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Show CITY'S BIRTHRIGHT IS BARTERED UK BYCITY.BOARD Editor Standard: Pleaso permit mo to correct an orror your paper mado respecting that which I had to say boforo the city commissioners, Aug. 26, pertaining to the electric light and gas franchises that wero about to be passed, Yonr paper stated that I hold the proposed franchises to bo but contracts. con-tracts. This idea I did not advance. I did maintain, bowover, that tho clause Injected in theso franchises wherein tho commissioners delogated their legislative rights' to a boaTd of nrbltration giving it (the arbitration board ) the richt hereafter to fix tho rates for tho city, was in tho nature of a contract that wonld In tho futuro givo tho city much trouble. I read tho following, Section 206-19, 20,-1907 Utah Statute "19. LIGHTING WORKS AND CONTRACTS. To construct with and authorlzo any person, company or association as-sociation to construct Gas Works, electric or other" lighting works In said city, and givo such persons, company, com-pany, or association tho privilege of furnishing light for tho public build" lngs, streets, sidewalks, and alleys of said city, for any length of time not exceeding threo years. "20 LIGHTING STREETS. REGULATION REG-ULATION OF SALE OF LIGHT AND POWER, To provldo for tho lighting of strocts, laying down of gas pipes, and erection of lamp posts; to regulate regu-late tho sale and use of gas, natural gas and olectric and othor lights and electric power tho charge thereof, and the rent of motors within the city, and to regulato tho inspection thereof." there-of." This fixes the time in which tho city shall contract for light, and also gives tho city commissioners the legislative leg-islative power to fix tho rates for each citizen who uses the same. Wo did ask tho commissioners why tney wouiq give tnei.e companies power pow-er to charge and collect from us a cortain price for fifty years, when the statutes prohibited them from contracting over three years at a time. Js not that which Is good for the city also good for Its citizens? What would wo think of a legislature that would It to delegate its powers to some otlw body and lot that body, so delegated, amend and pass laws pertaining to its citizens, and yet our commissioners ar doing that very thing. When other commissioners follow you and try to correct this mistake, you have made or are about to make, they shall t)o dragged into courL Then will follow tho same thing that Ogden City experienced In the water contract with J. R. Both-well. Both-well. The judgo in the Circuit Court of appeals at St Louis said, "The contract con-tract between Ogden City and J. R. Bothwell Is void on its faco, but since Ogden City has allowed Bothwell to spend 5100,000 in good faith, wo are restrained to declare tho contract valid." Why Ogden City commissioners have bartered away their birthright, I do not understand. Instead of tho commissioners having hav-ing the right to fix the rates that we citizens are to pay to the light and gas companies as tho statutes of our State provides, there is an arbitration arbitra-tion board composed of three, who, prohibited from acting for fire years, aro one-third Ogden City, one-third light people and one-third an umpire. Thl3 renders Ogdon City powerless to say anything no matter what comes up before her for fivo years; and then the light people will only have to convert con-vert the umpire and they will have the whole thing on their side, and the citizens will bo without protection. Yours truly, (Signed) HYRUM BELNAP. |