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Show SOME OF THE FEATURES. ' How the Utah Light & Railway company must hate itself when it thinks of all the trouble it has I been to during the past half year, and to find how easy it might have been settled in the start, had it but known just what few citizens to apply to for relief, the few who are so crazy for progress pro-gress and the advancement of the city that if does not matter on what terms that progress is to be secured. In this respect, the Herald and Newsare vie-ing vie-ing with each other in their expressions of a desire de-sire for progress, and are denouncing all who do not like the hold-up as obstructionists. The News, however, should bear the palm. Of course, it happened, and the Herald is in it, but we suspect 1 its reward consists chiefly in the promise of po-j po-j litical support for its party and the patronage that would come of the success of its party. But the News, which has been published here now for nearly three-score years, has thrown off its inertia in-ertia and its deadly opposition to all progress, j and is now just wild tor advancement. And how unselfish are its motives. By a little vote of the city council and the signature of the mayor, the property of a certain corporation was advanced in a day the full sum of $3,000,000. And the chief owners in that corporation are brother-church- II men of the progressive citizen who conducts the K Deseret News. And out of all gross proceeds the I church receives 10 per cent. No wonder the zeal of the News exceeds that of the Herald. (And now, considering that the value of this franchise depends solely upon the patronage of the people of this city, what consideration do the people receive? The News reasserts that it gets I a water right for which a cash offer of $100,000 had been refused. I We have jammed that monstrous falsehood j down the throat of the News often, but that does not matter. We have asked it what could be done with that power to make it pay legal inter-i inter-i est on 10 per cent of $100,000, but it has failed to respond. The truth is; so little had the company i held that power to be worth that it had practi-1 practi-1 cally abandoned it until the thought of this great I graft took form. Our belief is that two years ago II the company would have been glad to realize II $7,500 for it, for it was useless to the company, m and the prior rights of the farmers down the val ley made it imperative to keep the stream in its natural channel. But after all, that is not a momentous mo-mentous feature, except that it is made an excuse for tying the city to the Juggernaut of the combine for fifty years. The city, in effect, says to the combine: "You may go ahead and perpetrate any abuse you please upon the city." "If the cost of electrical power or light is reduced re-duced one-half, as is expected in the near future, you may pocket the half. "If you please, you may supply eight candle power and charge for sixteen; you will not be expected ex-pected to pay taxes on more than 10 per cent of the value of your property. "Finally, lest a new generation of men grow up here who might object to your methods, we will insert in this charter a clause which will bind that generation to you hand and foot and not give that generation the power to pay you full value of your property to get rid of you." This is the progress which the News and Herald are rejoicing over; this is what touched the heart of the city attorney; this is what Councilman Hartenstein rejoices over because of the progress which will ensue; this is what so enraptured Mayor Morris that he forgot himself, and while whispering, "I'll never consent," consented. con-sented. The one t:o be congratulated is Councilman Fernstrom. He admitted that he helped fix up the job in the first place, and that he has been a faithful and able attorney for it ever since is most apparent. He should be remembered. He would make a mayor for instance that could always al-ways be depended upon. It would save the trust presidency much trouble. The orders could be transmitted through him without a doubt about their being carried out. The Herald writer, personally, hopes that the time will come here when there will be no clashing clash-ing between the church and the public business. A comforting hope, possibly, but when does that writer expect that time to arrive so long as Gentiles, Democrats and Republicans hold themselves them-selves in readiness to change their views whenever when-ever the church desires them to, and with no bigger bribe than a promise of petty political reward re-ward with attendant perquisites? Now, when the city gets through with the farmers in the valley, cleans out its own canal and then settles with the Jordan Canal companies, com-panies, how much of the $1,000,000 for increasing the water supply will be left? For cold graft and sneaking incompetency and dishonesty this whole business from the time it first started last winter has no parallel. |