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Show STILL THE WATER QUESTION. The News opposes adding the water supply above Liberty park to the city. That is a pretty good indication that it is a good scheme, and could be carried out without a graft. The News thinks it might give out in a few years. Competent Compe-tent engineers believe the flow might be made to double that of the Cottonwoods. It is clear that the water comes in subterranean channels from the hills close by, and when it fails what will become of Parley's creek and the Cotton-woods? Cotton-woods? The News objects to the expense of pumping, pump-ing, but the plan that it advocates contemplates the adding of two additional pumps at the foot of Utah lake. It is not sure that it is pure water. When the wells were first bored the water was analyzed and declared to be almost chemically pure. Finally the proposition has not been to stop the contemplated contem-plated plan of getting water from the Cotton-woods, Cotton-woods, but to utilise that of the wells in addition. The News says the people voted for a certain thing. That is true, but the thing was to add to the water supply of the city and the people only wanted to be sure of that fact. They did not vote . j j to have the risky and shifty proposition gotten up j last winter carried out, but voted the means to j secure tp the city a sufficient supply of water to have.it understood that Salt "Lake's water ' problem had been finally solved. We favor using the artesian water for several reasons. One is that it belongs to the city, and to use it would involve no danger of damage suits, and no one would have to be treated with or bought out before it could be appropriated. Another is that it would supply as much water as is now flowing through the city. Another is that as it is filtered through the gravel in coming from the hills it is and always will be pure. Another is that it would be constant, would never freeze, and it might be the salvation salva-tion of the city in the cold weather of December and January. It must not be forgotten that the city was within three days of a water famine last winter. The News rejoices over the purchase or contemplated con-templated purchase of 1,600 shares of stock in the East Jordan Canal at $25 per share. That means $40,000. With $10,000 added to that amount the wells would supply the city, with much more water than the minimum flow of the Cottonwoods. The News says that will give the II city in exchange 80 per cent of the Cottonwood water. The News is reckless in its statement. It knows no such thing. Rather the proof is directly di-rectly against its statement. The main owners of the Cottonwood water rights have not yet been dealt with. Surely it is time to apply a little business busi-ness sense to this water question, and the right thing to do is for those in authority to have a hydraulic engineer examine the whole situation and report, and let the people know the real facts. But coming back to the Cottonwood water, do the people generally know that no arrangement arrange-ment has been made with the farmers who have the first rights to the use of Cottonwood water? Those farmers who first, through their ditches, claimed the water and turned it on their lands? They declare, too, that no arrangements of exchange ex-change can be made with them short of purchasing purchas-ing their farms, which would be a serious business busi-ness just now, for the tract is a large one and the cost would be high. Ex-Commissioner Howe, a strong man, who owns the biggest farm in that region, says that on the first day the city attempts at-tempts to turn a drop of Cottonwood water into a conduit, that day suits will be entered to restrain re-strain the city and for damages. He added in substance: "Mayor Morris is up there now try- B ing to buy our water rights. What he has bought I is merely some rights in the valley, the water of I which comes mostly from springs along the chan- I nel of the creek." When asked how much the water rights along the stream where the water I is first taken out were worth, Mr. Howe replied: l "They are worth the value of the lands." That is, he meant that the lands would be valueless without the water, and hence to secure the water the lands would have to be bought. Let some I tionists," the Deseret News, for instance, or the I Herald, explain where the city is going to get the money to buy these farms. It would be good fl for his honor, Mayor Morris, to explain how he I had the nerve last winter to say that the farmers I who own Cottonwood water rights had made arrangements ar-rangements to release their water. For absolute rottenness and cold-blooded grafting the scheme has no counterpart in western cities, and the tax payers should take immediate steps to arrest the wrong before any more money is thrown away upon it. At least they should insist that the amount necessary to pay those farmers should be known before a start is made. |