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Show THE WATER PROBLEM. To use an Irishism, the burning question in the city just now is water. It always is at this eason of the year; it has been every year for quite twenty-five past. The utmost efforts of the authorities in the old days, left the east and north benches deserts. Since the first Liberal administration adminis-tration it has seemed to be impossible to keep up with the increasing demand. It is said the water of the Cottonwoods could be turned into the city mains for about $800,000. But then what of the farmers who rely upon that water? Would there not be u repetition of the Parley's canyon water experience? The city bought the lands in the canyons that the full stream might be sent down to the city. But six weeks ago the farmers at the mouth of the creek were taking the whole supply and at the same time threatening to sue the city for damages. Another plan that has been named has been to dyke Utah lake, cutting off a great track of shallow shal-low water and stopping the evaporation from that portion, which scientists compute to be more than is used altogether in this valley. The estimate of the cost of that is another million. Next there is a belief that a great river might for $1,000,000, a river as yet unappropriated, be turned into Provo river and so reinforce Utah lake that there would not only be an ample supply for this city, but for the lands of the valley that now remain uncultivated for want of water. This scheme merits a survey to see how near the guess is to the facts, for it is a consummation most devoutly de-voutly to be wished for. Another comparatively cheap proposition is to throw by pumps from Jordan Jor-dan river the water to irrigate the lawns to the upper part of the city, which would leave the natural nat-ural supply for domestic purposes. A sensible proposition also is to turn the water running to waste beyond Liberty park into the city mains. Still another proposition is to run long bedrock tunnels out from City creek to arrest the immense seepage of the stream and turn it back into the stream. It is thought that this w.ork might be done by the gentlemen who at the expense of the State have board and clothes at the penitentiary? Another plan which is now in a manner being acted upon in to build more reservoirs to impound the waters of the nearby streams that now through a great portion of the year run to waste. At the meeting on Saturday night there was a proposition proposi-tion to appoint a committee of sixty gentlemen to take up this question, thoroughly investigate it and report upon the best solution of the problem. Our idea is that the committee be changed to a commission; that it consist of five citizens, one an engineer, and that there be a salary attached sufficient to induce the members to perform energetic en-ergetic and effective work, and that the commission commis-sion be required to report within sixty days. Again, the members should possess two essential essen-tial requisites. They should be known to be enterprising en-terprising and capable business men and should be heavy property-owners. They should start out with the understanding that the thing needed is a permanent water supply of sufficient volume to take away for all time to come apprehensions of a water famine. B This matter should no longer be left to the B City Council. It is a subject beyond the environ- B ments which circumscribe the capacity of the B average Councilman. The members of the Coun- B cil cannot forget that they are members of one or B another political party and their ruling desire is B to serve their party. Not many of them are men B who would be selected to carry on a great busi ness enterprise involving the investment of several sev-eral hundred thousand dollars. No stream can rise higher than its source, and this applies to a City Council as much as to City creek. The foregoing fore-going is not in criticism, but merely a statement of facts. The city has been relying upon its City Councils for a quarters of a century to procure a water supply. Whenever a good suggestion is made there are always enough partisans or dullards dul-lards in the Council to defeat it and another source should be looked to. We think a small commission of thorough business men, sent out under a fair salary, could within sixty days be able to make a report which would commend itself to the intelligence of the city and then the pressure could be brought to make the Mayor and Council put the plan advised under execution. |