provided for reservoirs and conduits which were to be built at an give the entire water problem its serious attention and take official outlay far in excess of what similar works cost in previous years. action. It would be regrettable if the society were to limit its It would appear to be the part of wisdom, therefore, to build only decision to the verdict given at the Commercial club meeting. so much of a system as may be necessary for immediate needs and should not give its sanction or lend its prestige to wait for a few years before completing the system. Even if our any water supply project that is inadequate or objectionable. It hopes of lower prices are not fulfilled the delay can do no harm, should go into the problem fully and make a report that will be for it will be simply a delay in constructing unnecessary works. The Utah Society of Engineers should also take cognizance of a illuminating to the entire community. There is much confusion of mind on the water question, even .outside the city hall. grave rumor that is going the rounds. From various sources The It is said to be the purpose of the commissioners to divide the Citizen has heard that the dam in Parleys canyon has bulged and next proposal into parts so that the taxpayers may vote on the varithat it is unsafe. It is also said that part of the $900,000 or thereous expenditures, item by item. This plan has considerable advanabouts asked of the electors for Parleys canyon in the first proposal tages, for if it transpires that the new plan is objectionable only in was to be spent for strengthening the dam. The Citizen realizes that some features these features can be rejected and others adopted. rumors of this kind arc apt to gain currency and even to assume a And if it transpires that the entire proposal is futile and ineffective genuine aspect without being founded on anything substantial. But a of it can be rejected. neither the engineers nor the commissioners can afford to ignore the If we may be permitted-- suggestion to the Utah Society of rumor. It is the part of good salesmanship, when bonds arc to be sold, dam is weak Engineers, we wish to point out that the question seems to divide to put an end to such rumors if thc be false. If the itself naturally into two parts the supply of water and the water we wrant no more such dams and the taxpayers will not cast their votes for bonds if they believe that the funds arc to be squandered system. It would be folly to build an elaborate system if the city were on a water system that is apt to be washed away overnight. A fatal defect of the original scheme was that it had not been not to have an adequate supply of water. First of all, therefore, INASMUCH rs hard-heade- vote-getti- -- I a ng |